The Vandal's Shadow

By Ander Nesser

When an unknown substance on a public sundial is thought to be evidence of foul play, Detective Wyatt Kask is called in by the police to help determine the nature of the crime. Over the course of the night, Kask and the Sheriff of Wellington are pulled into a bizarre labyrinth of industrial espionage.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ander Nesser
• Release date: Jan 21, 2016
• ISBN: 9781311203472

Ander Nesser

Ander Nesser is a fiction author. He labored in several factories in his youth. After graduating university, he taught English in Asia. He wrote his first novel in Polynesia, where he lived for several years before moving to California.

Book preview

The Vandal's Shadow

a novelette by

Ander Nesser

Text and cover art copyright 2016 Ander Nesser

All Rights Reserved

Scenes

11:17 PM << At the Sundial of Inhuman Involvement >>

12:26 AM << Through Bleached Bones >>

1:42 AM << The End of the Stone Age >>

2:12 AM << Like a Leopard >>

4:43 AM << Songs of the Moa >>

5:15 AM << Into Unblinking Eyes >>

11:17 PM << At the Sundial of Inhuman Involvement >>

Wyatt Kask stood at his hotel room window smoking a cigar. He waved his hand over a panel, and the sliding door opened to the balcony. A night wind ruffled his gray beard. The Wellington cityscape was like a field of black knives on which the clouds cut themselves slowly. He reached for the glass of scotch on a nearby table, but hesitated, his stance swaying momentarily.

Service? he called out.

Yes, Mr. Kask, a voice from the ceiling said.

My scotch moved.

I am sorry, your service provider does not comprehend. Please restate your statement.

My scotch moved around in its glass. Is the hotel about to tip over? He looked down to smaller towers, over a hundred stories below.

No, Mr. Kask. The hotel is engineered to sway under certain conditions. The Wellington area is currently experiencing some mild tremors, but there is no need for concern. All structures in Wellington are built to withstand apocalyptic seismic events.

Great. I'm in town less than two hours and already on the brink of disaster. Why must people build cities on fault lines? Kask took a drink.

The area has a long history of human habitation, first being settled by Maori circa 1280 of the Gregorian Calendar.

Thank you, that's enough. It was a rhetorical question. What time is it now?

Twenty-three eighteen.

Kask poured another glass and stepped out onto the balcony. The clouds were lit from below by the lights of the city. He released some cigar smoke and then took a deep breath of fresh air. Crowds flowed on the suspended walkways below, and trains shot in and out of black facades at all levels.

Mr. Kask, you have a call from an Officer Chang, the hotel service said.

Kask stepped back into the room. Finally.

Would you like me to open the connection?

Yes, Kask said.

Wyatt Kask? a human voice asked.

Yes, this is he.

I'm Officer Chang of GU Wellington Patrol. Thank you for coming to the city on such short notice. I'm in the lobby--may I come up to see you?

Sure. Kask put out his cigar and sat in a chair facing the door. A few moments later, the door chimed. Enter, Kask said.

Officer Chang entered along with another officer, both fully uniformed and carrying their spears. The second policeman closed the door behind him.

Detective Kask, Patrolman Chang. The first officer bowed. This is my partner, Patrolman Ngata. The second one bowed as well.

Please, I'm retired. You can call me 'mister.'

Oh, of course. And thanks again for coming all the way to Wellington. You're the closest homicide detective we could find. Is that cursive Chinese? He referred to the black tattoo running along the center of Kask's bald scalp, from brow to spine.

No, Mongolian. Got it in one of the frontier settlements. It's a reminder of a great debt I owe to someone.

Chang took a step closer. Oh, now I can see it's not Chinese. You must have had many wild adventures out in the colonies. It's such an honor to meet a colonial lawman, especially a detective.

Thanks. Yes, I could tell you some stories you wouldn't believe. But in speaking of which, I gather you called me here for some rather unbelievable reason. There's been a murder?

Yes sir. Well, we think. We'd like you to confirm.

Kask said nothing, pouring himself another drink. Chang seemed about to say something, but waited. There's not been any murder on Earth for decades, Kask said after taking a sip.

Right, you're absolutely right. That's why we thought we'd better bring in someone like you on this.

Someone like me?

With your experience, Chang said quickly. "I'm sure you've had to handle much rougher situations out there in the colonies than anything