Almighty
Chapter 1
Kate watched the city through the taxi window. Rain concealed its sharp outlines, turning it into something dark and shapeless. Only the light suggested that any structure remained. Bright points from streetlamps, floodlights, and windows kept the city from dissolving completely.
She disliked weather like this. It reduced the city to something amorphous, a kaleidoscope of blurred glows and shadows in a gloomy, deserted space. To her mind, a city should be strict, precise, and intelligible—and, above all, alive. The rain, which had continued for several weeks, erased all those qualities.
She sat wrapped in her coat, its collar covering part of her face. She had not moved since the journey began and was barely visible in the dark interior. The driver glanced back from time to time, checking that he really was carrying a passenger.
Kate was deep in thought, as though any unnecessary movement might disturb the fragile construction of her ideas. Her mind was desperately trying to solve a puzzle, but each attempt ran into missing pieces. The problem was more incomprehensible than impossible for her. She had never taken an interest in the motives of the people who commissioned her, nor thought about those who became the subjects of their requests.
Now she had to investigate the disappearance of the most famous person in the city.
That person was Almighty.
Almighty was a superhero with supernatural abilities. He was immensely strong, he could fly, and neither blades nor bullets could harm him. No human being came close to matching his physical capabilities.
He had appeared unexpectedly about twenty years earlier, seemingly from nowhere. Another planet? The result of some experiment? A creature from another reality? The answers remained unknown. He wore only a grey suit and round dark glasses resembling a welder’s mask.
His first conspicuous act of assistance came during the installation of the spire on Horizon, the tallest building in the city. Almighty intervened and prevented a crane from falling, allowing the construction workers to escape.
The list of his successes grew year by year. One day he might save a school bus from plunging into the river; the next, prevent a bank robbery or pull people from rubble. He became the city’s unofficial guardian, rescuing people from disasters, crimes, and every imaginable misfortune.
“Almighty” quickly ceased to be merely a nickname. It became a name spoken with particular reverence. In time, society no longer saw him simply as a hero; he became an object of almost religious devotion. Myth had become reality and gradually acquired cult status. To the city’s inhabitants, Almighty embodied the idea that something vast and powerful—more powerful than themselves—existed and could come to their aid at any critical moment.
Yet Almighty always remained an enigma. He never revealed his origins, gave no interviews, and did not even attend public events. He was like a phantom, appearing when he was needed most and vanishing as soon as his task was complete.
Several weeks ago, Almighty disappeared.
About this translation
This page contains an English excerpt from Chapter 1. For enquiries about translating or licensing the complete novella, contact Catoblepas Press at ungh@catoblepaspress.ru.