EPISODE 6: PART THREE
Together they walked the night streets of New Pallas City. Jay set a brisk pace and Cass could tell that unlike her he was not looking for a frivolous adventure this evening. Whoever Jay really was, he needed to find this mercenary Washington in a hurry.
“Where are we going?” Cass asked, keeping up with him.
“New Pallas Square. It’s open 24/7, and there’s bound to be a tourist booth nearby.
New Pallas Square was the lifeblood of the city, its many shopping malls, theatres, and museums bringing in half the city’s income. All day and night New Pallas Square was alit with multi-storied video screens playing advertisements, trailer for local films, tourist information, and all other kinds of broadcasts. Neon signs permeated the square at street level, always proclaiming “OPEN” as these shops never closed. The tourism industry was spreading rapidly in New Pallas. As Jay had mentioned, the restaurant he and Cass had met at used to be a small local secret, but now attracted the wallets of both tourists and locals who could afford it. Crime, both small time petty theft and big time racketeering remained a constant, however. The city’s government was working hard to change that.
Even at this hour the crowds in the square were impenetrable. It was an entirely pedestrian zone, surrounded by skyscrapers. Jay stopped on one of the sidewalks leading into the square, the flow of people moulding around him like a river around a rock. Cass stopped beside him. They could see into the square from where they were standing. Above the heads of the pedestrians they could see a fountain and statue dedicated to the first president of New Pallas, depicted in stone, dressed in a suit and top hat, leaning on a cane and staring wistfully off into the distance. Across the square from the statue stood a pole, attached to which was a sign adorned with a glowing “T”. Jay offered Cass his hand, and she accepted. The two of them waded into the crowd, salmon swimming upstream.
