Chapter 2: Snowstone, Canada.

  Doc and the kid arrived at the outskirts of the old town of Snowstone. The suburbs were long abandoned. Rows of cheaply built homes littered the streets, the skeletons of cars lay on the driveways all strapped of steel.

  ‘’Shouldn’t be too long now, I think I can already see the watchtowers of that shithole yonder.’’

  There was no response. Doc looked back and unhooked the travois from his belt. He held his hand over the kid’s mouth. Breathing. There was breathing. Good, he thought, at least the kid was alive.

  As they got closer to the crudely crafted gates of the new town, houses got more and more run down next to them, till there was nothing left except the cold concrete foundations. He took the revolver from the kid and counted the bullets that were still left in the chamber. 2 bullets, still looked good. Old world cartridges, factory made. He stuck the revolver in his belt, then he went walking again.

  When the shady duo appeared, a man in a police vest aimed a gun at them from his place in the watchtower.

  ‘’What’s your name fella?’’ Said the man

  ‘’Scott, but most residents know me as Doc.’’

  ‘’Who is that on your little sled thing?’’

  ‘’My passenger.’’

  ‘’Is he cold?’’

  ‘’Cold, yes, but not dead.’’

  ‘’Alright, what’s his deal then.’’

  ‘’Fever as far as I can tell.’’

  ‘’Contagious?’’

  ‘’Look, can you just let us in, I need to get him to a doctor.’’

  ‘’Ain’t you the doctor?’’

  ‘’I am not, I never was a doctor.’’

  ‘’Well alright. I’ll let you in, but you got a damn confusing name.’’

  ‘’I’m well aware. But it’s a nickname.’’

  The man put the gun against the walls of the tower and climbed down the stairs. A large thud came from behind the gate, and as it opened a large crowd of people revealed itself. They looked at the pair with intrigued looks. Doc walked through that collection of people and they all stepped aside as if he were the messiah of this town. Some disheveled looking feller in a leather jacket walked up to him. Doc recognized him as Jonah, the hotel owner.

  ‘’What happened to him?’’ Said Jonah.

  ‘’He fell ill, some kinda fever.’’

  ‘’Damn… I got some rooms vacant, you can stay for a while, make sure that kid can rest.’’

  ‘’That’ll be greatly appreciated Jonah. Can you help me carry him there, I don’t want to drag him through this here mud. Could be bad for him.’’

  ‘’Of course.’’

  Jonah pulled the kid up by the shoulders, and Doc grabbed his feet. They carried him down the street and into the hotel. The first room was empty and they laid the kid on a bed in that very room.

  ‘’You should open a window here, get him some fresh air.’’ Said Doc.

  Jonah opened the window next to the bed, the cold wind carried with it a smell of wood-fire smoke.

  ‘’There.’’ Said Jonah. ‘’I’ll put up some coffee. You best collect your little sled before all your precious loot is gone.’’

  ‘’Damn, I almost forgot about that’’

  Doc rushed outside and the travois was still there. The crowd had already dissipated. When he came closer to his construction, he noticed the bag was missing, as well as his coat.

  ‘’Fuck.’’ He whispered. ‘’If I get that sumbitch that stole my coat. He won’t see supper.’’ He took the blankets and bedrolls and stashed them in an empty ventilation duct that stuck outside some old Deli building. Doc looked about. There were still tracks fresh in the mud, so he started following them. They disappeared into an alleyway. Doc peeked around the corner, and there was a man wearing his coat, and rummaging through his bag.

  ‘’What are you doing with that bag!’’ Said Doc. The man jumped and accidently dropped the bag.

  ‘’Ain’t nun of your business, boy!’’

  ‘’It very much is, amigo. That is my bag, and my coat. So if you wanna see tomorrow you best take off that coat.’’

  ‘’And if I don’t?’’

  ‘’Then I’ll have to ruin that coat.’’

  ‘’That right?’’

  ‘’That’s right.’’

  ‘’Alright, I’ll take it off.’’

  The thief took off the coat, and reached for his own gun. Doc already had his hand on the revolver and aimed his gun at the thief.

  ‘’Don’t.’’

  The thief lowered his hand and threw the coat on the ground. Doc walked towards him with his revolver raised. He put the gun to the head of the thief and spoke.

  ‘’Your time here is over friend.’’

  He cocked the hammer and pulled the trigger. A loud and booming sound echoed through the town. The thief’s legs gave in and he dropped to the ground and lay there motionless. Doc quickly took his coat and bag and left.

  He walked back to the hotel. When he entered, Jonah was sitting there at the front desk.

  ‘’You recovered your stuff I see?’’ Said Jonah.

  ‘’Yes.’’

  ‘’What was the cost?’’

  ‘’Some fool’s life. Better off without a thief in the community anyways.’’

  Jonah handed him his coffee. He took a sip.

  ‘’Anything new in town?’’ Said Doc.

  ‘’Hmm, let me think… Yes, yes there is news. Some new refugees from up north arrived yesterday. They had some crazy stories. By the way they were looking I reckoned they’re true. Husks of people they were. They didn’t stay long. Why were you two away for so long by the way? Wasn’t it a 3 day trip?’’

  ‘’Well it took a bit longer without horses. The depot was further away than I thought. But tell me about them refugees. What kinda stories they told ye?’’

  Jonah gazed into the air in front of him with a serious look, wrinkles appeared on his forehead. ‘’There was talk of slave camps, Scott… Slave camps. Can you imagine that? I know the north got hit hard, but that is something else. They talked about how they had to dig for gold for 20 hours per day. If they didn't make that they’d have to strip naked and sit in a cage till they froze to death. Those who got caught attempting to escape would be hung from the headframe for all to see. The gangs running the operation seem pretty well off tho, rumor has it they even have a running train. Hell, those refugees said that’s how they escaped, by jumping off a train somewhere in northern Alberta.’’

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  ‘’They made it across the mountains?’’

  ‘’Apparently. Said they walked the highway’s that run through there.’’

  ‘’That must’ve been one hell of a trip.’’

  ‘’Fear is a great motivator. They only stayed here for a day. Said they were afraid the slavers would come get them, so they went on south across the border.’’

  ‘’My lord, poor folk.’’

  ‘’Yeah.’’

  Doc was silent for a moment. Then he suddenly looked up.

  ‘’Shit, I think I know what ails the kid.’’

  ‘’What?’’

  ‘’We oughta check him for spots.’’

  ‘’Spots?’’

  ‘’Yeah, reckon a tick’s got to ‘im’’

  ‘’You think he’s got mountain fever?’’

  ‘’Sure as hell ain’t cabin fever, the way we been out on the road.’’

  They walked to the room the kid was sleeping in. He laid there like a corpse, but he was still alive. Doc turned him around and pulled up his clothes.

  ‘’Yeah’’ Said Doc. ‘’My lord. See all them spots… He’s got mountain fever for sure.’’

  ‘’How bad is it?’’

  ‘’Ain’t sure. We had some lessons about ticks when I was a medic, but not too much. You don’t have no antibiotics do ye?’’

  ‘’Out here? No. Besides, last antibiotics went bad ages ago.’’

  ‘’Has it been that long?’’

  ‘’Near to 20 years.’’

  ‘’Damn. Time flies.’’ He rolled the kid’s shirt down again. ‘’I hope he lives to see some order return in this world.’’

  ‘’It could have been a lot worse, Scott.’’

  ‘’I know, it happened so fast. There weren’t even any battles here. Not long after I got conscripted, the power went down and… Well, you know the rest, you ain’t much younger than me.’’

  ‘’At least we didn’t have any bombs fall on us. Can’t imagine Europe is much better off.’’

  ‘’No, I agree.’’

  They both sat in silence for a bit. Doc drank his coffee, Jonah didn’t finish his cup.

  ‘’So what are we gonna do then?’’ Said Doc.

  ‘’Guess we just gonna have to wait, don’t know what else to do. Guess just treat him with whatever we got, painkillers and water.’’

  ‘’Yall still got painkillers?’’

  ‘’Yeah, they’re made in some lowland settlement near the coast. Traders bring them in sometime. They’re made from the willows that grow down there or something.’’

  ‘’How the hell they do that?’’

  ‘’Damned if I know, I’m no medicine man. That’s what you are for.’’

  ‘’I might be a medicine man, but I ain’t no pharmacist or whatever. I know how to apply, but not make that kinda stuff. I know what I need right now tho.’’

  ‘’What’s that?’’

  ‘’A drink. Wanna head to the saloon?’’

  ‘’Sounds like a plan.’’

  ‘’Great.’’

  They stood up and collected their things and walked out of the front door. The main street wasn’t very busy, and it wasn’t much of a street. A paved road with some old clothing stores turned into houses. Jonah’s hotel once was an office for some law firm, and the general store used to be a supermarket. There were no cars anymore. Instead the parking meters were now used as hitching posts for the horses. Paints, and morgans, and even some thoroughbreds were hitched on the posts. Mostly riding horses. Traders often used heavier horses like belgian draught horses or shire horses. Some wealthy traders reportedly still used trucks, but they were rare and unreliable. Wealth could also be seen by one's horse, the rich folk had thoroughbreds with gold adorned saddles and a nasty temper, while the poor usually had no horse at all.

  Doc and Jonah arrived at the saloon, an old bar building that had the walls broken down into the clothing store next to it for more space. It was busy, there were plenty of horses hitched outside, and you could hear piano music coming from inside. It sounded pretty jolly, like old ragtime. They walked into the saloon, the music stopped and the patrons looked at the sorry pair. Music resumed playing again and the patrons went back to drinking, one spat a nasty brown spit into a bowl and kept chewing on his tobacco. There were many men playing cards like poker and blackjack. Some men won a little, many lost. They were playing for drinks.

  A couple tables were still free, and Doc and Jonah took place on a 2 person table. The old wooden seats cracked when they sat down. Jonah started rolling a cigarette, Doc lit up a cigar.

  ‘’Need a light, Jonah?’’

  ‘’Yeah, thanks’’

  Jonah took the match from Doc and lit his strangely shaped cigarette.

  ‘’Whiskey?’’

  ‘’I’ll take it, I need something strong to calm the nerves.’’

  Jonah stood up and walked to the bar. Doc looked around in the bar. Some shady looking folk were sitting in a corner. They looked at Doc and whispered, for they seemed to recognize him. Jonah came back with two nicely decorated glasses and a bottle of whiskey. Doc spoke.

  ‘’What kinda whiskey they serving today?’’

  ‘’The kind with an E in the name.’’

  ‘’The American stuff?’’

  ‘’That’s right.’’

  ‘’Fine for me, as long as it’s strong enough.’’

  Jonah poured the glasses half full.

  ‘’That should work.’’ he said.

  ‘’I got bad news Jonah.’’

  ‘’What kind?’’

  ‘’Well you know I done got that bag back right?’’

  ‘’Yeah, what about it?’’

  ‘’Well I shot a feller because he stole it.’’

  ‘’Why you do that for?’’

  ‘’Can’t have thieves around.’’

  ‘’No, but shooting another fella? In a community? Folk don’t appreciate that..’’

  ‘’That really ain’t the problem Jonah.’’

  ‘’What’s the problem then?’’

  Doc secretly pointed to the men in the corner.

  ‘’I think they recognize me.’’

  ‘’Alright. One way to find that out, I guess. We just gotta wait and relax, maybe they don’t know who you are.’’

  They both drank in silence. The men from the corner table stood up and walked up to them. A man in a black suit and a big moustache spoke.

  ‘’You that feller that shot Jakey in the alleyway?’’

  ‘’I don’t know no Jakey’’ Said Doc.

  ‘’You don’t? ‘cause the way we see it, a man fitting your description killed an innocent man.’’

  ‘’He weren’t innocent, he robbed me.’’

  ‘’So you do know him.’’

  ‘’Not by name I don’t.’’

  ‘’Jakey was part of our group. You’re gonna have to pay for what you did.’’

  Doc stood up and drew the revolver and shot the man in black in the stomach. The 2 men that were with him jumped behind a table and started shooting back with pistols. Doc fired at them and Jonah hid behind a staircase. After 3 shots he ran to the staircase.

  ‘’Do you still have gun Jonah?’’

  ‘’Yeah, yeah but I ain’t shot it in a while.’’

  ‘’What kinda gun you got?’’

  ‘’Semi, 17 shots.’’

  ‘’Okay, you fire at them, slowly here. Cover me. I’m gonna sneak around and shoot those sons of bitches, alright?’’

  ‘’Yeah, got it.’’

  Jonah pulled a blocky looking pistol from his belt and fired a few times into one of the tables. A yell of pain came from there and after that a gurgling sound and then came silence. An angry hispanic voice was to be heard from the other table.

  ‘’I’ll kill you, you bastards! Emilio! Maldita sea!’’

  Doc was already sneaking out the other way of the saloon to the front entrance. When he made it to the door he could see the Mexican ducking behind a table, trying to reach his friend. Doc raised his revolver and fired. The glass door shattered and the Mexican lay dead on the floor, the bullet lodged in his head. He stepped through the glass, walked to the massacre of his own doing on the wooden boards. In his face he tried to look apathetic but deep down it hurt him. He spoke.

  ‘’Jonah?’’

  ‘’Yes?’’

  ‘’I am going to be arrested. I want you to take care of the boy when I am gone. I don’t know how to cure mountain fever, but I ask you to do what you can.’’ He hands him a handful of old plastic lighters. ‘’Here's something to buy goods with. They’ll trade well here in the north.’’

  Jonah put the lighters in his coat pocket. ‘’I’ll do what I can.’’

  ‘’I know’’

  Doc walked out onto the main street, he dropped the revolver in the mud. Not soon after a man with a badge crafted out of a piece of tin came running. These men, with tin stars were called keepers, for they were keepers of peace. Behind this man followed a posse of gunmen like sheep after a shepherd. Folk watched from their windows. The keeper spoke in a thick accent, somewhere from europe.

  ‘’Are you have a gun?’’

  ‘’My gun is in front of your feet sir, I come quietly.’’

  ‘’Did you kill those men?’’

  ‘’I reckon. Would be sloppy if I missed their vitals.’’

  ‘’Vitals?’’

  ‘’Yes, their heart, their head. Deadly places.’’

  ‘’Those men were… kriminelle… criminals. Meine Güte, warum habe ich in der Schule kein Englisch gelernt.’’ He muttered, looking distracted.

  ‘’What did they do?’’

  ‘’Steal, they take Geld, money. From people.’’

  ‘’So, I get a bounty?’’

  ‘’No, you are no man of law. This killing was not allowed. For this crime you have to wander outside of the city walls for 3 weeks. If you survive, you may return.’’

  ‘’3 weeks?’’

  ‘’Ja, such is the punishment.’’

  ‘’That is not very long.’’

  ‘’Do you want more?’’

  ‘’No not at all.’’

  ‘’Good.’’

  The man walked up to Doc and cuffed him. The keeper and his posse guided him out to the town limit. The keeper whispered to him.

  ‘’Danke, you did a good thing, killing those men. I am sorry you have to leave for a bit, but I do not want the citizens angry.’’

  ‘’I understand. I’ll see you in 3 weeks.’’

  The man unlocked his cuffs and made waving movements with his hands, as if he was shooing an animal away. Doc walked a few steps as he heard the gate close behind him. He looked in front of him and could see the mountains not far. He knew of an old lake house he could stay in that was not far from Snowstone.