The Cautious Traveller's Guide to the Wastelands

by Sarah Brooks

Mr. Petrov (they insist on the Mr, as if their own names are too weak to stand up by themselves) even bends down to ruffle the hair of a small boy, who gazes back at him, impassively. Weiwei rolls her eyes. They do not stop for long, she sees. They will be on their way to First, to mingle with the passengers the Company prefers, who better fit their image of themselves. “Try not to look too much like you’re giving them the evil eye,” murmurs the Professor. But she can’t smooth her features into the mask the Company likes. When they reach the middle of the carriage she stands up straighter, feeling the Professor tense beside her. The Crows give her a cursory nod. “We are glad that our most loyal traveller has joined us again,” says Mr. Li to the Professor. “We have heard that there have been differences within the Society of late. We do hope that these have been resolved?” The Professor gives a vague smile and squints short-sightedly at them through his glasses, the very picture of a harmless scholar. “Ah, but differences are the life-blood of scientific discourse, are they not?” “Indeed they are, indeed they are.” The Crows smile back. “What did he mean, ‘differences’?” asks Weiwei, when they are gone, but the Professor just shakes his head. “Not now,” he says, quietly, looking down the carriage as if expecting to see the Crows swooping back.