The Lords of New Avalon

Part I. A Boy in the Wastelands.

It all went wrong from the very beginning this time.

As luck would have it, Caitlin decided this time to get into a tantrum for some reason. Said that Ray was spending more time in the Wastelands than at home with her and the kids. It happened to her sometimes, although infrequently. He had to calm her down.

Then the patrol at the Border was unfamiliar, and he had to contend with them for a long time until he finally managed to convince them to call for Lieutenant McCorvick. McCorvick knew Ray well and respected him and not for nothing: Ray brought him so many bottles of whiskey and magazines with banknotes hidden between the pages during all these years.

Finally, just before the entrance to the Wastelands, the strap on his left wrist broke off. That strap tugged the glove to the sleeve of the jacket, so that the dust can't seep under the clothes. Of course, these straps worked poor, and in his forty years Ray looked almost sixty, the whole his skin was covered by black dots, the veins on his hands were lilac, and in his eyes, purple veins were visible – well, this is the price of the craft. However, it wasn't worth it to risk too much. Ray, of course, had more than enough spare straps, but another twenty minutes were ineptly lost.

As a result, his plans to walk twenty-two miles along Route Two hundred and six to the north and spend the night in Faraday was, how could it be softer said ... er ... bite in the dust. He had to spend the night right on the road in the middle of the Wastelands. With all the ensuing consequences.

It was getting dark quickly. The beginning of February, of course, is not December but at half past five, the twilight is already coming. It was time to look for a place to sleep. It's a pity, he wanted to get to Gray Rocks tomorrow. But it looked like the journey would take a little longer.

The black stones of the surroundings seemed to become even darker. Rare yellow withered grass between them was paling and losing color. The violet branches of the ever-dry bushes – Ray knew how fragile they were: just touch them, and they fell into dust, poisonous dust – were pouring black, deep as the night sky before a thunderstorm. The bare brown rocks, along which the road was winding (more precisely, the remains of the road), acquired a particular gloom and solemnity.

A little bit more, and the sky will finally fade, darken, and will be covered with brightly shining stars. The stars in the Wastelands are always bright, thanks to the Border – there are no clouds here at any time. The Border works perfectly: neither the poisonous dust can escape from the Wastelands, nor the clouds can enter them. The night is promised to be moonless, which means he'll spend the time in the company of Bears, Pisces, and the Milky Way. Well, and the faint reflection of hundreds of thousands of lights of New Avalon far to the east.

Ray wiped the glasses of the gas mask with a glove. It's time to look for a place to sleep. He wasn't going to install the tent in absolute darkness. He also needed to pick the wood for the fire. There, it looks like the remains of fallen half-burned pines. Not the best fuel but it will work.

It's strange that he is so annoyed. Probably, this is because of the fact that he had to change his plans due to these minor annoying delays. He didn't like this: he loved to plan everything in detail well before and follow his plan precisely. If something interfered and disturbed the plan – he always felt annoyed and irritated. Well, what could he do? Ray sighed and threw off his heavy backpack.

Actually, he liked to spend nights in the Wastelands under the clear sky. It reminded him of how he, still full of romantic dreams, went to the Wastelands for the first few times twelve years ago. Gray-haired Richard O'Hara, laughing John Cole, brooding Brian Finnigan. Where are they all now? Richard died in the Wastelands five years ago. John has gone to the West and never sent back any news. And Brian once has just disappeared from his lopsided little house, and no one knew where to: no tracks, no notes. Different rumors went around, but it was all about nothing.