Chapter 3At sundown I met Helen at an unmanned gate at the eastern wall of the castle. I had told that evening’s guard Casablanca would be showing in the barracks that night, and I would trade him so he could watch. One of the locals had rigged a bicycle to an old projector allowing for the odd film we could scavenge on reels. Of course, there was the odd break as whomever was cycling had to be long winded, but sitting there with snacks in hand, watching Humphrey Bogart drawl play it, Sam had us all longing for the past.
Helen had perfect timing and not a word was spoken as I led her down a dark alley to the outskirts of the city. We stopped at an abandoned gas station. These days gas was a precious resource kept mostly within the castle walls. Vehicles were extremely rare and gasoline wa
