Press "Enter" to skip to content

The word for the world is wonder. (part ii b)

I have been on this island for a day now, and found plenty of jarred and canned food, as well as medical supplies. As far as I can tell the place is completely abandoned, but I have also found evidence of recent occupation, and heard some odd sounds, and seen some things I have only glimpsed out of my periphery that makes me think that there is at least one inhabitant that does not want my acquaintance. All the aspects of a thriving city are here, just empty. I have taken up residence in the most luxurious of the homes I have found, one that apparently belonged to a Princess Alexia. I see no sign of the airship that brought me and it is my dearest hope that they escaped this place rather than sank into the sea after I was snatched off the vessel. I have managed to salvage much of my photographic equipment, with some chemicals lost and the large camera damaged beyond repair. So I can prepare and expose plates, but unless I can decipher the language of this place and locate replacement reagents I will not be able to fix and develop my images.

My arm is badly damaged but no skin broken, no blood. The whole thing is purple and swollen, but now I have it well splinted and immobilized. I have identified some of the medicines by taste. There is a jar of white powder in my rooms now that is certainly from salix bark.  And the laudanum is unmistakable. I have no fever so no need of the salix, and only a small scruple of the laudanum for pain allows me to explore the tiny island, of which the city constitutes entire. Hopefully they had some pubs.

[img_assist|nid=4167|title=|desc=|link=popup|align=middle|width=640|height=219]

 

Five days now, and I should expect a rescue expedition some time soon. I am beginning to get feverish at night, and the arm is painful to touch — and it throbs. The city has seven levels with the government buildings on the sixth. There is a tremendous library on the seventh which center is a lighthouse, but the pagoda is destroyed — nothing but a mass of pipes and stanchions pointing in all directions. Thousands of books I cannot read. I am looking for the mathematical books but cannot determine the arrangement of the volumes, perhaps there will be something to learn there, or determine theirs is the same as ours.
    From the fifth to the third levels the population lived, the more affluent at the top, very modest homes at the bottom. Most of the shops were on the second level, though there are small ones scattered all over the city, even around the Library. The lowest level holds the docks and warehouses.
    There is a system of cabled cars for passengers and cargo that drapes around the city, always at least a small city block away a station can be located. All indications are the city was carefully and efficiently evacuated, certainly calm enough to take all the liquor and ale from the many public houses I have located.

[img_assist|nid=4168|title=|desc=|link=popup|align=middle|width=640|height=249]

It is now ten days. Pain is much more intense now and carry a fever throughout the day. I have had to locate other apothecaries, there does not seem to be a hospital here, which seems strange. Several days ago I thought I heard gunfire, but muffled as it occurred on the other side of the one ridge of stone, the wall like formation on the northern edge of the island. I will try to see what can be determined there if I trust I have the strength.

 

[img_assist|nid=4170|title=|desc=|link=popup|align=middle|width=640|height=196]

 

Day twelve. Difficult to travel very far now. Hard to breath, movement of arm brings great pain. Sleep most of day and night. No sign of anyone here. Not even the ghosts of the first day.

 

Day fourteen. I fancy I am dying.

Spread the love

Be First to Comment

Leave a Reply