The Fallen City

|Chapter XIX: A Life of Waiting

Gale made the effort to roll up gently and slowly. Taking care to let her spot him first, to let her make the first move...

He slowed to a stop when she stepped forth.

The major difference he could tell from here between the Carola of the City, and the Carola of the real world was her hair. Its ebony sheen reflected the light of the street lamps, dyed silver locks were striped across it like slashes of light in the darkness. Its length was substantially shorter, only just longer than Gale's. She looked at the car as it drove past slowly, coming to a halt not far away.

"Here we go." He whispered to himself, he opened the door. In his mirror her eyebrow quirked. The expression of shock plastered her face as he stepped out. She took a step back as he slowly walked towards her. The shock in her emerald eyes was ever present. Gale could see her face had more than one scar staining it. A faint one crossed her mouth, over both her lips and up towards her nose. Another curved across her cheek, wicked scars of fights long gone.

All the minor details she refused to bring with her into the City of Dreams.

"Wie ben Je?" She snapped at him. Gale ran his hand through his hair. He took another step forward, earning a step back in turn.

"We met in the City, can't remember how long ago. At the base of the clock tower..." He said, the look of shock turned to one of suspicion. "The City is now fractured, taking its last breath."

"No, you're lying." She responded in English, earning a scowl across Gale's weathered face. He scratched the grey hairs on his chin. His look told her everything, she took a step forward. "Gale?"

"Hello Carola." His long ragged voice croaked. He took a step forward as well, closing the distance between them to a few meters.

"How have you done this?" she asked him, still suspicious. Gale took a deep breath.

"In the city, we are who we are inside. How we see ourselves. Same as you don't see yourself with those two scars..." Gale said, she looked away, hiding them in the profile of her face that remained untouched. "I... I should've explained."

He trailed off for a moment.

"In the City, I am who I was when I met my wife... Forty years ago..." he finished, Carola's eyes grew wide again. She cocked her head, surveying the aged man infront of her. She searched for signs of the Gale she knew.

"So how old are you, really?" she asked, her words careful. Gale looked down.

"I probably should have said when we met..." He looked back up, Carola gestured for him to continue. "I'm Sixty seven."

Carola looked on in shock. She slowly found her words.

"So you're over... three times... my age?" She spoke aloud. "That's creepy at best... Man I thought you were a lot younger..."

"What's the point of living out your desires and dreams if you have to do it with a zimmer frame?" Gale asked, his voice completely flat. She recognised the tone. The mannerisms were there. She was silent for a moment, eventually she nodded.

"So tell me, Gale. What do we do?" Carola's voice was firm. Gale could see the woman from the City return to her, as he returned to himself.

"You're ok... with this?" He asked, still unsure himself.

"Have no choice, do I if we want to get this done. But..." Carola said, she reached into her inside pocket, pulling an object out just enough for him to see. She gestured at the still hidden scars. "I learned the hard way, I am always prepared."

"At least you feel safe." He said, he rapidly back pedalled. "Not to sound creepy, you have a Browning after all."

Carola quirked an eyebrow as he turned back to the car, his back wide open.

"How you know it's a Browning?" she asked as she followed him. He looked back over his shoulder, stumbling briefly on the pavement before coming to stand at the cars side.

"I've done my time carrying one for my country, don't you worry." He said with a smile. She came up beside him. Gale smiled and pointed over the car. "That side, it's British."

She muttered a long stream of curses in her mother tongue, as she walked round the car. She looked back over the roof to see Gale chuckling away.

"It is an overly proud lump of German crap you're right." He said with a smile. She was silent again, her eyebrow cocked. He threw his arms out. "C'mon do you really think at sixty seven I wouldn't have learned some languages?"

Carola stood still at the door, she had a frustrated frown on her face, and it showed in her tone. "Where are we going?"

"Somewhere where we can work undisturbed."

She was doubtful for a moment, she glanced over her shoulder. Then all around. She entered the car as it's engine roared back to life.