Galeno: The Brotherhood just took a beating from Zeno. If they're caught up with their own trouble, then we might have a golden opportunity to turn the people against them.
Galeno: We can't lose anyone else to their lies.
The old man next to him casts his fishing line. The bobber floats quietly on the river's surface. Across the river, a water anaconda eyes the two men beneath the shadow of a snakewood tree.
Galeno: What do you say? Wanna talk about plans?
The old man doesn't speak. Instead, he removes his sunglasses and pushes a cup toward his friend.
???: Here. Drink up.
Galeno: Thanks. Listen, as much as I enjoy being out here all day ... We've got to take action now. The sooner, the better, don't you think?
The young man takes the glass and downs it in one gulp, as his friend suggested.
???: Haha, hold your horses, young Galeno!
???: Let me explain—say, I throw a punch at you now, really hit you good, what next?
???: Maybe you'll storm off at first, but then, you round up your cousins, maybe grab that Tommy gun you borrowed from Colonel Tiago.
Mr. Duncan: Then you'll find me, all alone, and say, "You're done, you old fart!"
Mr. Duncan: !@#$%^%^&*...
The old man laughs, mimicking shooting with his hands.
Mr. Duncan: Hahahaha! I'm not gonna harm you, kid. And if I ever do, remember that old Duncan must have his reasons and he'd never harm a friend intentionally.
Galeno: What is all that supposed to mean?
Mr. Duncan: Ha, I'm rambling. I mean, true enough that Lopera hit them hard, and we both know that the Brotherhood will aim to settle that score, and they won't wait long. But if we don't play this smart, it'll only cause them to lash out more.
Mr. Duncan: Still, we do have to consider one thing: those who chose to follow them never come back.
Galeno: No, they don't.
Mr. Duncan: So, let's seize the day, grab opportunity by the horns, and maybe we stop losing more of our friends to those bastards. Right now, seems to me that Zeno is our best bet.
The young man considers this proposition.
Galeno: That just might work, old man. With the Brotherhood falling apart, Zeno will start to look pretty good to folks here.
Mr. Duncan: Ah, but not so fast, kid! We need a little patience. Let the line out a little first.
Mr. Duncan: If you fail to prepare, you're prepared to fail.
The bobber twitches.
Mr. Duncan: Got it! Excellent!
The old man jumps to his feet, reeling his fishing rod and fighting the unseen enemy in the water.
Mr. Duncan: Aw! Don't think you could get away from me!
The fishing line plunges down into the river, the rod bending into a crescent.
Mr. Duncan: Ah! You like to wrestle, huh? Alright, let's see who gets the upper hand!
Mr. Duncan: Old Duncan is not about to lose a battle to—
Mr. Duncan: A fish! Hahahaha!
It's a giant puffpuff fish, larger than any he's seen before.
Galeno: Wow! Do you see the size of its belly?! It's huge!
What looks like a large green cake is floating inside its translucent belly.
Mr. Duncan: Haha, what a deal! Catch one, get one free! How generous, Mother River.
Mr. Duncan: Alright, jokes aside, Galeno. Come on, help me get her out.
Old Duncan pulls out a knife and slices open the fish's belly.
His catch bursts like a balloon, releasing air, water, and … a girl.
Galeno: This has got to be the strangest thing you've ever fished out from the river!
Another castaway floats downstream.
Lopera: Duncan, Duncan!
Across the river, the water anaconda locks onto its target, slipping into the water and swimming toward her.
Galeno: Duncan, look! She's got an anaconda chasing after her!
The water anaconda zigzags toward its prey.
Mr. Duncan: I saw it. Don't you worry.
Old Duncan sets the soaked girl down before lifting a blowpipe and aiming at the snake.
*whoosh*
The dart strikes, quickly draining the anaconda of its strength. It sinks to the riverbed like a coil of old rope.
Mr. Duncan: Hang in there, Lopera! Come this way, we'll get you!
Mr. Duncan: Here! Take it!
He grabs a nearby vine and throws it into the water. Lopera grabs it and pulls herself toward the shore.
Lopera: Thank goodness you were here to grab me.
She clambers onto the shore, shakes the water from her hair, and sits leaning back on her hands, breathing heavily.
Lopera: But what are you doing all the way out here?
Mr. Duncan: I was wondering the same thing about you, girl. Seems like a strange place for a swim. I suppose you wouldn't know anything about the girl we just fished out over there?
He points to the little girl who rolled out of the fish's belly.
Lopera: Sotheby!
She's still breathing. The air trapped in the fish's belly must have saved her life.
Lopera crawls over to her companion and smacks her back, helping her spit out the water in her lungs.
Lopera: Hey, can you hear me?
Mr. Duncan: Easy now, Lopera! We just cut her out of that fish's belly.
Sotheby coughs out the water in her lungs as she regains consciousness.
Mr. Duncan: You're a veritable Jonah, aren't you?
Sotheby: Mm ... Hmm?
A familiar face appears in her blurred vision.
Sotheby: I-I dreamt of a very, very big fish.
Sotheby: And I was in its belly. It was as wide as the sky. I couldn't breathe.
Sotheby: A terribly strange dream, Mr. Karson.
Mr. Duncan: She's awake!
Sotheby: Mr. Karson?!
This is him. The man from the photograph is standing before her. She freezes.
Sotheby: You ... How ...
The water slowly clears from her vision. The face before her is both familiar and strange.
She knows it, yet she doesn't.
Sotheby: There's a little dirt on me. Here, and on the collar, too. Oh, goodness.
Sotheby: Why am I here? I ... What ...
"Mr. Karson" kneels beside her. But he's wearing some very odd clothes.
Sotheby: Could it really be you, Mr. Karson?
Mr. Duncan: Karson? You must be mistaken, little lady. My name is Duncan. I'm a friend of Lopera.
Lopera: That's right. Sotheby, this is Duncan from the Veterans' Residence. We've known each other for a long time.
Lopera: You must be confusing him with someone else.
Mr. Duncan: Now, up on your feet, little lady.
He takes her arm and pulls her out of the mud.
Sotheby: gasp Mr. Karson!
Sotheby: Oh, sorry! It's just, I didn't expect you to suddenly pull my arm.
Mr. Duncan: Pardon me, little lady. We tend to be very straightforward here in the favela.
Sotheby: It's quite alright. Only—No, no, no, I just don't understand! You look exactly like Mr. Karson; how could you be anyone else?
Sotheby: Except for your attire, and those shoes ...
Her butler would never dress like this, sockless with patched-up clothing.
She notices the liquid swirling in his cup.
Sotheby: And the liquor?
No, her butler would never drink in front of the lady of the house.
Sotheby decides to take a bold guess. She jumps up and nervously grabs Mr. Duncan's shirt.
Mr. Duncan: Oh, pardon me, little miss. Are you not comfortable with us drinking? Galeno, put the cup away for me, please.
Sotheby: No, I only meant ... Mr. Karson, it truly seems as though you've forgotten everything! Oh, but I'm being terribly unladylike.
She rambles incoherently.
This behavior is totally against The Lady's Code of Conduct, yet "Mr. Karson" remains utterly unfazed.
Sotheby: Still, you-you don't seem to mind at all.
Growing increasingly confused, Sotheby lowers her head, still clutching the hem of "Mr. Karson's" shirt.
Mr. Duncan: I must be a dead-ringer for this guy to have gotten you all flustered, little miss. Seems like you cared very deeply for this Mr. Karson?
Sotheby: Yes, I did. So, then, you really aren't him?
Mr. Duncan: Sorry to disappoint, little lady. But I'm flattered by the resemblance. Maybe I can be your friend too. In fact, feel free to call me Karson—why not? A rose by any other name, eh?
The old man hooks his pinky with Sotheby's and presses his thumb firmly against hers.
Sotheby: Mr. Karson ...
Mr. Duncan: I know how hard it can be. I lost my wife, and my comrade-in-arms. I even managed to lose his daughter, after I promised to take care of her.
Mr. Duncan: She'd have been just about your age.
Mr. Duncan: I'm rambling again. I suppose what I'm saying is, I know what it feels like to lose someone you love.
She looks lost, unsure of what to think, but she still holds onto the old man's hand, seemingly making a small promise with him.
Looking around, Sotheby realizes someone important is missing.
Sotheby: Oh, no. But what about Ms. Vertin! We've lost her! Where could she be now? We must find her!
Lopera: Slow down. We need to think things through first. Those knuckleheads blew up the entire ship.
Lopera: Which means our comms belong to the caimans now.
Everything's in disarray. There's no way to contact the Timekeeper. They don't even know if she's alive.
Mr. Duncan: Not to worry. I've been through worse! Back in '82, on the Rio Negro ... Oh, before I go rambling on again ...
Mr. Duncan: Let's head back to the city! Come on now. Trust good old Duncan.
Mr. Duncan: Sorry, I mean Karson! Trust Karson to lead the way!
