the wind and the rain - 6. options

by nick nelson

part 6 of ?

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as joe continued down the road after his encounter with the surly gatekeeper, he considered his options. was it really a thousand miles to the next town? that seemed unlikely. would he collapse from hunger before he reached another outpost of civilization? was it worth it to try to penetrate the “secret site”? it did not seem like much, but it was a better lead than anything else he had encountered in his travels, since being entrusted with his mission. and that gatekeeper? he had seemed familiar. joe wondered if he had encountered him in a previous life. * tank watched the tenderfoot walk back down to the highway and head west. he took his phone out of his pocket and called the office. next

the wind and the rain - 5. the gate

by nick nelson

part 5 of ?

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tank watched the stranger walk up the highway, and stop when he reached the road to the site. tank was sitting in front of the gate on a folding chair, about seventy-five yards up the dusty winding road. the gate across the road was a plain wooden one, unpainted. tank did not have a weapon or a phone, at least none visible. overhead the sky was peaceful, with neither clouds nor birds, the stranger looked around like he was deciding what to do, then turned and started up the road. howdy, the stranger smiled when he got to tank. tank did not smile back. what can i do for you? i was wondering if you were doing any hiring? hiring? what gives you the idea there is any hiring to be done, or anybody to do it? i just thought there might be. no harm in asking. nobody put the idea in your head? at that filling station about two miles back, they said something about a site. they did, did they? and did they say the site was hiring? the stranger pretended to think. now that you mention it, they didn’t in so many words. if i recollect, it was i who brought the subject of hiring up, and the fellow at the filling station seemed to think i knew about this place. that old man is a right idiot. so to answer your question, mister, no, there is not any hiring done being done here. the stranger looked past tank at the scraggly trees lining the road behind the gate. but there is some sort of place back there? there is some sort of place everywhere if you just keep walking. of course. is there some sort of town up ahead? no, just a thousand miles of road until you get to the pacific ocean. the stranger laughed pleasantly. well then, thank you for your time and bid you good day. tank did not return the politeness, and the stranger turned and walked briskly back to the highway. next

the wind and the rain - 4. ham and eggs

by nick nelson

part 4 of ?


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there it was, just where it was supposed to be. maybe things were going to work out after all. he pushed through the door and the woman was putting an apron on behind the counter and the old man was staring at him. howdy. good evening. or good morning. help you? just looking for something to eat. pay for it? of course. see the color of your money? if you insist. all right, what will it be? what have you got? menu on the wall behind me. um - ham and eggs. coffee? yes, please. the old man poured a cup of coffee and the young woman started the ham and eggs. pretty quiet out here. it’s late. yes, it is. pretty quiet even when it’s not late. but the sheriff comes by regular. does he bring the news? i mostly get the news on the radio. i could turn it on if you want. no, thank you. you a pretty polite fellow. please and thank you, a real gentleman. i find it pays. pays, huh? don’t come natural? that’s an interesting observation. so what pays doesn’t come natural? or what comes natural doesn’t pay? made you stop and think, didn’t i? stop riding the guy, pop. the young woman spoke for the first time. here’s your ham and eggs, mister. if you want a refill on the coffee, just ask. you want ketchup? no, thank you. i could have told you that. i could have told you he wasn't a ketchup on the ham and eggs guy. or a ketchup on anything guy. you looking for work at the secret place? the young woman asked joe. the secret place? joe asked innocently. if a place is a secret, would they hire someone just walking down the road? how do we know you are just walking down the road? pop asked. stop riding him, pop. let him eat in peace. why, cause it might be his last meal? don’t mind me. mister, just my little joke. i have to have my little jokes, out here in the middle of nowhere. next

the wind and the rain - 3. just up ahead

by nick nelson

part 3 of ?


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astrid was reasonably young and good looking, and stood at the window looking at the road. pop was at the counter behind her, ready to get on her case. anything out there? pop asked innocently. just the road. is it going anywhere? nowhere it hasn’t gone before. why don’t you make yourself useful, instead of standing there like a dummy in a department store window? astrid had never seen a department store, except a couple of times in the movies. useful doing what? she asked. polish the silverware. i already polished it. polish it again. here comes somebody now. i don’t believe it. come and look. i don’t hear nothing. he’s not in a car, he’s walking. a bum! probably. is he coming in here? he just stopped. like he just saw this place, and is wondering whether he should come in. d you better polish the silverware, in case he wants the special. i don’t think he wants the special. a free cup of coffee, more likely. next

the wind and the rain - 2. the road

by nick nelson

part 2 of ?


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grover left joe behind at the crossroads and drove on down the road feeling sad. he had missed his chance - again! he had so much to say and joe looked like a guy who would at least listen politely because he was grateful for the ride. but then joe had fallen asleep and all the things that had been welling up inside grover gradually subsided and there was nothing but the road unrolling in front of him in the night. he was not sure where joe had said he wanted to be left off, but he picked a good spot and woke joe up and joe dod not argue but just got out of the truck and grover left him behind. oh, well, grover thought, better luck next time. next

the wind and the rain - 1. nowhere

by nick nelson

part 1 of ?

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the driver shook joe awake. this is it, my friend. this is where you wanted to get out. joe straightened up and looked out the window of the pickup truck. it was dark. he could not see any signs indicating where they were. he could not see anything. joe would have liked to go back to sleep and continue on, because he was not really going anywhere in particular, but he did not want to change the story he had told the driver, so he grabbed his bag off the floor of the truck, thanked the driver, who did not respond, and got out. the truck drove off, and was out of sight in an instant, as it did not have any lights on. it was one of the peculiarities of the time and place that the humblest and most anonymous citizens could command motored vehicles - very small vehicles, but vehicles - that could put distance between themselves and others in a very short time. the driver, whose name joe had never discovered, was over a hundred kilometers away in less than an hour. joe looked around. heavy clouds - indicating rain? - covered the night sky, and there was no sign of a moon, let alone stars. as he got a little wider awake, he could make out the edges of the road, but nothing else. he still did not know why the driver had left him in this spot, or where the spot was. in his bag he had one change of clothes, a razor, two stale sandwiches, and a canteen holding a pint of warm water. it was cold, not freezing cold, but cold. a slight wind picked up, in his face. would he starve or freeze to death? in his dreams and daydreams there was always a little diner and vehicle fueling or recharging station “just up ahead”… --== and there was always a woman, reasonably young and goodlooking, either sitting in the diner or behind the counter or running the fueling station... and there was usually a grumpy older man too, named “pop” or “jake”… it was another peculiarity of the time and place, but would not be for much longer, that joe was completely unaccounted for. nobody knew where he was, or that he existed. next

the wind and the rain - 0. the moon

by nick nelson

part 0 of ?

the moon hung low over the bayou and the canebrake. thank you for coming. you know i would never refuse you. i do not have much time left. i understand. i have nothing to tell you that i have not told you from the day you arrived in the world. but i wanted to tell you one last time. of course. the world is a bad place. and it is running out of time. it must be torn down completely and remade. and quickly. you must devote every minute of your existence to the task. do you promise to do so? you know that i will. tell me again that you will. i will. a cloud passed over the moon. a lion roared in the canebrake. next