Falling Stars Rising 28

The fist struck the fat man’s mouth with a wet thud, knocking out a single tooth in a shower of blood and spit.

“That all you got?” he barked and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

“O, I got plenty more where that came from, son, just ask your mother,” said the opponent, drawing cheers and howls from the gathered onlookers.

Swearing and growling, the two brawlers lunged at each other and stumbled over some bushes in a tangle of arms and legs. The raucous crowd gathered around them, shouting and egging them on as they rolled in the mud.

“Keep moving,” murmured Gilmurg. “These fools will attract the Valkyries.”

Aleister followed the old pilot up a set of stairs. Weathered and covered in fungi, the wooden steps led up to a network of suspended bridges nestled against the mountainside. Torches flickered as far as the eye could see, reaching deep into the mysterious cloud forest.

A flurry of activity buzzed around him. Businesses were closing and men seemed to be making their way back home. There were but few women, and the ones he saw had a wild look about them. He tried to follow Gilmurg's advice and keep his head down. For the most part, nobody paid much attention to the pair, but Aleister noticed the way some men glowered at him and muttered under their breath. Instinctively, he reached up and lowered his hood.

Gilmurg chuckled.

They climbed higher until they reached the canopy, where the web of suspension bridges crossed over onto the forest. Waterfalls cascaded over the cliffs, and on their way down, the torrential streams struck and spun watermills that had been attached to the cliff-side at various locations. The energy output must’ve been phenomenal. So why was the city illuminated with torches instead of electric lights?

“The use of electricity for non-essential operations is against the law," said Gilmurg. "I guess the lives of these muskrats is not essential. After all, risking their lives at the bottom of that frozen abyss to extract a steady supply of water is not worth a lick of ice. At least we have a steady supply of methane from Titan. Good for light and keeping this place balmy."

Wispy tendrils of mist seeped through the canopy, roiling in the swift air currents generated by the waterfalls.

He looked up and saw Enceladus beyond the canopy, where the spaceships shimmered like wandering stars as they crossed the skyview.

They came up to a cliff at the edge of town. “This is as far as I go," said Gilmurg. He lit up a torch by pressing a trigger on the handle and gave it to Aleister. “Just follow the walkway in that direction, and you’ll get there.”

Aleister looked at the old narrow bridge that spanned the yawning chasm.

“How far?”

“As far as the Captain lets you.” Gilmurg turned to leave. “Don’t slip. It’s a long way down.”

In the darkness below him, Aleister could hear the faint roar of water. He raised his torch to see across the bridge, but the cloud cover had thickened. There was no turning back now. So holding on to one of the ropes strung along the bridge, he stepped forward on the moss-covered planks and entered the misty cocoon.

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