Nillian checks his pocket watch and sees that he still has some time, so he makes his way over to the cafe located in the station hall, and orders a cup of tea. While he waits he takes a table outside and he looks around, studying the people passing by. There are a lot of people passing by, all from different paths of life. He sees a group of miners walking in dirty overalls to the train to Stokes, probably just having finished their holiday. There are some clerks walking by with their arms full with papers, train assistants in their neat uniforms going to their designated trains, random people in their best clothes walking gingerly, trying to avoid walking into others. People carrying big bags and suitcases, going on a holiday or even moving away for good. Two human-hybrids(*) lumber by, and Nillian examines them with interest. He did an article on human-hybrid operations, adding the steam engine to a human body, but has never really studied one up close. Their gait is slow and careful, trying to avoid other people. Which is not really necessary, as the other pedestrians give them a wide berth. Their steam engines are pumping softly, without any steam escaping the system, so Nillian figures they were created recently.
Then Nillian hears a whistle, signalling that his train will be leaving soon. He finishes his tea and makes his way over to the train, where his ticket is checked by the assistant. He walks on, entering the train at the first first-class wagon he comes across. The seating is very luxurious, with personal seats and a few tables distributed over the wagon. There are a few people already in the wagon, but no one he recognizes. Nillian takes a seat at the window, and gets out Thomp's papers. He is hoping to find a clue as to where he has to look in Räan. The first few sheets describe general information about Dr. Biene and his work before the steam engine. He quickly leafs through the papers until he finds what he is looking for. It is an open letter describing the sighting, sent to the University. Nillian reads the relevant section:
"The fact is, dear sirs, that I saw Miss Nott only last week, here in Räan! I saw her going into one of the workplaces belonging to Dr. Aeros, the leading wind power researcher. I cannot say what she was doing there, but you cannot dispute the fact that she was very much alive. She was accompanied by some older gentleman, covered in a large coat that stretched over his hump. His face was covered with bandages, so I assume he was some kind of servant or something. With these facts ..."
So he had to visit this Dr. Aeros. Nillian faintly remembers the name, but cannot place any face to it. He probably was connected to the University, as wind power is also a research field in which the University is interested. Not as applicable as steam power, it is still very interesting because it does not use any fuel aside from the wind. But on the other side wind is not very predictable, making it hard to get a reliable experiment going. Most of the research on wind power is therefore done in Räan, as it is situated at the top of some very large cliffs, and therefore catches a lot of wind.
Satisfied that he has a lead, Nillian puts the papers aside for now, and looks outside. The countryside is whizzing by, with sometimes a small village or a grove of trees passing by. The train stops several times at a station, allowing passenger to disembark or to get on the train. At one stop, about halfway through, the train stops for a longer period, having to load coal and water on board. During the stop Nillian stretches his legs, and walks over to the buffet wagon. There he eats a quick lunch, before returning to his place. And after a long afternoon staring out of the window and reading through the papers the train finally arrives in Räan.
The train station in Räan looks a lot different than in Kataras. Because there are not many passengers going to Räan the larger part of the station is used for loading and unloading cargo. The one train that transports passengers arrives at the platform which is located a bit to the side, so the passengers don't have to walk through corridors filled with shipping crates and busy looking workers. The station hall is absent, with only a small building standing in its place. In this building there is a ticket counter and some benches for waiting. On the other side of the street there is a small cafe, which looks respectable enough.
Looking at his watch Nillian notices that it is already five o'clock. He looks around him, and heads to a nearby steam-powered carriage. He asks to be taken to the one of the better Inns in the city, and soon he is off riding into the city. What he can see from the carriage does not impress him much. The streets are less clean than in Kataras, and there is almost no one about. Nillian sees some seagulls fighting over a piece of bread, while a red cat is stealthy making his way closer to the birds. Then the carriage arrives at the Inn, called Feather on the Wind.
Nillian immediately goes inside, and makes his way to the main desk. The inside of the Inn is neatly designed, with thick carpets and wooden walls. At the main desk he books a room for a few days. He follows the innkeeper upstairs and inspects his room, which looks adequate, and he leaves his bag on the four post bed. Downstairs he walks over to the dining area and orders a meal of sea bass with vegetables. The food is good, and after a pleasant meal Nillian returns to his room. Tired from the journey he goes to sleep early, eager to make an early start tomorrow in the search for Dr. Aeros.
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