“How do you do that? How you know it’s me, every time? that’s amazing.” Kinth responded before the door could open completely. “It has happened again.”
The elderly man cursed under his breath and threw his hands up in frustration. He walked away from the foyer. He wore suit pants with suspenders, but no shirt and no shoes. He was balding with a hairy chest, along with a beard that hung the length of his torso. He wore small, round glasses while squinting most of the time.
“C’mon, c’mon. Close my door,” the man said, visibly irritated.
“Another wanderer came by the station. The boy found him, but the wanderer came in on his own. It felt like he was drawn to the station, cause I know the boy told him that he shouldn’t come in there; after what happened last time,” Kinth continued.
“Yeah, yeah. Wanderer spawnderer. You and the stories you bring here. You are ‘gon kill me before anything in this desert can. Always stressing me. Ever since you were little. I swear I am going to head further north. Maybe east to another corridor. Anywhere to get away from here,” the elderly man said as he flipped through pages of a book. “One of these days you will have to visit that city again. You must face your past. The answers you need are there. I can only help you so much. My abilities grow weaker the older I get.”
Kinth chuckled at some of the man’s comments, but didn’t respond to them. Rather, he gave a gesture of respect to his elder. He was accustomed to his random phrases and complaints. Instead, he stared out the door of the library while he listened.
The door led to a balcony that had a spectacular view of the surrounding land. In the distance, layers of mountainous sand covered by an orange and red sky. A field of cacti separated the sand from the grassy areas. The foliage moved harmoniously, as if it danced with the wind.
“What do you have for me?” the man asked.
Kinth removed his bag from his shoulder and dropped it on a stack of books near the man’s desk. The elderly man had books stacked in every corner of his library. It was a challenge to move around without knocking them over.
“Potatoes and onions.”
“More got-damn potatoes and onions. That sickening display of ale you make. When are you going to bring me something good? What about some cabbage? Where is the cabbage?”
“I ate the last head before I came. I will bring you some next time.”
“Yeah, yeah, there is always a next time. I had my mind set on some damn cabbage. Why are you so greedy?” the old man complained. “What do you need now?”
“Something is going on. Another wanderer came by the station yesterday. These visits are happening more often. At first I didn’t think much of it, but something heavy is happening. Whatever it is, it’s not normal.”
As Kinth spoke, the old man shuffled books and papers around on his desk. He found a notebook and skimmed through it leisurely, while he gnawed on a pencil. He licked his index finger at times, before turning each page.
“You must know something. You are the smartest man I have ever known, especially on this side of the city. Who are these people, and where are they coming from?” Kinth asked.
The old man leaned back in his tall wooden office chair. The cushions were faded and torn in multiple places. He picked up a pipe near the small desk lamp, and grabbed a leather pouch from the drawer beneath it. He removed tobacco from the pouch, sprinkling a portion of it into the pipe. He struck a match and slowly pulled from the mouthpiece. He spoke after he completed a couple of puffs.
“You have come to me many times with questions. Each time, you mentioned these wanderers.”
“Yeah.”
“And you have spoken to none of them? Why haven’t you sought answers from the source? Why haven’t you questioned them?”
“No. I haven’t. I don’t know. I spoke to the recent one. But the others – all of them – seemed lost. The last two walked by the station together. They were both trying to figure out where they were.”
“Not all who wander are lost. Have you seen them since?”
“No.”
“But you decided to help the most recent one?”
“Yeah.”
The elderly man hummed to himself; he continued to peruse his book. Kinth watched him closely, as curiosity filled his eyes.
“I don’t have a clue what’s going on,” the elderly man continued, “It appears that these people are not from the Pines, or that city. Obviously they are from a different corridor. Maybe they lost their way. Who knows? Maybe they were kicked out for criminal acts and reprogrammed. If they were headed to that city – it makes sense why you never saw the others again. That city – that city is a mess now. Ruthless. You know as well as I do that once they enter, their chances of survival there are slim. Their chances of getting out is slim. You know that, I don’t know why you acting like this is new to you. I don’t know how to explain what’s happening. Why didn’t you go with this new wanderer, and find out what the hell is going on for yourself?”
Kinth sucked his teeth. He frowned at the thought.
“But I thought that because of your abilities, you could sense things? I thought you could see events before they happened, or, see how things happened – when they happened?” Kinth responded.
“I must be near the energy of the event or the person. The life force. I can’t do much from the confines of this home. Too much blockage. All the shit out there. I am growing weaker with my old age.”
“But you chose to be out here.”
“I know I did! I don’t need you to remind me of my choices. I had to go – the same reason you had to go, remember? The energy in that city is evil. It’s a mess.”
“But I was forced out! You left before the madness became what it is now.”
“That’s what you say, but I believe you left on your own accord. And yes, I did choose to leave, ‘cause I could feel what was coming! You don’t need my abilities to know that some things are just not right.”
“Why didn’t you tell us what was coming?”
“Because the love you and your father had for that place blinded you!”
Quietness fell over the room.
“Near, the life force. So, you are saying, we can find out what is going on if I bring the problem to you?”
“Anything is possible. But you can’t bring anyone here. No one knows that I am here besides you. It’s safe here, and I enjoy my peace and quiet,” The elderly man could sense Kinth’s troubles with reentering Hock. “You have to go there one of these days; can’t just sit and rot in that station. You don’t want to end up like me – alone, forever.”
Kinth scoffed, “You aren’t alone. But how would I get in there? I can’t just walk in.”
“I know of a way.”
Sugar Knows Things
“I said, what did he look like?” Madam Pearl asked again, showing her teeth like an animal that had been backed into a corner. The hair on her neck rose as she snapped her hefty fingers. At this moment, her guards grabbed Langston by his arms, holding him so that he couldn’t move. Their hold was not as strong as the Desert Dwellers, but close.
Not again.
“Oh my, look at me acting un-lady like.” Pearl spoke to herself. She waddled softly across the room with new poise and a straight face.
“Get off me! Lemme go! Tell your goons to get off me!” screamed Langston as he struggled to release himself.
“Please Madam, no! Please don’t! He will tell you what you want!” shouted Jesse as he tugged on her arm.
“Oh will he now? Sho’ don’t seem like it. I will let him go, just as soon as he tells me about this man he met.”