Chapter Twenty-six
The Road to Engelsbay
Erika, given the choice, decided to occupy the front passenger seat of the jeep, next to Lars. Leitus and Janik sat in the back. There was little room to move because personal belongings occupied most of the space. They had piled camping gear on the roof rack, and placed the food supplies, along with the refrigeration unit, behind the back seat. A small trailer, attached a safe distance to the rear, contained essential replacement parts and full petrol containers.
The road from Cabot led due west towards an imposing bridge spanning the River Palumbo. Potholes pitted the highway, and large cracks covered the entire surface. Progress was slow, but no matter how carefully Lars drove, occasional jolts shook the jeep.
"Merdi, Crux, Lars! Can't you avoid the bumps?" protested Janik from the back seat.
"It's damned near impossible. Obviously there's been no maintenance for some time, and alternating freezing and thawing has played havoc with the surface."
"Wouldn't it have been better to bring the ATV?"
"It would be smoother, but it consumes so much fuel."
"Stop Lars! Stop right now!" Erika yelled. She had spotted the buckling in the road ahead. Lars braked and the jeep rumbled to a stop on the edge of a slight drop. A supporting column of the bridge had subsided causing the road to collapse. Luckily they were heading in the right direction, but even so they had to uncouple the trailer, unload the supplies, and gingerly lower the empty jeep and trailer down across a narrow fissure through which they could see the foaming currents of the turbulent river.
"Any more delays like this, and we'll never reach Engelsbay by nightfall," said Leitus as he helped to reload.
Once reorganized, the party continued their journey along a highway flanking the western edge of the awesome river. The greatest rivers of Darsis paled in comparison. From one particular rise, they spotted the boiling surge of the Patobo Rapids. The increasing whine of their straining engine indicated that the river's elevation dropped considerably in this region of white water.
At the head of the rapids, they saw their first signs of habitation. Leitus knew from his reading, that Pergamon had been sparsely populated, but even so, he was unprepared for the vast distances that separated the inhabited areas. It had taken them more than an hour to reach this outpost.
"Why would anyone want to live here?" Erika queried.
"Why don't you go and have a look around? See if you three can find out. I'm going to check that building on the other side of the road," said Leitus.
*****
. Four small cabins, built in the traditional Myrian style, using local timber and smooth stone, probably garnered from the edges of the nearby river, stood by the roadside. The homes were in a state of disrepair and contained little of interest. At the back of the houses, Lars spotted an overgrown path disappearing into the undergrowth.
"That has to lead somewhere," he said.
"Probably down to the river," suggested Janik. "Maybe we should follow it. What do you think?"
"We'll need hatchets by the look of it. That new growth looks quite dense."
"What do you mean by new growth, Lars?" asked Erika.
"The forest is just reclaiming land the inhabitants cleared at one time. The trees are mere saplings. People must have been farming here not too long ago. It sort of fits with your idea, Janik."
Janik smirked, obviously appreciating the recognition.
*****
Whilst the others were hacking their way through the undergrowth towards the river, Leitus pried open the entrance of yet another intriguing wooden building. He had seen similar windowless structures, shaped like the conical helmets of early Sarcon warriors, from the deck of the Discovery. The interior was empty, except for two shovels that were leaning against the wall beside the entrance. In the light entering through the open doorway, Leitus noticed that the earthen floor had a dusty white appearance. At the building's edge, where the wooden walls and the earth met, little mounds of beige powder had accumulated. He took a sample, suspecting that the powder would prove identical to the sample Janik had taken from the greenhouse. It definitely looked and felt the same.
"So did you find anything interesting?" asked Leitus when the party rejoined him at the jeep.
"We found something, but I'm not sure it's interesting," said Lars.
"Try me."
"We found a huge wooden building on the edge of the river. We thought it might be a boat house because there was a long jetty in front of it."
"Was it?"
"Sort of. It was dark inside and smelled of mould and rotting wood, just like the houses. These people obviously did not believe in windows. Using our torches, we found several of those tanning tubes and a small tiled pool. Shelves, covering the walls, were stacked with dust covered mats, curved wooden boards and life jackets."
"The boards were covered with brightly coloured patterns. Looked as if they might have been hand painted.They were similar to the body paintings I saw in those magazines," said Erika.
Janik, wanting to add something to the discussion, interrupted. "I found some wooden blades hanging from hooks on the walls. I thought they might be oars, but I found nothing resembling a boat, and I looked everywhere."
"Have you any explanation for that,Janik?"
"Yes, sir. I think it's probable the villagers took the boats and headed down river to Cabot when disaster struck."
"A distinct possibility," said Leitus, nodding his head.
"Did you find anything, sir?" asked Erika
"Funny you should ask," said Leitus, smiling as he pulled out of his pocket a handkerchief containing beige powder. "Could you test it Lars?"
"The analytical kit is packed away, but I have an idea. Janik, would you mind lighting a wood fire. I'll just get a pan."
Lars waited until the blazing twigs had collapsed to white ash. He then mixed the powder with ashes from the fire, added some water, and stirred. On heating the slurry over the hot ashes dense white fumes formed. Lars lowered his head over the bowl containing the bubbling mixture. "It's the same," he said, wrinkling his nose in distaste. "I'll never forget that smell."
"Bakush! It stinks of fish," said Janik, moving away from the fire.
*****
The terrain changed as they followed the road in a northwesterly direction, the undulating hills giving way to a broad river plain.
"This used to be really fertile farmland," informed Leitus. "You wouldn't think it looking at it now." The forest was reclaiming the land, but occasionally they caught glimpses of rusting silo domes, desolate farm houses, and broken down entrance gates.
At regular intervals, they drove into the ruined remains of another wayside settlement. In each one, they found a cone shaped building, remnants of the beige powder scattered on its earthen floor. Leitus began to wonder if the powder was a fuel of some kind and that these settlements were refuelling stations. Grudgingly he had to admit that Janik's idea seemed more plausible.
As they neared Engelsbay, the terrain once again became rugged, with rocky ridges towering over crystal blue lakes. A few hardy conifers clung precariously to the rocks. Many more grew on the shores of the lakes. In low-lying areas, it appeared as if some blight had devastated the trees. They were obviously dead, rotting in shallow peat-blackened water, and in the process of toppling over.
All day they had kept a watchful eye, looking for evidence of survivors. As the sun sank towards the horizon, they saw their first signs of life. Janik spotted a black bear amongst berry bushes on a mountainside, and a fox slinking along the roadside at the forest's edge. A sudden turn in the road brought them face to face with the ugliest creature Leitus had ever seen. He thought it was going to charge, as it lowered its spread of waterweed-garlanded antlers. Luckily, the beast changed its mind, sauntered over on spindly legs, imperiously gazed into the jeep, and then disappeared into the woods. A head on collision would have been disastrous.
A blazing sight of red and gold streaks against an azure background met their gaze as they finally crested the mountain ridge to the south of Engelsbay. Lars pulled the jeep over to the side of the road and the weary travellers climbed out to stretch their aching limbs. They knew to expect a long drawn out twilight in these northern climes, and had time to appreciate this glorious sunset before moving elsewhere to set up camp.
The town of Engelsbay lay stretched out beneath them. Most of the copper roofed buildings lay along the shore of a large lake. The ochre coloured roofs, characteristic of Myrian towns, were not in evidence.
*****
Dazzled by the setting sun, the explorers didn't notice the wisp of blue smoke rising from the most distant point of the urban horseshoe.