The Walker

The afternoon sun sprinkled orange into the river as it descended sluggishly in the sky. Walker looked up at the water gate guiding the river into the city as Tom steered his boat slowly towards it. The traffic on the river was heavy.

He kept the boat to the left, following the slow surge of watercraft. Walker checked ahead; the guards here were stopping boats, big and small, at random intervals, presumably to search for contraband.

He flicked the stub of his cigarette overboard and waved to the captain. “Are they likely to search this one?”

Tom scratched the light beard that peppered his chin, and shrugged. “They search everyone at some point Walker. You’ll have to hope you have luck on your side.” He smiled unkindly and returned his attention to the river.

Walker grunted and went down to find Daisy. She had gone below with George some time ago, probably for more tea. He would need her ready, should anything happen.

He headed down the narrow stairs and opened the door to the cabin below. It was dark, but felt comfortable. There was a lamp, swinging gently from the ceiling, throwing soft shadows around him. Walker could still smell the previous occupants of the hold, despite George’s best efforts. He spotted a small counter, set up like a kitchen, where the china tea ware clinked together softly with the swaying of the ship.

The girl and George were sat on a couple of the smaller crates, talking and looking at the book Walker had given the two men earlier.

“You need to come back up, girl,” he said, “I need to keep an eye on you as we get into the city, make sure you don’t do anything stupid.”

She glared up at him, but remained seated. “Right, because you never do anything stupid.”

Walker just looked at her. She stared back for as long as she could, but he was a seasoned scowler. She finally gave up and looked at the floor, reaching up to her visor and extending it to hide her eyes.

Walker nodded, “Just hurry up, you’ve got two minutes.” He climbed the stairs back up, thinking to himself. The girl was getting braver; not necessarily a bad thing, but something he’d have to pay attention to. He could leave her in the city, he supposed. Plenty of traffic, she could even find a lift back to her home if she needed to.

She didn’t seem to know anything at all about him, or the difference between Walkers and the Order; she didn’t even know about the Crisis, so there’d be no problem leaving her here, alive.

Daisy appeared at his elbow, “I’m here, what do you need?”

He turned slightly towards her, rolling another cigarette. “Just be quiet and keep quiet. If they talk to you, I’ll answer. Keep your visor down, it will help.”

She nodded and ran a hand through her hair. Walker adjusted his shoulder bag, making it more visible, and moved his hat slightly further down his head, shading his face. The boat slipped slowly under the wall, through the concrete archway. They were cast in shadow, illuminated rhythmically every few seconds by the pulsing light coming from the cold blue glass vein running the length of the curved tunnel’s ceiling.

There were concrete jetties jutting from the tunnel’s walls, running perpendicularly to each other each side of the tunnel just above the water level, where the guards stood, watching and calling people over. The guards ahead looked uninterestedly back at them but one, face unobscured, waved them over. Walker heard Tom mutter, but the boat slowly drifted towards the ledge to their left.

The officer held a glowing panel, which he swiped at with a gloved hand. He barked down at them. “Climb over here, tie your vessel up.”

Walker looked back towards Tom, who muttered again and clambered down from the steering platform, then scrambled over the side and dropped to the ledge. He watched as the officer and Tom spoke in low voices, waiting. The officer was shaking his head and looking towards Walker and Daisy. He pushed Tom aside and strode to the edge.

“You,” he waved his pad at Walker, “What’s in the bag?”

Walker hefted the bag and climbed onto the rail of Tom’s boat. He stepped down easily onto the ledge and faced the officer. The pips on his shoulder indicated that he was a captain.

“Captain. You wouldn’t want me to charge you with impeding the progress of a member of the Order, would you?”

The captain eyed him up, disdainfully.

“You, sir, are no member of the Order. You are dishevelled, dirty and, frankly,” he sniffed, “Unwashed. What cohort did you pass out with?”

Walker replied immediately, “Tenth Cohort, Captain, the same one as your Commanding Officer, the Librarian.” He took a step closer to the officer, who was the same height as he was. “And if you don’t let me through now, Captain, I will be forced to report you to him. See how he likes it when a low ranking officer bothers him with matters suitable for, well, foot soldiers like you.”

The man went paled. He looked levelly at Walker, just managing to keep face. “You are too young to...” The Captain trailed off, quailing under Walker’s gaze. “Very well. Carry on.” He went to turn, but Walker clamped a hand on his shoulder.

“Aren’t we forgetting something, Captain?” The man glowered at him. His men were watching keenly, in the way that the lower paid ranks do when their superior is being made a fool of.

He snapped a salute, grudgingly, which Walker didn’t return.

“Come on,” he said to Tom, “Let’s get a move on.”

Tom hurried to untie them so they could leave, and jumped into the boat behind Walker.

“So you are in the Order? That means the book you gave us is legal, and everything? You’re not one of them Walkers then? ’Cos I thought, what with your name, and giving that book away and all that y—“

Walker turned and grabbed him, growling in a low voice, “If we are not moving within three seconds, that man is going to grow a set and search us properly. Move.” He shoved Tom away.

As Tom hurried about, he turned and leaned against the mast, placing his cigarette between his lips. He caught Daisy watching him, one eyebrow raised over her visor. He shrugged at her and lit up, inhaling deeply.