Dai She didn’t care about any of this. Things of beauty were lost on him. Feats of engineering left him indifferent. He did, however, happen to glance out the window as the train passed over an exceptionally deep gorge. The power of nature was something he could appreciate, and water was one of its most impressive forces. Water had shaped the rock over the centuries, as if the rock were nothing.

Finding a way to harness nature’s power to do his bidding had consumed him for his entire life.

Power was all that mattered. Power meant control.

Turning a blind eye to the stares of tourists who packed the train, he closed his eyes and slept.

When Viktor awoke, he wasn’t alone. A very large, very angry giant condor was perched in the nest, glaring at him.

The condor is in fact a relative of the vulture—but this was not to be a happy family reunion. Viktor barely had time to clear the cobwebs from his tiny brain before he was unceremoniously grabbed by the neck, throttled soundly, and thrown from the ledge.

Fortunately, instinct took over. He spread his wings wide and let the currents lift him along until his head cleared. Many miles later, he realized the cliff face was on his left instead of his right.

He was going in the wrong direction.

A jarring stop woke Dai She from his slumber and the inspiring dreams of world domination. A raucous commotion filled the car as dozens of tourists gathered their luggage in their haste to disembark at the town of Creel. Gay laughter and excitement permeated the air, and Dai She was jolted back to reality.

Thoroughly disgusted at the frivolity and with many more hours of travel ahead of him, he elected to remain in a state of mock hibernation until the train got moving again and the annoying happiness settled back into a quiet calm. But within moments he sensed a presence in his personal space, and when he opened his eyes, he found himself looking into the face of a wide-eyed child, leaning over the seat in front of him. The young boy smiled, which did nothing to improve Dai She’s disposition.

The boy’s father was preoccupied with his phone, littering the train car with colorful language directed at a lack of cell service. “Sit down, Charlie. It’s rude to stare at … ” The father finally looked up from his phone into the blotchy face of the passenger behind him. He smiled nervously as he tugged on Charlie’s shirt. “Just sit,” he whispered.

“Can I have the window seat?” Charlie jumped like a boy with a spring-loaded butt.

“No.” His father began snapping pictures with his phone, slyly adjusting the angle to get a photo of Dai She in the seat behind him.