Elysium

Chapter 25: Look at the Deeds

The Persephone floated at a distance from the bridge at the time of the disaster. Yet she was rocked by the impact when the horribly destroyed locomotives and wagons of the two collided trains fell into the waters of the Yana River. The ship swayed to one side and then to the other, with the terrified passengers on the deck grabbing the trailing or whatever they could get their hands on, some falling down against each other.

The horror they had just witnessed was very quickly over. Emotions came with a delay, following the demise of the large number of people who had been in the other train. First, there was just an unspoken shock. Disbelief. Then screams and shouts of sorrow. Futile demands that someone should have done something. Soon also some jubilant cries, as the sympathizers of the Resistance among the passengers started realizing what a terrible blow had just been delivered to the Palatine forces and their transport line.

The Resistance fighters around us were much more restrained in their reactions than some of their supporters. They had to know. They realized the same that I realized – the one man haunting our minds now. The deaths of the hundreds of Palatines – who knows, perhaps also civilian passengers if there were any in the other train – meant much less to them emotionally than the apparent sacrifice of one of their most glorified heroes. Somewhere in my mind, I felt guilt for Ramez's death, as I saw the unlikely connection between what he had done at the Twin Temples of Apion that morning and what part he personally played in this monstrosity.

Was it an act of terrorism? Was it a war crime? Or a legitimate act of war? I tried to remember those lectures we had received on international law, and what was said about the legitimacy of targets. If the other train had been filled with Palatine troops, shouldn't it then have been a legitimate act of war from the Resistance's side? But what if there were also civilian passengers, like there were in our train before we had been ordered to exit? No such option could have been offered to the passengers of the Palatine train, as the collision had come as a cruel surprise for them.

I posed my question aloud to the most neutral learned source at hands, namely Professor Itikain, who was standing near me, watching the horror with a stupefied blank stare, as if it was a curious show of nature's forces. The ship was still swaying. The scientist answered: "Not that many ordinary Elysians travelling from Sangriala to Apion right now. I wouldn't think so, would you? Given in which state we left Apion. Most, like us, tried to travel the opposite direction. Oh well."

I wasn't sure if it consoled my mind.

"Mikael", said Mary now, after a long silence.

"Yes, Darling", I answered. "Me too."

*   *   *

We stood there, as the ship – now with its balance regained – took a course towards the area where the remains of the trains had collapsed.

At the same time, we heard gunshots again from the higher ground, where the watchtowers of the bridge stood. I saw some mouth flames of the firearms used.

"What's happening?" asked Max, who had joined us, with Brynhilde.

"It's Killie", said Brynhilde. "And the mahis. Look!"

We looked. It looked as if the stones and spiny scrub on top of the craggy riverbank had come alive. As if the nature itself was marching on the two towers. It was the mahis, who had been on board the Persephone. Captain Kitt had let them out before our train arrived and offloaded its passengers to be taken to the ship.

More shots. The sky was all red, the sun still barely visible.

Another man joined us. First Mate Osman, with the octopus beard.