The Revolt of the Star Men by Raymond Z. Gallun (best desktop ebook reader .TXT) 📕

Agatha was determined to do this herself. She wanted to prove to everyone that she could look after herself. She would call Katherine along the way and get her to meet her at Sandy Vale station.

As they got closer to the train station, the bus gathered a few more passengers at each stop. People looked exhausted from another sweltering day. Behind her a woman was telling another passenger about the summer storm that was on the horizon. ‘Just what we need to cool off the city,’ she said. ‘It’s going to pour down, apparently. Hopefully I’ll be home before it does.’

‘It’s that time of year,’ said the other woman. ‘Hot one minute and pouring with rain the next.’

‘That’s Melbourne.’ They both chuckled.

Agatha looked out the window and up at the sky. The edge of large grey clouds had begun to creep over the tops of the buildings. The pinkish evening sky was slowly being pushed away.

The bus lurched to the side as the driver steered it around a tight corner and into the train station driveway. People quickly stood up and headed for the door. Agatha waited. When the woman behind her paused and motioned her hand to indicate that Agatha could go before her, Agatha took the opportunity to scramble out of her seat with her suitcase. ‘Now that’s the brightest suitcase I’ve ever seen,’ the woman said, with a smile. ‘We won’t be losing sight of you, love, not with that suitcase.’

Agatha stepped off the bus and took a few steps forward. She had never been to this station before and her hesitation showed it.

‘Do you know where you’re going, love?’ The woman was right beside her. ‘Come over here, away from the buses and I’ll help you out.’ She was pointing to the footpath near the entrance to the station that would provide shelter. People were coming and going, like busy ants before the storm. It seemed to Agatha she was the only one who was out of step.

Katherine’s voice popped into her head, ‘Just be polite. People will always help a polite child.’

‘I need to catch a train into the city. My . . . ’ Agatha hesitated, ‘My . . . aunty is meeting me at the station there, but I don’t have a phone to tell her I’m late.’

‘Well they’re two easy problems to fix, love.’ The woman took out her phone from her pocket. ‘Do you know her number?’ Agatha said the numbers. The woman held her phone to her ear and waited. Agatha waited too. As the phone continued to ring, Agatha could see the woman’s expectant face fade to that sorry expression she had seen so many times.

‘No answer, love. Sorry.’

Agatha’s eyes widened. This wasn’t part of the plan. Not answering the phone was not part of the plan at all.

‘Don’t worry, love. Maybe she’s driving or something and can’t answer. Now, trains to the city always leave from platform three. You have to go in through the doors there, turn to the right and go to the tunnel. Just wave your bus card when you get to the platform, they work on trains too. There’s signs everywhere. I would take you, but my next bus will arrive here any minute now, and it looks like rain.’

‘Thanks,’ said Agatha, ‘I’ll be fine.’ She picked up her suitcase and headed to the doors as instructed. Just before entering she turned back and waved to the woman, who responded with a wave and a concerned smile.

Inside the station Agatha did as she had been told and went to the tunnel that would take her to platform three. She wasn’t the only one heading to the city. The platform was filling with people, and hardly anyone looked at her, which suited her fine. She couldn’t work out why Katherine hadn’t answered her phone. The station clock said it was just after 6.30pm and Agatha knew Katherine would be home from yoga.

When the train arrived, everyone waiting moved towards the place on the platform where the doors would be when it came to a complete stop. Agatha stayed back. The doors opened, people got off, people got on and the doors closed. The train left the platform, heading for the city. Agatha remained on the platform suddenly frozen with uncertainty.

7

Four city bound trains had arrived and departed from the station and Agatha remained frozen to the spot. Rain continued to fall. When it first started it was forceful and loud. The wind had swirled it around, making those, even under shelter, damp. Umbrellas had been no match for the winds that swept through the platform, sweeping along papers that had been carelessly dropped. The few other people who had arrived for the next train had positioned themselves against the pillars along the platform. Agatha, now damp and windblown, remained in the same spot.

From the shelter of the guards’ office that sat on platform one, two guards had watched the storm arrive and prepared for the inevitable call that the train services could be shut down or delayed until it passed. The orange suitcase on platform three had caught the eye of one who now watched as every train left without it, or its owner.

Pulling on a light waterproof jacket, he headed out from the small, air-conditioned office and walked towards the tunnel. A large pool of water had formed at the lowest part of the tunnel, a consequence of these sort of downpours.

As he approached Agatha, he noticed she was shivering. Although it had been raining, it wasn’t cold.

‘You okay?’ he asked, from a couple of metres away. Agatha turned her head to look at him. She shrugged.

‘I’ve been watching you, from over there,’ he pointed to his office across the tracks, ‘A few trains have gone through. Do you know which one to catch?’

Agatha shrugged again.

‘All these trains will take you to the city. Is that where you want to go?’ Agatha watched as the guard moved a step closer and as