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“I often wonder if the so called Third World countries are faring better. They lived on the edge of technology closer to the land and the makers.”
History of a Changed World, Angus T. Moss
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TILLY WANDERED AROUND the kitchen too distracted to settle on a task. Something was off. She knew she was in the way, but needed the comfort of the kitchen sounds and aromas. Pumpkin sat in the corner with an eye for falling scraps because there seemed to be a lot more of them lately. Tilly smiled at the kitten, relieved that there was one simple thing left in her world.
“Blue eyes,” Eunice said, joining Tilly at a work table.
“All kittens have blue eyes,” Tilly said, repeating something she’d been told.
“When they’re born, yeah, but these kittens are old enough to start turning. Blue eyes aren’t common, and all four of them stayed blue,” Eunice said.
“Everything’s changed.” Tilly didn’t like Eunice spoiling her enjoyment of the cats. Now they were something else that she had to watch to see how much they’d changed.
“Yes.” Eunice pulled a stool over. “Is everything all right?”
“I’m not sure,” Tilly said. “I can’t put my finger on it, but something feels off.”
“We’ve just fed the largest crowd yet, and I think it went well.”
Tilly patted Eunice’s shoulder. “You’re doing a wonderful job. Dinner went well. There’s something else that’s tugging at me. I just need a moment to think about it.”
“Cup of tea?” Eunice offered.
“No thank you. I’ve got some work to do.” Tilly went to her office. She checked the request bins. People had heard about Bruno’s scouting and were putting in requests for the most outlandish things. Young Joe wanted a ball peen hammer, whatever that was. The children had requested some board games. Lottie wanted any pots or trays for planting and seed starting. Kyle had a list of lab equipment that she doubted even Bruno could uncover. They needed a better system. Bruno couldn’t stop at every house and page through a notebook. Tilly jotted a note to find someone good with databases to create something more accessible for him. An alphabetical list by category would work nicely. And since Elsa had started teaching the children to make paper, they didn’t have to worry about that either.
A tap on the door startled her out of her musings. Angus lumbered in hiking his walker along with a constant low grumbling.
“You could have sent someone to get me.”
Angus collapsed into the most comfortable chair with a theatrical groan. “Ruth says I need more exercise.”
“Is this a social visit?” she asked, adding a smile to lighten the tone.
“Yes and no. I’ve had a message from an old friend.”
Tilly looked a question at him.
“He sent me a message over the ether.” Angus shook his head, his mouth quirked in a half-smile. “Thought I might be dead, but then he saw one of our flyers.”
“Oh, and you’re sure he’s who he says he is?”
“I am. He mentioned some things that only he would know. We worked together before Zero Year. Told me he works for the trains. I asked about the Continental Line. Said he would talk to some people and to give his regards to Frank.”
“Was that all?”
“No. He sent me a link.” Angus tapped a finger against his leg. Tilly knew that meant he was thinking something through. She looked back to her papers. Sometimes it could take him a while to sort something out.
“It took me to a separate ether,” Angus said in a whisper.
“What does that mean?”
“It means he’s further on the inside than I am.”
“What does he want?”
“He heard we were researching the flu and wanted anything I felt able to share.”
“What did you tell him?”
“Everything. We can’t keep secrets now. Everyone needs to know everything because we could lose anyone any time. I told him as much. Let him know that the vaccines were changing us as much as the virus was. And we might not know the truth of that for a whole generation.”
Tilly didn’t agree about telling strangers everything. In a time without money, information was valuable. Angus knew this as well. “You trust him.”
“He said they shut down the trains for just the reasons we assumed. To stop the flu spreading and because they lost too many people. I told him the flu was done for this year, and we need the stations open.”
Tilly leaned forward as if hoping hard enough could change what would come. “Will they?”
“He said they would discuss it but...”
She tensed knowing from his expression and body language that the next words wouldn’t be easy. “But not our line?” she guessed.
“No, not that. He said the train food doesn’t come from the train people. They just stock it. I’m afraid that Nick might be tempted to check into it while he’s out there. But Halsted warned me that it was a very dangerous undertaking. Said the food people had their own militias and are a power unto themselves.”
“Nick knows what he’s doing,” Tilly said almost convincing herself.
“I’m hoping Wisp catches up with him before that. He’d be better off with someone to watch his back.”
“Yes,” Tilly said. “He’s a smart man. That’s exactly what he should do.”