Goal is establishing the setting and Jack's character. Douglas will make his entrance at the end.
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Ruby watched the scenery go by, making the occasional hum of affirmation or nod while Jack chattered next to her. He told stories about the places he'd explored. There was a pyramid, or possibly a ziggurat, maybe a tower, whatever it was, he said it was tall, made of glass so transparent you could almost see through it some miles away. She thought he said the land was purple, which seemed strange to her, but she couldn't discount anything in this place.
“How does this carriage move?” She asked when he paused to breathe. She'd never seen anything like it. It was a closed box with glass windowpanes, like the carriages she'd once ridden in. But there were no horses. It glided silently on its four wheels over a smooth path.
“Can't say I've ever thought about it. It just does. Scarlet set me up with it.” He started to launch into a complaint about how long traveling used to take, even when he was on official business.
There was that name again. “Scarlet? The person you're taking me to see, right? Can you tell me about him?” she asked when he took a breath between sentences.
Jack hesitated before responding. “Yeah. I guess you could say he's my boss. I mean, he's the boss of a lot of us. Him and the rest of them take care of this place. He's got some kind of magic, but I don't really ask questions. It's better to keep your head down, y'know.”
She tried encouraging him to talk more about Scarlet or the other people he referred to, but this time he wouldn't be dissuaded from telling his stories.
To pass the time, she gazed out the window. Even with no sun and the deep black sky, this place was beautiful. The mountains let off a gentle light, so it was bright enough to see by and everything was tinged with warmth, like the beginning of sunset in the world above. They were driving through a meadow of close-trimmed grass. Bright stars of flowers peeked out in all colors. A cobalt river rambled nearby.
Ruby's eyes were drooping as the gentle lull of Jack's voice washed over her. He did have a beautiful voice. Rich, and not too deep nor too high. She didn't care what he said, she loved listening to him talk.
When there, in the distance on the road ahead. Was that a shadow?
Was that a person?
Were they going to hit him?
“Stop!”