Read Online On the riverside of promise by Vasileios Kalampakas - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Vasileios Kalampakas
Ads: Link
throat,
breaking the uneasy silence:
“We might head back.”
Ethan simply nodded and sipped quietly from
his cup. His nostrils flared from the aroma, but he said nothing.
Ludwig went on:
“We’ll talk it over once everyone’s awake. I
think we should press on, otherwise these people would have gone
through all this for nothing. The rest though are probably scared
out of their minds.”
“Can you blame them?” said Ethan and stood
up, stretching. Ludwig continued, tapping his foot nervously, his
tone somewhat apologetic:
“In any case, some should stay behind and
help the monastery, at the least. It might be just as good as
setting up camp elsewhere.”
Ethan’s response was terse: “Makes
sense.”
“Not a lot of it makes sense to me, Richard.
I want to help, but this mess…”
“Having second thoughts?” Ethan said, staring
blankly at the rose red morning sky, hands on his waist.
“Wouldn’t you? I mean, after everything is
said and done, is it worth it? I want to help, these people want to
help but… How can anyone weight that? One’s own life against
another?”
Ludwig gulped down a mouthful of tea
greedily. He didn’t seem to bother that it was still too hot for
comfort.
“Did you get enough sleep?”
Ludwig shook his head wearily. Ethan perched
himself on the window sill and told Ludwig in a very business-like
fashion.
“If you want to move on, you need to get past
what’s happened. If you can’t, you should head back while we’re
still not on the deep end here. Otherwise, chances are more people
will get hurt for nothing.”
The doctor nodded in agreement and lit his
cigarette. He took a few puffs, drew the smoke in deep. He seemed
to relax a bit, the care lines on his face evening out.
“What… What about you?” Ludwig asked with
just a hint of hesitation, as if the answer might not be
forthcoming, as if it were dangerous to know.
“What do you want to know?” replied Ethan
while tapping a cigarette out of his pack.
“I just think it might be safer if you came
along. That’s all I need to know.”
“I’m going in as far deep as you are willing
to go. But at some point…” Ethan’s voice trailed off as he drew on
his smoke heavily. Ludwig closed his eyes and nodded before he
replied:
“I think I understand.”
Silence ensued between them. The sound of
chanting rose suddenly out of the temple’s open doors just when a
swath of sunrays melted away the morning haze around the small
patches of greenery. The heat was building up rapidly; soon they
would be sweating again. Ethan suddenly turned and looked Ludwig
straight in the eye. There was a frown on the doctor’s face, a
mixed expression of fear and hope. Ash from his cigarette fell on
the dirt floor.
“My name’s Ethan. I don’t think knowing that
puts you in any more danger than you already are. I mean, you’ve
trod on a minefield already,” Ethan said and smiled sheepishly.
Ludwig grinned thinly and said to him: “No, I
don’t think it does. I knew when I saw you that you’re a good
man.”
“You don’t want to know the half of it,
doctor,” Ethan replied and offered his hand. As they shook hands,
they heard a dull but disturbing, faint echoing sound that Ethan
recognised all too well: a gunshot.
“That can’t be good,” said Ethan dryly.
“Gunfire?”
Ethan just nodded and rushed to the doorway
to peek outside. He could see through the wide open monastery gate.
In the distance, he could make out a couple of open-top Rovers
slowly coming up the hill. A barrage of rattling sounds echoed;
assault rifles on full auto. They were soon lost behind the first
turn around the hillside. The gunfire went on, echoing faintly.
“Some kind of firefight,” Ethan said to
Ludwig as he reached for his backpack.
“Government or rebels?” asked Ludwig with
startled apprehension, as he took a
breaking the uneasy silence:
“We might head back.”
Ethan simply nodded and sipped quietly from
his cup. His nostrils flared from the aroma, but he said nothing.
Ludwig went on:
“We’ll talk it over once everyone’s awake. I
think we should press on, otherwise these people would have gone
through all this for nothing. The rest though are probably scared
out of their minds.”
“Can you blame them?” said Ethan and stood
up, stretching. Ludwig continued, tapping his foot nervously, his
tone somewhat apologetic:
“In any case, some should stay behind and
help the monastery, at the least. It might be just as good as
setting up camp elsewhere.”
Ethan’s response was terse: “Makes
sense.”
“Not a lot of it makes sense to me, Richard.
I want to help, but this mess…”
“Having second thoughts?” Ethan said, staring
blankly at the rose red morning sky, hands on his waist.
“Wouldn’t you? I mean, after everything is
said and done, is it worth it? I want to help, these people want to
help but… How can anyone weight that? One’s own life against
another?”
Ludwig gulped down a mouthful of tea
greedily. He didn’t seem to bother that it was still too hot for
comfort.
“Did you get enough sleep?”
Ludwig shook his head wearily. Ethan perched
himself on the window sill and told Ludwig in a very business-like
fashion.
“If you want to move on, you need to get past
what’s happened. If you can’t, you should head back while we’re
still not on the deep end here. Otherwise, chances are more people
will get hurt for nothing.”
The doctor nodded in agreement and lit his
cigarette. He took a few puffs, drew the smoke in deep. He seemed
to relax a bit, the care lines on his face evening out.
“What… What about you?” Ludwig asked with
just a hint of hesitation, as if the answer might not be
forthcoming, as if it were dangerous to know.
“What do you want to know?” replied Ethan
while tapping a cigarette out of his pack.
“I just think it might be safer if you came
along. That’s all I need to know.”
“I’m going in as far deep as you are willing
to go. But at some point…” Ethan’s voice trailed off as he drew on
his smoke heavily. Ludwig closed his eyes and nodded before he
replied:
“I think I understand.”
Silence ensued between them. The sound of
chanting rose suddenly out of the temple’s open doors just when a
swath of sunrays melted away the morning haze around the small
patches of greenery. The heat was building up rapidly; soon they
would be sweating again. Ethan suddenly turned and looked Ludwig
straight in the eye. There was a frown on the doctor’s face, a
mixed expression of fear and hope. Ash from his cigarette fell on
the dirt floor.
“My name’s Ethan. I don’t think knowing that
puts you in any more danger than you already are. I mean, you’ve
trod on a minefield already,” Ethan said and smiled sheepishly.
Ludwig grinned thinly and said to him: “No, I
don’t think it does. I knew when I saw you that you’re a good
man.”
“You don’t want to know the half of it,
doctor,” Ethan replied and offered his hand. As they shook hands,
they heard a dull but disturbing, faint echoing sound that Ethan
recognised all too well: a gunshot.
“That can’t be good,” said Ethan dryly.
“Gunfire?”
Ethan just nodded and rushed to the doorway
to peek outside. He could see through the wide open monastery gate.
In the distance, he could make out a couple of open-top Rovers
slowly coming up the hill. A barrage of rattling sounds echoed;
assault rifles on full auto. They were soon lost behind the first
turn around the hillside. The gunfire went on, echoing faintly.
“Some kind of firefight,” Ethan said to
Ludwig as he reached for his backpack.
“Government or rebels?” asked Ludwig with
startled apprehension, as he took a
Similar Books
