DIRTY WORK
4.
STILLWELL’S TRAVEL JOURNAL
DAY: 1
MORNING
DISTANCE TRAVELED: 0 MI
Yerzle and the others are finishing up the final work. I still can’t put any weight on my leg, but it doesn’t hurt much, even after that fall. Sashi had to re-tie the splints, and it’s propped up. I get to ride to the town in this neat wheeled chair! Sashi says it would take him only two days to reach the village we’re heading for, though with me and Portia slowing everybody down it might take us longer.
Yerzle and the others are finishing up the final work. I still can’t put any weight on my leg, but it doesn’t hurt much, even after that fall. Sashi had to re-tie the splints, and it’s propped up. I get to ride to the town in this neat wheeled chair! Sashi says it would take him only two days to reach the village we’re heading for, though with me and Portia slowing everybody down it might take us longer.
DAY: 1
EVENING
DISTANCE TRAVELED: 150 YDS
This isn’t going the way any one thought. The chair doesn’t roll so well over the sand, and not even Dozer was able to push me much. Yerzle and Dozer tied ropes to the chair and tried to drag it backwards. After a while I started to feel bad, and then I got sick. That made Portia feel bad, because she was walking behind the chair. By then we were at the base of a dune, and the sun was setting, so Yerzle suggested that rather than fight the hill in the dark, we call it a day and start fresh in the morning. That seemed to be a good idea, so everybody agreed to that. When they come back from the ship tomorrow, we’ll be off!
DAY: 1
This isn’t going the way any one thought. The chair doesn’t roll so well over the sand, and not even Dozer was able to push me much. Yerzle and Dozer tied ropes to the chair and tried to drag it backwards. After a while I started to feel bad, and then I got sick. That made Portia feel bad, because she was walking behind the chair. By then we were at the base of a dune, and the sun was setting, so Yerzle suggested that rather than fight the hill in the dark, we call it a day and start fresh in the morning. That seemed to be a good idea, so everybody agreed to that. When they come back from the ship tomorrow, we’ll be off!
DAY: 1
NIGHT
DISTANCE TRAVELED: 150 YDS
I have a lantern! The dunes sure are windy at night. Sleeping in the wreck, I never realized just how windy it was. It’s not cold, but the sand blows around a lot. The wind almost sounds like people talking in the distance, close enough to know they’re there, but too far away to actually understand what they’re saying. It’s creepy. When’s sunrise?
DAY: 2
I have a lantern! The dunes sure are windy at night. Sleeping in the wreck, I never realized just how windy it was. It’s not cold, but the sand blows around a lot. The wind almost sounds like people talking in the distance, close enough to know they’re there, but too far away to actually understand what they’re saying. It’s creepy. When’s sunrise?
DAY: 2
AFTERNOON
DISTANCE TRAVELED: 2 MI
I learned more about sand last night than I ever wanted to know. For instance, dry sand blown by the wind gets into every crevice, and I mean every crevice. The others showed up early, and we started fresh. The sun is hot, and there’s no wind during the day here in the dunes.
DAY: 2
I learned more about sand last night than I ever wanted to know. For instance, dry sand blown by the wind gets into every crevice, and I mean every crevice. The others showed up early, and we started fresh. The sun is hot, and there’s no wind during the day here in the dunes.
DAY: 2
NIGHT
DISTANCE TRAVELED: 3 MI
Now that we’re farther from the actual beach, the wind over the dunes has picked up. It never stops completely, only rises and falls. Now it doesn’t sound like people off in the distance, but like people right behind you, whispering. People in the dark. Sushushushushushush. All night.
DAY: 3
Now that we’re farther from the actual beach, the wind over the dunes has picked up. It never stops completely, only rises and falls. Now it doesn’t sound like people off in the distance, but like people right behind you, whispering. People in the dark. Sushushushushushush. All night.
DAY: 3
MORNING
DISTANCE TRAVELED: 3 MI
All night, all night. The wind never let up. The sand doesn’t last forever, and both Yerzle and Sashi claim there’s a road not too far ahead, once the ground gets more solid, but we’re so much slower with me in this chair that we can’t tell how much farther we’ve got to go.
DAY: 3
All night, all night. The wind never let up. The sand doesn’t last forever, and both Yerzle and Sashi claim there’s a road not too far ahead, once the ground gets more solid, but we’re so much slower with me in this chair that we can’t tell how much farther we’ve got to go.
DAY: 3
AFTERNOON
DISTANCE TRAVELED: 5 MI
Sashi has gone ahead to scout a good path. Yerzle and Dozer are exhausted from pulling me all day, but Portia looks better.
DAY: 4
Sashi has gone ahead to scout a good path. Yerzle and Dozer are exhausted from pulling me all day, but Portia looks better.
DAY: 4
MORNING
DISTANCE TRAVELED: 5 MI
I wonder if anyone else hears the whispering. I saw Portia staring up at the top of one of the dune ridges last night, but when I asked her about it, she told me she was looking for Sashi, except that I know that he went in the opposite direction.
DAY: 4
I wonder if anyone else hears the whispering. I saw Portia staring up at the top of one of the dune ridges last night, but when I asked her about it, she told me she was looking for Sashi, except that I know that he went in the opposite direction.
DAY: 4
NIGHT
DISTANCE TRAVELED: 5 MI
We did not move at all, today. The sun beat upon our company relentlessly, forcing us all into a listless torpor. Mousashi-san did not return until well after moonrise, although he brought felicitous news. The road we seek is not so far off as we thought, perhaps two days’ travel at our current pace!
DAY: 5
We did not move at all, today. The sun beat upon our company relentlessly, forcing us all into a listless torpor. Mousashi-san did not return until well after moonrise, although he brought felicitous news. The road we seek is not so far off as we thought, perhaps two days’ travel at our current pace!
DAY: 5
MORNING
DISTANCE TRAVELED: 5 MI
The others are making preparations for the resumption of our journey, but I must make note of the winds during the previous night. It coursed ceaselessly through the dunes, its susurrations ever-present in our ears, in our minds. I saw my comrades casting wary glances beyond the edges of our camp, into the darkness beyond our meager fire. What do they look for? What do they fear?
DAY: 5
The others are making preparations for the resumption of our journey, but I must make note of the winds during the previous night. It coursed ceaselessly through the dunes, its susurrations ever-present in our ears, in our minds. I saw my comrades casting wary glances beyond the edges of our camp, into the darkness beyond our meager fire. What do they look for? What do they fear?
DAY: 5
AFTERNOON
DISTANCE TRAVELED: 10 MI
Having left the accursed wreck, I am confined to this infernal chair. I fear madness creeps upon me from inactivity. The others are no better, stunned by the fierce assault of the sun by day, and the drone of the wind upon the sand by night, and by the general monotony of the scene. The large ones drawing my conveyance are now little more than stupid beasts of burden, straining against their makeshift harnesses and panting mindlessly in their exertions. The erstwhile witch prattles on about “beach volleyball” and “barbecues” and other nonsense. The foreigner is silent, but I can see his eyes. They flit from one of us to another, calculating. Plotting. I must remain vigilant against his inevitable treachery.
DAY: 6
Having left the accursed wreck, I am confined to this infernal chair. I fear madness creeps upon me from inactivity. The others are no better, stunned by the fierce assault of the sun by day, and the drone of the wind upon the sand by night, and by the general monotony of the scene. The large ones drawing my conveyance are now little more than stupid beasts of burden, straining against their makeshift harnesses and panting mindlessly in their exertions. The erstwhile witch prattles on about “beach volleyball” and “barbecues” and other nonsense. The foreigner is silent, but I can see his eyes. They flit from one of us to another, calculating. Plotting. I must remain vigilant against his inevitable treachery.
DAY: 6
EVENING
DISTANCE TRAVELED: 12 MI
Our supplies run low, most especially the rum. The sweet, sweet rum. I am keeper of the victuals, as they ride alongside me in this chair. The others are all against me. ALL OF THEM. I know this because the wind tells me so. It knows everything; it sees all. None can hide from its unfailing ability to discern the truth. It comes to me in the night, whispering in my ear, transmitting to me what the others have told to it. It feeds the truth to me, my one true friend in this wilderness, while placating those about me who scheme and conspire in opposition. Curse my feeble body! If I were but able to stand upon my own legs, they would learn the consequences of their machinations, to their peril!
DAY: 7
Our supplies run low, most especially the rum. The sweet, sweet rum. I am keeper of the victuals, as they ride alongside me in this chair. The others are all against me. ALL OF THEM. I know this because the wind tells me so. It knows everything; it sees all. None can hide from its unfailing ability to discern the truth. It comes to me in the night, whispering in my ear, transmitting to me what the others have told to it. It feeds the truth to me, my one true friend in this wilderness, while placating those about me who scheme and conspire in opposition. Curse my feeble body! If I were but able to stand upon my own legs, they would learn the consequences of their machinations, to their peril!
DAY: 7
MORNING
DISTANCE TRAVELED: 12 MI
The wind tells me that the stars are right. Soon, the Sleeper shall awake!
DAY: 7
The wind tells me that the stars are right. Soon, the Sleeper shall awake!
DAY: 7
EVENING
DISTANCE TRAVELED: 15 MI
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