Chapter 8: The Testament of Shana MacArthur, Chapter Three

Hours passed since we had left that old town, both suns looking like they’d set, but thankfully the fourth circle's walls were in sight; those beautiful gaudy tarnished brass gates leading to Gold City. 

“Happy to finally see civilization?” Gabby asked, walking beside me.

“Not so much, you’ll have to go back to hiding now,” I replied. 

“I’m touched, my love, that you would miss me so,” Gabby leaned her head onto my shoulder, “perhaps you’d give me a kiss before I must hide?”

“Shut up, I’m just going to miss having your help carrying this heavy bag,” I said, shoving her away.

“You play hard to get, but I know you don’t mean it,” she sighed. “Very well, I’ll go back to my carta, and leave you all alone, without so much as a thank you kiss.” And with that she disappeared, dropping the sack on the floor with a loud thud.

“Dammit Gabby! You could have handed it over first!” I scooped up the sack, and its spilled contents, “You’re such a drama queen sometimes.” 

“If you only had kissed me, then I wouldn’t be so glum,” Gabby said from within her card. 

I grumbled and flung the bag over my shoulder, “Whatever... If anything is broken I’ll just have to punish you later.” I immediately regretted my choice of words.

“I shall look forward to my punishment,” she teased. 

My stomach growled throughout my trek into the city, another hour passing before I had actually reached the gate. I paid the fee, upcharged because of my brand, and was allowed inside the walls. Damn it, that’s another six hundred Ylda lost, I silently complained passing in through the gate. Despite its name “Gold City’’, the buildings and streets were more of a reddish bronze color, with spatterings of gold paint that had chipped and faded over time. Each footstep produced a loud ‘clunk’ against the brass walkways, something I don’t think I could ever get used to. The dirt floor of my old home town just felt natural and soothing to walk upon, though at least the roads here didn’t kick up too much dust. Children ran in the streets, between trolleys and beat up cars, the kind of traffic you really don’t see in the first couple of circles. Bright illuminated signs from shops and bars lit in multiple colors mixed with the ambient lighting of yellow glowing electric lanterns. The whole scene was a stark contrast to the wastelands I had just traversed. Gold City was no doubt the best slum town you could live in, at least in terms of modern conveniences as far as I could tell. 

I kept my head low, searching for a shop that dealt in ‘second hand’ possessions, keeping my eyes open for the right combination of secret markings; one marking that indicated their status as a fence, the other, and arguably more important, that denoted they were witch friendly. Building after building I searched, trying to keep a low profile as I pushed through the busy crowds, till at last I came across what I needed. On the walls of a Barbershop and Dentistry, markings disguised as a childs graffiti in the exact combination I needed. I pushed open the door, a small bell ringing as I stepped through, and was surprised to find an almost empty room. There were only a couple shelves with various dentistry tools, and a few bottles of hair tonics. An elderly man, with just the slightest hump and a balding head, stood ready at a counter, while another more intimidating man was cleaning up an old leather chair.

“What could we do for you today, miss?” The balding man standing at the counter greeted me with a forced smile.

“I’ve got a present for the tooth fairy,” I said, plopping my sack on the counter.

“I see, please hand over your guns, then take a seat if you will,” the man motioned to the barber’s chair.

“Yeah, makes sense...” I removed my revolver, holster and all, and handed it to the clerk, before attempting to walk over to the chair.

“And the other one, miss,” He grabbed my arm and pointed to the black revolver I hid behind my poncho.

“Oh, that one is actually broken,” I chuckled nervously.

He stared me down, and reluctantly I undid the holster and handed it over. He thanked me then went into a back room with the sack and my guns, and so I sat in the lone chair beside his business partner.

The unnaturally burly ‘barber’ placed a towel around my shoulders, and asked, “shall I trim the split ends while we wait?”

“How much is it going to cost?”

“Only a small tip will be necessary,” he answered, retrieving a pair of scissors and a comb from his smock.

“Yeah, I guess, that’s fine then.” I wasn’t about to turn down a cheap trim, even if the man looked more suited to chopping off heads rather than hair. He removed my hat and placed it on what I could only assume was a withering stone tree table.

“The process here is rather odd, don’t you think love?” Gabby said from within her carta.

“They’re the best fence in town, at least among those that will deal with our kind,” I whispered back.

“How would you know they’re the best? This is our first time here is it not?”

“Shush!” I hushed her

“Did you say something?” the barber asked while lifting my long dry hair, and snipping off the ruined ends.

“No just talking to myself,” I lied, and the man went back to quietly cutting my hair, little strands of purple falling to his feet.

“So, have you always been a barber?” I tried making small talk.

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“No,” he answered, “I was a canonnier on a landship, until the Church closed the shipping lanes.”

“Ah I see, I see.” I had to consciously stop myself from nodding my head. “shame they had to do that, I bet the landships were pretty neat.”

“I suppose. Now they’ve all been salvaged for train parts,” he sighed, “all except the ‘Faithful’”

“Ah, was that your old ship?” I asked, not sure if I was actually contributing to the conversation or just filling the silence.

“No, it’s a famous pirate ship, the captain is a man named Deadman Jack.” He removed the towel, “it is finished.

The floor had looked like a pile of purple straw had just been threshed by my feet, “Was it a lot?”

“Only about two fingers.” 

My fingers, or your fingers buddy, because that’s two completely different measurements, I thought standing up and shaking off the loose hairs.

“Still pretty close to my butt, so you didn’t go crazy,”

“Your hair is quite beautiful, but you do not take care of it, perhaps consider washing with egg whites and honey to bring out the luster,” he advised.

I didn’t know how to respond, a shy “thanks, I’ll try that,” was all I could think to say. Those are some expensive ingredients to waste on hair. I finished dusting off the stray hairs, though maybe it wouldn’t hurt to try if I get the chance.

The balding man returned from a back room, his face as stoic as when he left. I walked to the counter and saw he had a small coin purse. “So how much you got for me?”

“Eight hundred Ylda, subtracting a small fencing fee, and a tip for the barber, of course,” he replied plainly.

“Eight hundred? That’s all!” I slammed my hand down on the counter. “I risked my ass for that, can’t you do better?” Money like that would hardly pay for me to stay at an inn, not here in the fourth circle. I know that I hadn’t had the best merch to offer, probably because I was in the passenger car and not the private cars, but still that was a high class train ride!

“Miss, you do understand the situation you are in, no? I believe you will find that one of your kind will be hard pressed to find a more cooperative ally,” he hid a threatening tone behind his words, typical, but still it stung.

“Shit, the entrance tax cost nearly Six hundred, that’s hardly a profit,” I whined, feeling just a tad childish while stomping my foot.

“I can not offer any higher, but perhaps I could give you some information to maintain an amicable relation?” he offered.

“Okay, I can be reasonable, so sure, what kind of information?” I leaned in, brow furrowed and my nose scrunched.

“There is a woman looking for you, for a job opportunity that is.”

“And how do you know it is me she is looking for?”

“This is you isn’t it?” He held a wanted poster with my likeness on it and a hand written note on the bottom.

Damn! Has my bounty actually spread this far? How? I never set foot in the fourth circle before today!

He began to write down the information on a piece of paper. “If you are interested, this is the address, I have heard she pays handsomely. I just ask you don’t forget us here at Akaries Barber and Dentistry.” He handed over the slip of paper.

I sighed, “Okay, I guess that’ll have to do.” I took the paper and the purse, then he returned my guns.

“Perhaps you should invest in some bullets? Your gun is completely empty.”

“Don’t need them!” I responded and left the shop, the men bidding me farewell and welcomed me to come back again. Hah, Sure I will...

I looked at the scrap of paper, it had an address, as well as what I could only assume was a code word.

“Seems sketchy to me Shana, are you sure about this?” Gabby asked, suspicion in her voice.

“Well you know what they say, can’t restore the luster in your hair without breaking a few eggs,” I could feel the intensity of Gabby’s silent gaze from within her carta. “What? I bet that barber says that.”

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