Part 51 (1/2)
”I broughthis like iven to ht my diploma from St Martley's Those were ic world!
If they rejected Ballard, I could vouch for hiic? But then thoughts of vauard
Be reckless, not dus like cans of food, and even a can of engine oil, in it I looked at his pack, and sa e clinking noise when I lifted it; besides, it ay too heavy for ed with some unknown liquid When he was done, my pack looked almost like his ”There!” he said ”Now, if we die in the wild, at least it will take a while!”
Next, he showed rattachecca while he explained
Ballard had rigged up a new systeicfor it
”This is your booster,” he said, indicating the tank fitted under the seat; it said NOS on it (nitrous oxide systeulped
”We s while we're out there,” said Ballard, ”so I want you prepared This is the Jesus bolt Because if it breaks, you see Jesus” He smiled ”So don't wipe out” It was the race all over
I noddeda purpose I told you the blueon ot on his The last rays of the sun were going down My pack felt heavy; but it would get lighter as ent I watched him heft his own onto his back, and then he shut and locked the garage door
”Thank you, Ballard,” I said ”For everything You get points”
”I alanted to score with you”
A sign, which read GONE FIshi+NG, hung on the door Ballard's roaned unnaturally We started our engines
I was to follow hi moment for me, to know that I had started this alone, and that now I had Ballard, and together ere going to the Districts of Magic I wondered what it would be like The whole flight to Prague was one big check-it-out thing What if I didn't like what I saw? It would not be easy, but then, that was the point, wasn't it? Just hearing the engines, I got the sense the Past was around the corner Maybe if I looked for it hard enough, it would reveal itself tocertain secrets I wished to find out
The previous volumes of my Diary were preamble to the adventures to coave esture We lifted our feet and headed down the vicolo, into the s Trastevere behind us
I felt like one of those dogsexiled, in a way Like Ballard and I were being booted froe I didn't knohen I would be back Could be never, I told iven my landlady four oing I azza,” she said Like she knew so
But that was over, now All of it was Ballard and I were going We were leaving Roht past Vatican City, and onto the autoroute, which took us out of Ros were different between Ballard and me noays before our objective had been to see What if What if there were vampires out there? What if there olves? What if witches and wizards really existed and I was one of them? Well, we had our answers now It was the truth which eluded us
We stopped to top off our fuel tanks before we put some miles behind us
Ballard toldolves,” he called them), who used to battle evildoers, in order to protect their crops ”They were called the Hounds of God Those Who Do Good”
”Are they still around?” I said
I ondering about ori
Ballard shrugged ”Werewolf, witch, and vao In the Philippines the Aswang are all three The Benandanti are no different They were thought to originate in Venice”
We would be passing it shortly It was alic city, was old Venice
”The Benandanti also existed in Ro for the attention ”Don't you see, though, the old Histories are cross-,” he said
How come Dallace and Caic city? They were vaiance to Paris Why not?
Ballard removed the nozzle, and put the cap back on his fuel tank ”The last thing ant is to be drawn into a three-ar There have been stories about disagreeori and the Benandanti, and us I figure I can introduce myself around See what's up,” he said
My head felt like it was going to explode Find The It was becoot back on the autoroute; finally it started to snow
Neither Ballard nor I had any thoughts of stopping The snowflakes felt otherworldly As though there were torldsthe one, non-ical The i in us that in consequence weside Ballard My hairalready longflew behindwith how fast ere going, I changed to a higher gear I passed thepassed the , would we find? I rode without any particular fondness of feeling, content in the deep-seated assurance that I rode to nowhere
The Dioscuri had set evitythey knew things, foul things, things I wanted to know
We passed like shadows in the night AlwaysalwaysI looked behindfollowed We flew past police speed traps, but whoever the two ghosts were, the officers never found out Ballard knew his geography well I saw hi with one hand, while he looked at his hosted like that soht onto sludge A pale light was co over the horizon Mountaintops filled naled for us to take the next exit; there was a roadblock ahead he said we needed to avoid; I followed after hih Central Europe, but he said: ”I'h surface streets, passing sue, eventually I didn't knohat to think He hadn't lead us astray, yet
We drove to Verona, when the trek got really hard The sweeping countryside gave way to hillscraggy, dra landslides
”It's only going to get worse,” he said
The Dolomites were northeast At the town of Giazza, on the Monti Lessini plateau, I saw a spectacular view Mountain ranges filled with trees, and snow, there in the distance The Alps were directly before us The roadways began beco perilous A picture-postcard, Giazza was snowed under We passed vineyards, dead or dying, when ive it a rest, the Gaa, not the trip, to see e could see So in motel rooms
”Enjoy it while it lasts,” said Ballard, ”for it is the end of our cooes Soon ill have to leave the road behind usany food will coah to wander into our traps”
He showed me the mapthe ”place of trees,” the Stro Prague The Czech Republic lay in the heart of Central Europe Our path lead right through it
”That is our route we are taking,” he said
”There are no roads,” I noticed
He readjusted his pack ”Not to worry,” he said