Published at 21st of February 2024 11:02 pm

Chapter 4 Leech Collector

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Midday came and Elmer could blame nothing but his early morning mishap for his failure today.

He sat at the edge of one pair of the three-storey brick buildings which made up an alleyway opposite the train station’s entrance, sheltering himself slightly from the searing sun beneath the soffit that spread out a shade from its sidewall.

His tunic was soaked from the heat and his hair had dampened so much that he’d had to take off his cap. Beads of sweat dripped down from his eyebrows and onto the rim of his glasses, blurring its lenses a tad as he lowered his head while he tried to get himself even a little bit of rest—but he could not.

His stomach rumbled. He had eaten nothing all day—and worse, he had no money left. At this rate he would not even be able to return with a meal for his sister?

No way…! Elmer shouted deep within as he raised his head energetically, spending a bit of what little vigor he had left.

He took off his glasses and wiped them clean of sweat, then he rose to his feet, donned his cap, and patted his pants free of dirt.

“Money must be made,” Elmer voiced to himself. “I cannot return to Mabel this way and let her go hungry for a whole day.”

I can’t let her remain that way much longer as well…

Elmer turned sharply and threw his eyes across the alleyway he was in, and onto the only steam car left parked on the side of the train station’s walkway.

He had only one option left.

As soon as the road freed up from the passing steam cars and carriages that had huddled it up, Elmer scurried to the walkway of the train station, and turned keenly on his feet toward a particular driver he had avoided all day.

“Good morning, dear mister.” Elmer smiled courtly—as much as a peasant could—his voice taking a little tone of politesse.

The driver was leaning on the side of his steam car, his hard visage and upturned nose ever as ugly to Elmer as it had been when he had charged four mints for a ride.

The man turned his eyes to Elmer and sized him up like he had done the day past, and it did not take too long before he scowled, showing that he was not pleased a peasant was standing before him. Elmer was not surprised.

“Who are you?” the driver asked, seeming to have forgotten all about their previous encounter. Elmer put his palm gracefully on his chest, but before he could voice a reply the man spoke again, “Oh. It’s you.” He appeared to have recalled, only it worsened his unpleasantness. “What are you doing here again?”

Elmer twinkled a smile with finesse. “I have come bearing a job offer, good mister.” He left his palm on his chest in order to add more tact to his courtliness. If he did a good job then maybe the man would listen and he would end the day on a high note.

It did not work though.

“Bless me, Chronos.” The man slapped his hand on his forehead beneath his half top hat in exaggerated exasperation. “Might we start some stupidity screening for the country boys that now make their way into the city?”

Elmer was not happy with the man’s utterance, but he knew better than to lash out.

Money must be made… Those were the words that kept him from spoiling his plans.

“Lend me your ears, good mister, just for a second,” Elmer pleaded. He had to get the man to listen in some way.

“No,” the driver told him, rather stoutly. “Shoo off, country boy. Your presence might be soiling my job.”

Elmer stubbornly resisted. He could go without eating if he put his mind to it, but not Mabel.

“If we—”

“Are you deaf as you are stupid, country boy?!” the driver roared, cutting Elmer off as he pulled himself away from his car. “I said shoo off. Share your job offer across the street with your kind.”

Elmer dropped his palm from his chest and his nose finally wrung up in annoyance.

Stupid hierarchies… He raged within, not letting out neither these words, nor the curses he had piled down in his head for the driver.

If only the other steam cars had not all left, I would not be bothering with a man like you…

Elmer furiously turned around to leave the presence of the disdainful driver, and that was when he espied a homely looking gentleman, escaping the stiffening walls of the train station with two bags in hand. One a small leather suitcase, and the other a large trunk luggage.

They looked heavy for the man, and Elmer could see no porter around. They must have been occupied in the train station, or the man must have missed them.

Elmer glanced across the street and saw his competitors quickly, but slowly, creeping out of the alleyway they had all been resting in. It was almost as though they were hunters—maybe they were, and maybe he was too.

They looked at him and took a seconds pause as he, as well, looked at them. And as if there had been a signal to go, they all started running, Elmer included.

He had never thought to take his talent of running and trying it as a sport before, but with the way he was moving now, he might have to consider it.

He nimbly swirled from side to side whenever a person came before him, putting his heels to the ground and propelling himself out of the way to prevent colliding with the rich men and ladies. Although, that did not stop them from echoing curses into his ears as he dashed past.

It reminded him of how the pickpockets inside the train station had been running on the day he had arrived, and now he could see why they did what they did.

Money must be made.

Elmer sprinted restlessly, closing the gap of where the steam cars were parked and the entrance of the train station.

Through his almost ended dash, he side-eyed a peek from his glasses toward the road to see if he was going to have a flawless victory, but then he saw…

What the hell was she?!

There was a lady who kept approaching in full speed even though the rest of his competitors had given up. She twirled past carriages while he whirled past people.

She had huddled the skirt of her deep-brown woolen gown—which were supposed to slow her down—beneath her armpit, exposing her thighs and long brown lace-boots, while her long and roughly packed ginger hair bounced chaotically.

If their roles had been reversed, there was no way he would have been able to outrun this ostrich in a human’s body. She was something else. He instantly threw away his thought of considering running as a sport. Those kinds of ideas were meant for her type.

Elmer increased his speed as much as he could, and when he was now finally at an arm’s length from the man he sought, the ostrich-lady was at an arm’s length from him. He had won.

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He slid into a crouch before her outstretched arm, voicing as he blocked her reach from the gentleman they were both seeking, “Those look quite heavy, good sir, I have come to help you with your luggages.” He heard a tch from the ostrich-lady, and a soft, tired grin spread on his face as he glimpsed her retreating.

The man he was before was dressed in a lighter formal suit with a white cravat wrapped around his neck, and a beaver half top hat. He had a porcelain skin of bronze with a very young face—the face of someone who had not seen his thirties. But the man’s hands were frail, or at least they looked frail, even though he held up his luggages quite well.

The man chuckled heartily. “A beautiful performance you put on. You and the lady.”

Elmer smiled. “She’s a fast one.”

“She is,” the man agreed, “and the bags are indeed heavy, but you look even weaker than I, do you think you can lift them?”

Elmer’s face beamed brighter. Was he really about to make some money? He honestly could not believe it.

“Yes… yes I can,” his lips quivered slightly. “Of course I can lift them. The thinness of my hands are just so I can trick the others into thinking I’m weak. I’m a lot stronger than I look. I could even lift three horses at once if you asked.” He curved his arms up and patted his biceps briskly.

The man laughed. “Alright then. How much do you charge?”

“Fifteen pence, sir,” Elmer answered quickly.

The man smiled. “Fifteen pence it is.” He dropped the bags, and Elmer jumped to his feet and scooped them up.

Elmer shook slightly as he came into an embrace with the bags. They were indeed heavy.

What was inside? Elmer wondered as sweat ran down his forehead.

The man assessed him. “You’re doing pretty good.”

Elmer grinned weakly. “Heh. This is easy.”

It’s not…

“Don’t drop it,” the man warned as they walked toward the lamppost where the steam cars were always parked.

It did not take long before they arrived beneath the lamppost, and it was then Elmer noticed that more steam cars had returned. But despite the mannerful drivers that may have now been present, it was the condescending driver who ran up to Elmer’s employer.

“Lovely afternoon, sir, and a lovely welcome to the city of Ur. May Chronos bless us all.” The driver placed a fist on his heart and bowed. “Where would you like a ride to this afternoon?” The man was rubbing his palms courtly and cozily.

So even someone so snobby could act this way…? Elmer instantly felt disgusted.

“Wylie’s Great Street,” Elmer’s employer responded placidly.

“That’ll be two mints, sir.” The condescending driver gestured toward his steam car with a smile. “If you will.”

As Elmer’s employer nodded and walked toward the car, the driver caught a glimpse of Elmer and his smile turned into a scoff of repulsion.

This time, though, Elmer felt he’d had enough. And as he decided that he had to do something to teach the driver a lesson, a way to fulfill that desire crossed his mind immediately.

“Sir,” Elmer called out to his employer, drawing the man’s almond green eyes to him.

“Is there a problem?” the man asked, and the condescending driver looked somewhat confused. It gave Elmer a cloaked smile.

“I recommend you give one of the other cars a ride. I’ve been working here all day and I can firmly say that this one is no good.”

The driver inhaled sharply. “What are you saying, country boy?! What do you mean my car’s no good?” His voice spiked in fury.

Elmer said nothing but continued staring at his employer while he tried to keep up with the weight of the bags he carried.

The man watched him for a moment and then he nodded. “Alright. Which car do you recommend then?”

The driver spoke hastily, “Do not take the words of the peasant to ear, sir. I’m one of the better drivers here, surely.” But his words did not seem to reach the ears of Elmer’s employer.

Elmer victoriously let out a soft breath at the expense of the driver’s quivering lips. “Any of the rest, good sir, as long as it’s not this car,” he said.

His employer turned deftly on his feet and walked toward the other cars, ignoring whatever the condescending driver had to say. And Elmer followed behind with a smirk he shoved in the hard-face of the man he had grown to hate so much.

…

Now settled upon a steam car, Elmer helped its driver stack the large luggage in the head compartment of the vehicle, while the smaller one went with his employer into the car.

When they were done, Elmer turned to the window of the steam car while placing his right palm courtly on his chest with a slight bow. “All done, good sir,” he mentioned to his employer.

“Good.” The man took out fifteen plain silver coins from his coat’s pocket, and poured them into Elmer’s opened hand. “Fifteen pence as requested.”

Elmer beamed. “Grateful, sir.” Then he muttered softly, “Now I have enough for Mabel.”

But that’s just for her meal. How am I going to save enough for the Church of Time’s college at this rate…? He sighed dispiritedly, his beam vanishing abruptly.

Elmer was about to take his leave when he heard his ex-employer call him. “Do you want to make more than that?” the man asked, his young voice filling Elmer’s mind with crazy thoughts.

More money…? Elmer pondered for a second, then he sharply spun back to the young man seated in the car. What could possibly earn me more…? Is it something illegal…?

“What would you have me do, good sir?” Elmer asked curiously.

If it was an illegal job, he was not sure if it was something he would be able to do. He could not have himself leaving Mabel all alone if he got arrested. But the man within the steam car did not look like a person that would be involved in such things. Although, he could not judge a person by their looks.

Elmer knitted his brows into a suspicious frown, and the man laughed softly.

“I’m a doctor.” And those words relaxed Elmer considerably so that a faint smile returned to his face.

A doctor would not involve themselves with an illegal job. Elmer was somewhat sure of that.

“What do you think about gathering leeches for me?” the man added.

Leeches…? Elmer sank into his thoughts for a moment.

“What’s the pay, good sir, if you don’t mind me asking?” He had never encountered leeches before, but he knew what they were.

He knew that they were bloodsuckers who derived joy in ferociously sucking from people until they were swollen.

Would he have to sacrifice his body and blood to get those little worms? What if he fell sick after, what would he do then? He shook his head internally, freeing himself of the thoughts while deciding to leave that decision all up to the pay the young doctor would propose.

He needed money after all.

“Twenty pence per leech,” the doctor said, and Elmer’s chin dropped, exposing his mouth for the world to see. “So, are you interested?”

Twenty pence per leech…? If I get five, that’s a mint note… It’s good money… Elmer wobbled in his mind so much that he did not know when he answered with a “yes”, accepting the job offer instinctively.

But he did not mind. With that money he could get a good meal for Mabel, and a solid head start on his savings for the college. There was no way he would turn this down.

“Get in,” the man called out to Elmer pulling him out of his thoughts.

Elmer’s eyebrows creased. “Get…in?” He was not sure what that meant, surely it wasn’t what he thought it was—was it?

“Get into the car, I’ll take you to where you can get me the leeches.”

Blimey bugger! There was no way he was getting offered a ride in a steam car. Really?! Was he dreaming? How lucky could a person be?

His fingers shook nervously while he stood silent and agape.

“Do you want to go at it yourself?” The man smiled cordially, and Elmer immediately pried himself free from his unwarranted paralysis.

“No,” he said with a shaken voice. “I’m… I’m coming with.”

Elmer was not sure where exactly he would enter the car from, until the driver came down and pulled the door open for him.

With a bow of thanks at the driver, he went into the passenger’s seat wearing a nescient look on his face, and placed himself beside his employer on the plushy car-couch. He really was inside a steam car, and it felt so comfortable in contrast to the carriages.

I’m sorry Mabel, I got into one without you…

As Elmer’s employer chuckled at his behavior, the driver questioned, “Where to, sir?”

The young doctor cleared his throat. “I’ll be paying for a charter. How much is that?”

“Five mints an hour, sir,” the driver replied.

“Alright. Head to Merchant’s District first.”

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