Wool by Hugh Howey

Author:Hugh Howey
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, azw3, pdf
Tags: Fantasy, post-apocalyptic, mystery & thriller, sci-fi
ISBN: 9781469984209
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Published: 2012-01-27T06:00:00+00:00

••••

They made it up ten flights with little complaint, but

Knox could begin to feel the burn in his legs from the

heavy load. He had a canvas sack stuffed ful of welding

smocks on his wide shoulders, plus a bundle of helmets.

A rope had been strung through their chin straps, and

they clattered down his wide back. Marck struggled

with his load of pipe stock as they kept trying to slide

against one another and slip out of his arms. The

shadows brought up the rear, behind the women, with

heavy sacks of blasting powder tied together so they

hung around their necks. Professional porters with

similarly ful loads breezed past them in both directions,

their glances signaling a mix of curiosity and competitive

anger. When one porter—a woman Knox recognized

from deliveries to the down deep—stopped and offered

to help, he gruffly sent her on her way. She hurried up

the steps, looking back over her shoulder before

spiraling out of view, and Knox regretted taking his

exhaustion out on her.

“Keep it up,” he told the others. Even with the smal

group, they were making a spectacle. And it was

growing ever more tiresome to hold their tongues as

news of Juliette’s amazing disappearance gyred al

around them. At almost every landing, a group of

people, often younger people, stood around and

gossiped about what it al meant. The taboo had moved

from thought to whisper. Forbidden notions were

birthed on tongues and swam through the air. Knox

ignored the pain in his back and lumbered up and up,

each step driving them closer to Supply, feeling more

and more like they needed to get there in a hurry.

As they left the one-thirties, the grumblings were fuly in

the air. They were nearing the upper half of the down

deep, where people who worked, shopped, and ate in

the mids mingled with those who would rather they

didn’t. Deputy Hank was on the stairwel of one-

twenty-eight, trying to mediate between two arguing

crowds. Knox squeezed past, hoping the officer

wouldn’t turn and see his heavily loaded train and ask

them what they were doing up this far. As he ascended

past the ruckus, Knox glanced back to watch the

shadows slink past, hugging the inner rail. Deputy Hank

was stil asking a woman to please calm down as the

landing sunk out of sight.

They passed the dirt farm on one-twenty-six, and Knox

figured this to be a key asset. The thirties of IT were a

long hike up, but if they had to fal back, they would

need to hold at Supply. Between their manufacturing,

the food on this level, and the machinery of Mechanical,

they might be self-sufficient. He could think of a few

weak links, but many more for IT. They could always

shut off their power or stop treating their water—but he

realy hoped, as they approached Supply on weary

legs, that it wouldn’t come to any of that.

They were greeted on the landing of one-ten by frowns.

McLain, the elder woman and head of Supply, stood

with her arms crossed over her yelow coverals, her

affect screaming unwelcome.

“Helo, Jove.” Knox fixed her with a wide smile.

“Don’t Jove me,” McLain said. “What’s this nonsense

you’re after?”

Knox glanced up and down the stairwel, shrugged his

heavy load higher up his shoulder.

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