The Fell Good Flue (3 page)

I yelled out, “throw a rope down, so we can get these two off the road before anything more comes by.”
And the man yelled back, “dam that thing was sure fast,” and he tossed a line to me. No sooner than I could get a rope on the big cat, and he started to haul it up, a wolf ran across the street snatching up the string of rabbits as it went. I pulled my gun, and it was gone in the shadows.
I yelled out, “dam, that thing was sure fast.”
He said, “was that dog or wolf?”
I said, “wolf! And you better toss the other line before it comes back for the main meal.” I keep the gun out, and one eye on the other street, as I slipped the rope around one of the man’s legs. Then I ran for cover in a doorway. As I stood there with my gun pointed in the direction of the body, in case the wolf came back,I could hear the sound of barking down the street. I pulled out my other gun as I yelled, “open the freaking door before I become the next meal.”
He quickly tied the line off and ran down the stairs to the door. I could then see three vicious dogs in a full run towards me from half a block away. I took careful aim, and dropped one as the other two keep on coming. Then shot another, and the third one turned off as the door behind me opened.
I turned and looked over my shoulder at the man and said, “you took long enough.” And he said, “look out!”
The other dog had turned back and was leaping at me. I dropped out of his way, and it knocked the man behind me down. Then I pulled my sword and plunged it into the beast, with a twist that killed it quickly. The man was lucky to have only been bitten on his left arm, and was still able to cover me as I went to retrieve the other two dogs. I grabbed them both at the same time, and dragged as fast as I could go to the doorway. Then spun around with my sword to cover him as he pulled them in. We ate good that week, and with a few stitches the man’s arm healed without infection. I’m not sure who ate the hunter, I didn’t do the butchering. But I took the panther pelt, ate one of the dogs, and traded the other two for credits toward extra future food rations and some privileges. I started with a night of sex with a woman I wanted to get pregnant and a big bag of weed, then went home with one of the few bottles of 100 proof southern comfort in the city, and a fine cigar from the man whose life I saved. Some may say a cigar is not much of a reward for saving a man’s life, but they were so rare around here that it could be traded for a week’s worth of food to anyone that could afford it. And I spent a month with that thing hanging from my lips each time I saw Top Trader. I even smoked it half way down before I let him buy it from me for an outrages sum. But he didn’t mind, as he spent the rest of the year walking around with it for all to see, until he smoked it for new years. I’m not really sure if he enjoyed it or not, but he put on a good show and let others partake of his second hand smoke, which was about as close as any of them would ever get to one. Brandy was about six months pregnant by that time, so she would be due in the spring, a good time to have a baby if you wanted one. And after I had brought the panther skin home for her bed six months ago, and she heard the whole story from others about what a warrior I was, she had no doubts about having my child. It was hard enough to get by on your own these days, let alone take care of a child. And it had become a world where most men took what they wanted, so women stayed on the pill to prevent unwanted pregnancies. But I had told her that if any man raped her I would kill them, and she knew I meant it. Together with the fact that I was smart enough to align myself with the top trader in the city, made her sure I would be able to take care of both of them. She was only a few years younger than I was, and this would be her first, but she saw no reason to keep me waiting for a family. The world desperately needed more people, as our numbers were dropping faster than the ones that could afford to have children would even consider them. And with my job being so dangerous at times, I was not sure when I may get my balls chewed off by a wild dog. But TT told Brandy if anything ever did happen to me, she and my child would still be well taken care of, and most of the gardeners would back that up even if something happen to TT as well. He had saved their lives by organizing us, for protection against the raiders, and given back out of his own profits to see we had what was needed. Last year alone he paid a warlord all his profits from that summer, to get us the wood we needed for the winter to come, so we would not lose any more workers to the gangs. And when the bitter New York cold came he never turned anyone away, even the people he knew had been trading behind his back and cutting him out. He knew that no matter what, we needed to stick together, and that hard winter of the forth year taught a lot of people what that really meant. I know I have spent a number of pages just talking about TT, but he really was the reason most of us were still alive. A number of people had headed south before winter hit, after the fuel shortages, and the warlords and road gangs had the same idea. What little information we got from travelers that came back, and a few radio reports we could get, told of a great deal of death and lack of food for those that went. Outside of the wild game that had been over hunted, people were about the only thing left to eat, even the fish were hard to find from over netting the rivers and streams. But in the north the wildlife was starting to repopulate itself, because of the lack of good hunters still up here. Oh, the pigeons were mostly gone, but many other birds keep coming back each year. And most of the fish were plentiful, if you could stay clear of those that would steal from you long enough to catch them. A number of people started their own worm farms, for the pure protein, and there were many ways to hide the taste. Plus bugs like grasshoppers and ants were also a good way to get some protein in your diet. But when it came to all those nice things that people were once used too, like citrus fruits or coffee, they were just no where’s to be found in our city anymore. Oh sure, if you could make it to the coast a sailboat may hit the docks occasionally with things from far away, but don’t bother looking for bananas or anything else that may rot. There were self proclaimed kings that had working oil wells and small refineries, that could get whatever they wanted from around the world, but they were under constant attack by others that wanted what they they had as well. And there were reapers that would destroy anything they could, saying it was the will of God that we all revert back to a time of no technology. Fanatics like that always managed to fine a few that would do anything they were told, because they thought they were already dead. Most of us in my city tried to avoid talking about God, because we just could not believe this was his will, and blamed the drug companies for what had happed. After all, they were the ones that made the drug that started this thing, and our own government was the first to approve its sale. But then perhaps it was our own fault, for letting them ban mother nature’s plants to replace them with new drugs. Now we have no other choice but to return to her one way or the other, and she was taking out anyone that did not play by her rules. It was survival of the fittest, the smartest, or those that made alliances with them. And if you didn’t give back to your surroundings, you were surrounded by that which would not give back to you. Nature was taking back as much as she could, and whenever a road washed out or bridge was no longer safe to use, people had to find the path she would allow. Large parts of cities had burned down because no one could put out the fires anymore, and the wilderness was working its way back into those cities. Trees were growing out of cracks in the sidewalks, and weeds would take hold wherever the wind would blow them, even windowsills and anything that did not move anymore. I write these things down so our next generation will understand why things are no longer how they look in the books they may find. There’s no telling if the ones that knew the before-time will last long enough to explain it to them, and I can only hope I will be here to teach my own child about the mistakes we made.

TT put the pages down and said, “if anything happens to you I’ll see that he gets it, but you left a lot out, like why you started to spell your name backwards Nibor.”
I said, “I never did like the name my mother gave, and figured that since the world had gone backwards my name may as well do the same. Far too often others would think they were going to be talking to a woman, and being named after a bird was just no help at all in giving me any respect. I didn’t want to wipe the slate clean and lose all connections to my past, and it was the quickest thing I could come up with one day. What I have put down here was the way I felt things should be explained about how things are, but as for the rest, I’m sure there are plenty that will still be around to tell the story if Brandy and I are not able to.” TT, “You’re right about that, they can’t kill us all off that quickly, and many owe you a great deal for what you have done for us in these past years. I’ll see to it that copies are made, and given to those I trust to safeguard it until the proper time. But I sincerely hope this is only a precaution, as I would miss you very much if something were to happen, as would many others.”
I said, “and I hope that you understand I must try not to take as many chances with my life as before, even thought I know my family will be taken care of, I truly think I am the best chance they have to make it.”
TT, “in the past five years you have pushed it to the limit, and beyond! You have proven to be the best transporter and scavenger I have. There’s no one else I trust as much as you, and you know how many have worked for me for all these years. I can still remember the first time I meet you like it was yesterday, and you told me about the stash of civil defense supplies. That helped a great many people survive that year, and increased my reputation as the top trader to come to. Many were still holding onto whatever they could, and were not willing to share even if their own families starved to death. But you were able to see the bigger pitcher, and knew we had to work together for the good of the group. That started a number of others to do the same, and now we have more than five hundred people working together for this community.” I said, “it was not a selfless move I assure you. What was there may have got me through the winter, but that also meant constant hiding and I needed protection from the gangs. You organized the lookouts and rooftop snipers, so the runners could move things from one place to another with some safety, and paid them to do the job. You set up the communication lines, and saw to it fresh batteries were supplied and recharged.”
TT, “yes, it was no easy task in those days. The wind generators needed to be repaired, and the power rerouted. Admonition needed to be gathered, stored in a safe place, and rationed out to only the ones that would work for us. As well as food and medical supplies, and many other needful things.”
I said, “and you saw to it that the rogue factions stayed out of the way.”
TT, “that first year was the hardest, I had to track down and kill a lot of people that were not playing by our rules. The gangs were still a big problem, and many loners would still not respect the people I sent out to bring things to me.”
I said, “then there were the ones that wanted revenge for killing someone they knew.” TT, “there may still be a number of them out there, but most have learned to let go of the past and embrace what we have built.”
I said, “remember the time you blew up three blocksof main street to get at that warlord that sold us the contaminated food?”
TT, “do I? I still can’t believe he survived our first assault, we did everything but unload the ammo I was saving. If it was not for his men killing him for incompetence, that son of a bitch may have made it out of here to come back again. But we showed them we were not the fools he thought we were, and what was left of them started to trade with us on the up & up after that.”
I said, “yah, but we still lost a few to their patrols when going out for firewood, until even they broke up or were wiped out. I thought that his men putting his head on a poll and leaving that note was a nice touch.”
TT, “yes, I still remember what was written on it, “ex warlord of this regain, beheaded for incompetence and moral depravity, let his sins die with him.”
I said, “it’s said you had that head stuffed, and tucked away with the note.”
TT, “I know, I started that rumor myself. But as for whether it’s true or not, I’m letting the myth or truth of it remain my secret.”
I said, “I know a few that say they saw it once, but then people can be liars about such things, especially if they think others will believe them to be privileged or something.” TT, “and a piece of candy from time to time can get them to tell such sweet lies. But the things you have done were no lie. Like just last year when you killed that panther that had been rooming these streets from the time it got loose from the zoo with so many other animals, and the three wild dogs at the same time. You saved Jacobs live that day.”
I said, “I only put an arrow in the beast, Jacob finished it off with a head shot.” TT, “yah, but he missed twice before you slowed it down enough for him to target that fast cat. We lost a number of people to that beast before that, as well as to many of the other animals that stayed around after their escape from the zoo. It was a shame that even the hunter didn’t see it coming, he was a good one and we missed his skills.”
I said, “the streets were very dangerous for a long time, only the fastest and most cunning survived.”
TT, “it’s still not safe out there, and the transport cables we strung from building to building only go so far. Lots of things we need from time to time are in places that are not secured. That’s why I still need people like you to run for me, many others just don’t have the cunning to keep themselves out of danger. So much of this city has become neglected for such a long time that it’s unsafe to explore anymore. If it’s not for stairways that will collapse as you climb them, it’s the snakes. We just don’t have the anti venom anymore, and some of those dam things can kill you with just one bite.”
I said, “we thought that after the first winter, the worst of them that got out from the zoo would of died, but the sewers and a endless supply of rats keep many alive. I think the wild dogs or maybe even that big cat got the bushmaster, and the rats took care of the exotic snakes that could not hibernate. But I’m still running across a great number of rattlesnakes and copperheads, so I just don’t go near their nesting areas, and that can change from month to month. There’s only so much protection I can wear and still run fast enough to avoid the dogs.” TT, “as long as there as bugs or anything else to eat we will have rats, and as long as grass can grow we will have rabbits and other varmints for the wildlife that will hunt them. That gives us a food supply we can tap into as much as we can, but nature is unforgiving about mistakes. People can no longer just set behind a desk and order out for their food, while planning to pave over the park and cut down a forest. As much as we would like to remain on the top of the food chain, we are still no better off than that panther, or the dogs that keep hunting us as well as the rabbits.”
I said, “well at least we are rid of the monkeys and apes, they were the worst threat because of their strength and ability to clime so well, as well as the fact that they travelled in packs and were so intelligent. I swear that if they had found a cash of guns, they would of learned how to use them on us. They had already become good at setting ambushes, and were figuring out how to avoid our traps.”
TT, “they sat behind those cages for years studying us, and had a good reason to hate all humans. At first people thought they were cute, climbing around the buildings and swinging from the power lines, until they started to tear people apart and eat them. Most never saw the documentaries about them hunting one another and eating the flesh, and even more never knew how strong they really were.”
I said, “you remember the time a chimpanzee got close enough to yank on my arm so hard that it dislocated my shoulder.”
TT, “you were lucky to have gotten away from that grope, and I took care of you until you were able to fight again.”
I said, “I’m still grateful for that, and the new weapons you gave me.”
TT, “you’re not the kind of man that will blow off a clip without hitting a lot, that’s why I trusted you with the machineguns and 9mm pistols you now have. Those old black powder guns you had were just not enough firepower for someone so important to me.”
I said, “I still carry one as a first choice, when not using the crossbow, so I don’t waste the ammo.”
TT, “and you are very good with that samurai sword you carry. Is it true you found that one in a stash that was in one of the basement vaults of the museum?”
I said, “yes, I traded in the sword I had for this one. The plaque said it was a five head sword that belonged to a great warrior, and it came with the short one as well, that was said to have been used for his suicide.”
TT, “they must both be sharp enough to split a hair in midair.”
I said, “I take good care of them, no one can make them like this anymore, and the rest were all taken by the first raiders.”
TT, “yes, gems and fine works of art were the first things to go, even though most of it has no value anymore. Even my collection does not have anything as nice as that one, and if it did I would give it to you to use. It’s better to be in the hands of someone that can put it to good use than in a vault or hanging on a wall. And talking about putting things to good use, I’ve made arrangements with Laurence the goat man to give you and Brandy all the milk from one of his best. We want to make sure your wife is in good shape to keep nursing that baby.” I said, “I appreciate that, and so shall she when I get home.”
TT, “well then don’t let me delay you any farther, get home to that family of yours and give them my best.”
I said, “I’ll do that, right after I pick up some milk for them. Thank you again, and I’ll see you later.”
I them headed out to the roof and took the zip lineto the next building. It still scared some people to travel this way, but because of using them so much, I was accustom to checking their condition as I traveled around the city. Often I would make repairs myself, and even run new lines from one place to another. Like the way people once ran lines to have the telegraph, then phone service, we were building a network of transportation in the sky. It took less time to do it this way than to build secure halls from one building to the other, but we were doing that as well for things that were too heavy for the lines. And most of the gatherers would tie a rope on something, then just take to the air from place to place, and haul the big stuff down the road until it got where they wanted it. Staying off the ground as much as possible was the best way to stay alive. And even though a line may be used a dozen times a day, you never knew how well the last person looked it over or abused it. Often a line would come lose or brake altogether, sending a body for a bad ride and a smashing landing. Many had broken legs and arms, or a fractured skull from such mishaps, and the loss of a finger or bad burn was common. The traveling harness we used had a brake on it, but if a line went in midflight you were sill hurtled into the next building. So we ran secondary lines for the safety harness, in as many places as we could. But there was only so much that could be used over and over again without wearing out quickly, and replacing the lines took time. A grafting hook and rope was the best way to fly from one place to the other, and we called those that used that way of travel swingers, because you needed to swing wide to prevent a hard hit on the next building. Of course that also had its drawbacks when your hook didn’t stay firmly where you sent it. So the swingers would place bars to latch onto in places that would not get a zip line. Some had rope bridges and others just boards between the buildings, but that could let animals across as well from unsecured places. Often a building that was once secured would have a door knocked down by a bear or torn off by some traveling raider, so we did what we could to keep the main places separated. Anything was safer than just traveling on the ground, but there were always risk, and the runners took such risk and got paid for them. For if you got hurt you needed as much as you could get to last until you were well again, and some would never be fit to swing again.
The goats lived in a secure building in one of the parks, and Laurence had spent much time in putting up the fences that keep other things out. He would check everything carefully before letting some of them out each day to feed, not taking any chances on losing them all at once if there was an attack. When he first came to town a few years ago, a hunter had told him about us and how TT was a fair trader. He had lost most of his herd to the raiders, and only had a few dozen that had run off before they could get to them. So he came to town in a horse drawn wagon, loaded with as much feed as he had and the rest of his goats. TT saw the advantages right off, and did everything he could to set the man up proper. A number of us helped him build his ten foot high fences with barbed wire on top, and get power to him for an electric line around it as well. The park now looked like a maximum security prison, complete with guards and a watch tower. But that’s what it takes to keep your most precious commodity safe, and there were still attacks, by both man and animals. Sometimes he would lose one or two, and and at other times they would just get loose and needed rounding up again. But in the past year he was able to maintain a good thirty most of time, and slaughter the ones that were getting old or not needed. The horse was just too much for him to take care of that first year, and TT traded it for things he needed to get by, but we were looking for another one now that we could support it. There were no tall building or trees to swing from near the park, and I had to call ahead for him to meet me at the gate. The less time I spent on open ground the better. As soon as I saw he was in place, I took the zip-line down to within thirty yards of the gate and made a dash for the enclosure, as he covered me with his guns. Even when you could not see them something was always watching. As soon as I got through the gate he quickly closed it behind me and we went inside the main building.
Laurence said, “TT told me you would be coming by. Did you see that wolf that has been stalking the fences for the past few days?’