Complication

Chapter Five

Michael was up early. He stood at the window, ready to go: jacket, tie, and dress shoes, which, in his mind, were still slightly damp. The curtains were pulled fully open. He could see for miles. Airships dotted the sky and perched on rooftops all throughout the city. He watched them all move about for a while, one would take off and another would set down in its place. It was amazing that they could keep the jumble mess operating.

The buildings were a different story. They were laid out in a well organized grid pattern; all roughly the same in height. Only one building loomed over the rest: The Great Tower. Michael could see it as a black pillar in the far distance. It reached so high he was unsure if he was seeing the top or if it simply reached farther than his eyes. It was an astounding sight - the pride of all the people of the Great City and its surrounding territories. 

Every thirteen stories, there was another three-story rock facade with the Great Emblem carved into it: a man standing, legs slightly apart, his arms out, palms turned up. It was basic knowledge that the man stood on something and held items in his open hands. Michael just couldn't remember what those things were. He could not see the detail from the hotel room window, and truth was he wasn't sure why he cared. Debora was lucky. Her room on the other side of the hall must have looked out over the Great River that meandered its way into the city from the mountains. She also had the sunrise.

Michael took the time to go through some files. The first thing he looked over was the paper Stanley Post gave him. He couldn't glean anything new from it and set it aside. He opened the folder of clippings they pulled from the library and found nothing new or insightful there, either. The phone book in the night stand was more useful; he flipped through it and made a long list of antique dealers.

Debora knocked and Michael checked his watch - 7:32. For the first time, Debora was late - two minutes late. He opened the door.

“These rooms have no coffee makers,” she said with a frump. “We should find some coffee before anything else.”

“Is that what you are wearing?”

She was not in her typical office clothes. She wore a light buttonless blouse without a blazer, a pair of jeans and sneakers.

“This is it,” Debora said. “We might be doing a lot of running around. I want to be comfortable today. Let’s go find that coffee.” She turned and walked down the hall while Michael stepped back into the room to look in the wall mirror. He stripped the jacket off and threw it on the bed before following her out.

They found coffee at a cafe down the street. Their waiter wore a hoop ring that hung loosely from his septum. A dark tattoo crept up his neck. The coffee was very large, very good, and very hot. Debora sipped at it carefully, holding it with two hands beneath her chin.

“There are a few people,” Michael said, “that could possibly offer us a lead on the timepiece.” Debora softly moaned, which made Michael look up at her. Her eyes were shut, a slight smile curved her lips at the corners. She seemed in no hurry to join the rest of the world. Michael took a moment to enjoy the look of peace and contentment on her face. Her eyes came open to find that she was not in her moment alone.

“Sorry. The coffee is so good.”

Michael lifted his own cup, took a sip and set it back down, without the slightest hint that he enjoyed it. Coffee was strictly for functionality purposes to him.

“Which way to the tower from here?” Debora asked. Michael pointed over his shoulder in the direction he knew the tower to be.

“They are spaced around the city,” he continued.

“What are?”

“The people we will visit about the watch. It's a big city, so it's going to be a long day.” He reached across the table and pulled the bottom of Debora’s cup from her face. “Are you alright? Are you with me?”