right, then a short walk to an overpass
and down some stairs to the station.
“ [I'm hungry,]” Keeble
said, as Kim made her way to the ticket window.
"Keeble has questioned me about food. I am
feeling hungry myself."
"We can get some in a minute. It'll only be
chips or something from a vending machine, though." She motioned
through onto the platform. But there was already a train
waiting.
Kim got the tickets, almost emptying her
account, and hurried her companions onto the train.
“ [Where are we?]” Keeble
asked as he sat down in a window seat.
“ [This is known as a train station ,]” Meledrin
replied. "And that is a train .]”
“ [What's it
do?]”
“ [It is a vehicle of some
description. Apparently it locomotes on metal rails.]”
“ [A train? I know what a
train is.]” He looked around. “[They must clean the soot off every
day.]”
A few minutes later he was bored again,
fidgeting in his seat. Kim just wanted to sleep, but the dwarf was
ready to go for another week. “[What happened to our food?]”
"Keeble has once more inquired about
food."
"We don't have time. I might have some
lollies in my pack."
“ [I'm near starving.]” The
dwarf watched Kim as she began a search. “[Gotta have some food.
And ale. Whistler, do I need some ale. You two couldn't organize an
explosion in a fireworks factory.]”
The doors of the train slid shut and Keeble
was distracted, which was good because the only edible thing Kim
could find was half a Mars Bar with fluff coating the end.
“ [Hear that?]” he said.
“[Hydraulics. That's what that was.]” He leaned over to get a
better look at the door. “[Know what hydraulics are? No, course you
don't.]” And he was off, telling Meledrin something she obviously
had absolutely no interest in. The dwarf kept going anyway, through
the next station and beyond.
He finally stopped, falling silent for about
a minute. He swung his legs until Kim thought she'd go crazy from
the squeaking of the chair.
“ [Where are we going?]”
Keeble asked when the silence stretched on.
“ [A city called
London.]”
“ [What's
there?]”
“ [The leaders of this
nation.]”
Apparently that was all the inactivity
Keeble could stand. He fidgeted and squirmed for a few seconds more
then got to his feet and pushed out into the aisle.
"Where are you going?" Kim asked him.
Meledrin asked something as well, probably
the same thing.
“ [Walking.]”
“ [Where?]”
“ [I don't know. Do you
really think I can get lost?]”
“ [Perhaps.]” The elf turned
to Kim. "He wishes to go for a walk."
Kim didn't bother trying to stop him. Keeble
didn't seem like the kind of guy who would change his mind just
because someone asked nicely. Instead she pushed the train ticket
into his hand.
"Take this." She showed her own ticket then
slipped it back into her pocket. "Keep it with you. Okay. Tell him,
Mel."
The elf said something as Keeble started to
walk away. He waved over his shoulder as he went.
* * *
Kim flopped down into a seat. "I shouldn't
have let him go," she said, not taking her eyes from the scenery
flashing by outside.
Meledrin arranged herself opposite. "He did
not become lost, Kim. He deliberately left us, I am sure."
"Why? He's got no idea where he is or where
he should be. He can't speak the language. He's got no idea about
anything."
"That may be so, but I am unsurprised by his
sudden departure."
"You're not?"
"No, Kim. For two reasons. Firstly, he is a
dwarf."
That was a bit confusing. "Right."
"He is a dwarf," Meledrin repeated, "I am an
elf. Our peoples have cohabitated on Sherindel for millennia,
virtually next door in worldly terms, and yet we all but never
speak. We avoid each other as much as possible. Elves are a high
culture, and the little men are arrogant and elitist, despite being
the basest of men. I am surprised he stayed as long as he did."
Kim thought that maybe Meledrin was right,
but if the woman was indicative of her own 'high'
and down some stairs to the station.
“ [I'm hungry,]” Keeble
said, as Kim made her way to the ticket window.
"Keeble has questioned me about food. I am
feeling hungry myself."
"We can get some in a minute. It'll only be
chips or something from a vending machine, though." She motioned
through onto the platform. But there was already a train
waiting.
Kim got the tickets, almost emptying her
account, and hurried her companions onto the train.
“ [Where are we?]” Keeble
asked as he sat down in a window seat.
“ [This is known as a train station ,]” Meledrin
replied. "And that is a train .]”
“ [What's it
do?]”
“ [It is a vehicle of some
description. Apparently it locomotes on metal rails.]”
“ [A train? I know what a
train is.]” He looked around. “[They must clean the soot off every
day.]”
A few minutes later he was bored again,
fidgeting in his seat. Kim just wanted to sleep, but the dwarf was
ready to go for another week. “[What happened to our food?]”
"Keeble has once more inquired about
food."
"We don't have time. I might have some
lollies in my pack."
“ [I'm near starving.]” The
dwarf watched Kim as she began a search. “[Gotta have some food.
And ale. Whistler, do I need some ale. You two couldn't organize an
explosion in a fireworks factory.]”
The doors of the train slid shut and Keeble
was distracted, which was good because the only edible thing Kim
could find was half a Mars Bar with fluff coating the end.
“ [Hear that?]” he said.
“[Hydraulics. That's what that was.]” He leaned over to get a
better look at the door. “[Know what hydraulics are? No, course you
don't.]” And he was off, telling Meledrin something she obviously
had absolutely no interest in. The dwarf kept going anyway, through
the next station and beyond.
He finally stopped, falling silent for about
a minute. He swung his legs until Kim thought she'd go crazy from
the squeaking of the chair.
“ [Where are we going?]”
Keeble asked when the silence stretched on.
“ [A city called
London.]”
“ [What's
there?]”
“ [The leaders of this
nation.]”
Apparently that was all the inactivity
Keeble could stand. He fidgeted and squirmed for a few seconds more
then got to his feet and pushed out into the aisle.
"Where are you going?" Kim asked him.
Meledrin asked something as well, probably
the same thing.
“ [Walking.]”
“ [Where?]”
“ [I don't know. Do you
really think I can get lost?]”
“ [Perhaps.]” The elf turned
to Kim. "He wishes to go for a walk."
Kim didn't bother trying to stop him. Keeble
didn't seem like the kind of guy who would change his mind just
because someone asked nicely. Instead she pushed the train ticket
into his hand.
"Take this." She showed her own ticket then
slipped it back into her pocket. "Keep it with you. Okay. Tell him,
Mel."
The elf said something as Keeble started to
walk away. He waved over his shoulder as he went.
* * *
Kim flopped down into a seat. "I shouldn't
have let him go," she said, not taking her eyes from the scenery
flashing by outside.
Meledrin arranged herself opposite. "He did
not become lost, Kim. He deliberately left us, I am sure."
"Why? He's got no idea where he is or where
he should be. He can't speak the language. He's got no idea about
anything."
"That may be so, but I am unsurprised by his
sudden departure."
"You're not?"
"No, Kim. For two reasons. Firstly, he is a
dwarf."
That was a bit confusing. "Right."
"He is a dwarf," Meledrin repeated, "I am an
elf. Our peoples have cohabitated on Sherindel for millennia,
virtually next door in worldly terms, and yet we all but never
speak. We avoid each other as much as possible. Elves are a high
culture, and the little men are arrogant and elitist, despite being
the basest of men. I am surprised he stayed as long as he did."
Kim thought that maybe Meledrin was right,
but if the woman was indicative of her own 'high'
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