Guns of Mars 53
A Martian action-adventure by The Legend Chuck Dixon
CHAPTER 14.1
The lights of the city reflected against the trails of a dust storm blowing high from the peaks all about. It was a false dawn, and the bounty man rode toward it even though night had fallen. He wished to push on to the dubious shelter of a population center rather than risk the certain danger of another night’s camp in the wild.
Along the way eastward he saw rusted mining equipment left to the elements. He could see dark, man-made canyons bored into the sides of the slopes that lined either side of the road. Pyramids of ore tailings lay at the openings, vestiges of past industry.
There were airships also. Tugs. Ugly squat, open-decked craft chained to air barges for hauling ore to the smelter.
The pass opened up ahead and he could see the towers and domes lit from within with artificial light generated by whatever 8th ray technology remained there. He assumed it was not much as most of the city was dark. The still-elegant buildings were like ghosts from another time. He was certain they’d be far less impressive in the light of day. This was confirmed as he saw untidy rows of tents raised along the shoulder of the road in the shadow of once fine structures of marble and quarried stone. Guttering fires smoked among these camps. Figures moved among the flames throwing shadows up the walls of what were once palatial arcades and dwelling blocks.
Yttrium was a faded remnant of its former glory; a relic of another age slowly being engulfed by dunes. But Yttrium had never been the shining achievement of Barsoomian culture that Helium had been in its day. Its existence had merely been to serve as a trading hub for the mines that lay in the mountain passes that surrounded it. It served that same purpose now, in a diminished capacity.
A figure broke from the gloom to hobble out to the road to greet him. An old man with long white hair and a gimlet eye that he cast over the bounty hunter and his train of thoats.
“You’re a stranger here,” the man declared, latching on to a stirrup to trot alongside.
“I’ve not been here in many years,” the bounty man said.
“You’ll be needing lodging then.”
“I’ll need shelter for my animals. And a place where I can put my back to the wall and close my eyes for a few zodes.”
“Follow me then,” the geezer said, taking a grip on a bridle chain to lead the bounty man toward a collection of low buildings that turned out to be the ruined walls of what were once grand homes. The roofs had long ago collapsed leaving them gutted shells of the luxurious mansions they had been.
The bounty man chose a spacious room with only one entrance. There would be room here for himself and the thoats which he planned to sell in the morning.
“Could you get me some feed for my mounts?” he asked the old man who nodded.
“And what would I expect in return?”
“Would two of these banth skins be payment enough?”
The man’s head bobbed eagerly and he accepted two of the skins in his outstretched arms. His legs sagged under the weight as he eyed the saddles the bounty man was pulling from the tired backs of the thoats.
“I know that gear,” the geezer croaked. “That’s Gar Halak’s thoat and those of the Al-Zind brothers.”
“They decided they had no more need of it.” The bounty man undid the tethers and let the bundles of hides fall to the cracked tiles.
“They had friends here in Yttrium.” The old man’s gimlet eye ran over the stack of skins.
“You wouldn’t think of informing any of them.” It was not a question.
The geezer’s toothless mouth dropped open as he stared into the barrel of a raised pistol. He shook his head in vigorous denial.
“Because if I thought you might, I’d have to strongly discourage you.” The bounty man drew back the hammer and the cylinder rotated with a well-oiled click.
“All that I am saying...” the old man swallowed hard. “All I am saying is that you had better be gone by morning.”
The bounty man eased the hammer back in place and lowered the pistol.
“Get me that feed and leave my departure up to me.”
The old man scurried off leaving the bounty man to see to his mounts.
Special Note: GUNS OF MARS is now available in a hardcover edition. It is available at Amazon and at NDM Express.
