Free City of Time by Eoin McNamee

than Silkie would have believed possible for such a big man. He left behind only a pool of water on the floor and the stench of old fish and petrol.
    Johnston might not have spoken, but his eyes had
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    given Silkie a clear message: that he knew her now and he would not forgive her, and that he would return. She slumped back against the hatch cover. The moonlight cast her shadow against the wall and it loomed over her, as if to remind her how alone she was.
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    Chapter 9
    Dr. Diamond stood in the little courtyard, a delighted expression on his face. He paced about, examining the moldering shop fronts, the deep ruts in the ground. Even the very dust seemed to fascinate him.
    "It's a bit musty , isn't it?" Cati asked.
    "Kind of," Owen said.
    "I mean, what is this place, anyway?" Cati said.
    "It's a ... it's a frontier, a border," Dr. Diamond said. "Or it was at one time."
    "Like going from one country to another?" Owen asked.
    "Exactly. That's a very intelligent observation, Owen."
    "Really?" Owen said, feeling more confused than intelligent.
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    "This proves that there were comings and goings between this place and the City of Time in years gone by. That there were trade, traffic, commerce. It seems that the traffic came to a halt for some reason, and the Resisters forgot about it. It was what your father maintained, Owen. He said that there could be commerce again. I ... we ... were worried about it... he was inclined to exaggerate sometimes."
    "At least he was right about something," Owen murmured sourly.
    "And then there is this ... this ... ute marvel!" Dr. Diamond's outflung arm indicated the old truck in the middle of the yard. Cati and Owen exchanged glances. Whatever the truck was, the word marvel didn't quite seem to apply.
    "Now show me the passage you found," Dr. Diamond said. Owen led him to the gates beside the Gobillard et Fils shop. The doctor helped him to swing them fully open. They creaked and protested and flakes of rust fell off into Owen's hair, but in the end the three friends were looking down the passage, the ground underfoot rutted by countless wheels, the walls battered and scarred. And there was that smell again, of mountains and snow. They stood in silence.
    "The way to Hadima," Dr. Diamond said, putting a protective arm around Cati's shoulders. "To the City of Time."
    "Do we walk or what?" Owen asked.
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    "No, I wouldn't think so. Let's take a closer look at that marvelous truck."
    The doctor led them over to the vehicle. He opened the hood latches and peered inside. Owen looked over his shoulder. The engine was a tangle of oily pipes and half-exposed wires, some with insulating tape wrapped around them. Deep in the heart of the engine he could see a faint glow of blue, indicating the presence of magno.
    "A Prentiss twin-cam eight-stroke," Dr. Diamond said, patting the fender. "An absolute beauty. Needs a bit of work, though."
    Owen felt Cati shiver as she stood beside him. He saw that her face was gray with tiredness. For the first time since they'd been reunited he remembered how the Harsh had blasted her with eternal cold. It was said then that she would never fully recover from it.
    "Dr. Diamond," he said.
    The scientist looked around, concern filling his eyes when he saw Cati. "It's late and you need to rest," he said. "Come on." He led them to the rear of the truck, pulled aside the canvas flaps, and unfolded a small metal ladder. Full of misgiving, Owen followed him up. His idea of rest wasn't the back of a smelly old truck. He slipped in under the canvas and stood in the dark while Dr. Diamond fumbled with a switch.
    Owen blinked when the lights came on. It wasn't like the interior of any truck he'd seen. One wall was covered with racks for carrying freight, but the rest of it

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    was kitted out like a comfortable if slightly eccentric room. The walls were covered with red velvet, which gave it an Eastern feel. There were four bunk beds against the other wall, with deep sides so you