Writing: John Halliday
Act 1, Scene 2-3
Scenes: Receiving Agent scene
A tall, dark man stepped off the stage after the others, an imposing figure sporting a reinforced blue cloak with sleek black boots. He moved quickly, starting directly for the office door.
Glancing back down at his receiving papers, the clerk gaped at the name of the passenger: Mr. John Halliday, in town on business. Reaching for his computer, the clerk began to type out a message.
The door hissed, and the dark man entered the room, pausing to take in the room, before continuing to the desk.
“Morning, friend. I believe there’s a package for me that arrived yesterday.”
“Um, yes, yes, sir. That must be in the back. Let me just go and get it.”
The clerk stood up awkwardly and stepped into the back room. A little too quickly, the dark man noted, almost as if...
He stepped around the desk, glancing at the computer screen— passenger transport software, but… With a few quick keystrokes, a new page opened: a messager, with a half typed, “Halliday the bounty hunter came in on the stage! Must be after…”
Halliday stepped back around the desk, amused, leaving the message open. It was addressed to a Captain Harlan Voss, evidently someone who liked to know who came and went in this small town.
The clerk returned, hefting the package in his two skinny arms and heaving it onto the counter. “If you could sign for it here…”
“Thanks, friend. I’ll be staying at the hotel. Is there a machine shop in town? Somewhere I can get a set of blades and a sled?”
“Yes, sir!” The clerk looked at him wide-eyed.
“We have two smithies and one machine shop. Both are down the street, past the saloon and the dance hall.”
Halliday seemed not to acknowledge. He slid a short lever down on the inside of his boot, and a thin blade extended from the front to the heel. He double checked the mechanism, sliding his hand down the blade, before repeating the process on the other side. Halliday straightened, picked up the package with ease, and stepped to the door.
“Thanks, friend, and give my regards to the Captain.”
The clerk looked quickly to his computer screen and jumped, his eyes bulging, ready excuses already spilling out, but the door was already hissing shut.
Halliday stepped onto the street, the solution of Ice and gravel had gotten more slippery as the day passed and the blades kept John’s feet from slipping sideways as he made his way across to the hotel. Checking into his room, John opened his package, pulling out two twin pistols, five extra magazines, two sealskin holsters which he left in the hotel safe. Also in the package, a sleek fixed blade knife and sheath, box of churchills, and a 3 shot sleeve gun, easily concealed in a bag, or inside coat pocket.
The pistols were sleek, 22-shot, short-barreled, with built-in silencers, lest a shooting blow out the hearing of the whole damn town. The holsters were slung low, with a short rope tying them to the leg, made for a quick and easy draw. Halliday finally began to relax. He thought by now the entire town had heard of his arrival, and he’d better get his intentions stated before people started getting any strange notions.
It was nearing 4:00, which was the typical dinnertime for a modest sized town like Fairview. Typically the Glacier people woke and ate early. As the day goes on, ice melts more and more causing work to get unpleasant. Most of the folk working outside started their various Jobs around 2-3 in the morning when the Ice was thoroughly frozen over.
The Rumors had already started when John entered the cafe adjacent to the hotel. Small towns like these hadn’t much to talk about day to day, and the arrival of a tall dark stranger had the men whispering in low concerned voices as John entered.
A game of Poker was going on in the corner, with what looked like a couple handlers and one sleek looking gambler. John approached the table, “Howdy gents, mind if I join for a hand or two?” The gambler gave an easy smile, “Of course Mr Halliday..” he said smoothly, “come and try your luck.” Evidently some of the room hadn’t realized John was the many they’d been talking about, many looked over in shock.
John smirked, “I see the town doesn’t miss much, especially with that nosy clerk of yours..” The Gambler shuffled a new deck, “Oh don’t mind Perrin, he’s been the stage clerk here for close t’ 10 years now. Likes to tell folks what’s going on sure, but he’s harmless,” He gestured to an open chair, “Come! have a seat, My name is Jonah Lockwood, this is Bill, Charlie, and Ash.”
John ordered coffee, and started playing with no real focus on the game. John was never much of a gambler, but he understood why men down here played so much. A welcome escape from the endless work, building homes, securing the town, reacting to the changing Glacier outside, raising stock in the underground lakes.. Any man could come in and get away from all that, the moment when the die is cast, where time stands still, and a man is waiting to see the result, is one of the most powerful escapes from a rough life.
He offered little information, but learned the men around him besides Jonah were indeed handlers, wrestling Fish all day and night a couple miles below town.
After dinner was served, the talk moved to the surrounding Glacier weather, mainly core temperatures, movement trends and areas that were designated too dangerous by the town Seer. The Gambler was easy talking, “There’s a couple areas near Voss’s place west of here that’ve been getting worse, Base losing stability, opening Crevasses, don’t say you heard it from me, but I don’t think he’s too pleased with what’s been going on..”
”That’s Captain Voss? What kind of outfit does he run?”
Ash spoke up, “Harlan Voss runs one of the tightest outfits around here, a massive crew 50 men strong. We call him the Captain on account of he runs the tightest crew you ever saw. Knows the name of every hand, and makes sure everything is to his satisfaction. He’s strict sure, but pays 10 dollars more a hand after a year of work.
Jonah laid down the last card, John’s hand looked good, he checked.
”So what did you come here for then,” another hand wanted to know,
“On business, but I don’t fully know myself, I’ll have some more to go on when the next Comm Express comes in.