topshelfcomix.com NOCTURNE: The Walled City Trilogy (Book TWO) © 2015, 2019 Anne Opotowsky and ANGIE HOFFMEISTER. Editor-in-chief: Chris Staros. Lettering by oswin tickler. edited by chris staros. editorial assistance by wendy ho. art direction by Anne Opotowsky. Designed by GILBERTO LAZCANO. Published by Top Shelf Productions, PO Box 1282, Marietta, GA 30061-1282, USA. Top Shelf Productions is an imprint of IDW Publishing, a division of Idea and Design Works, LLC. Offices: 2765 Truxtun Road, San Diego, CA 92106. Top Shelf Productions®, the Top Shelf logo, Idea and Design Works®, and the IDW logo are registered trademarks of Idea and Design Works, LLC. All Rights Reserved. With the exception of small excerpts of artwork used for review purposes, none of the contents of this publication may be reprinted without the permission of IDW Publishing. IDW Publishing does not read or accept unsolicited submissions of ideas, stories, or artwork. ISBN 978-1-60309-451-1 Printed in CHINA. 23
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5840 DAYS BEFORE THE FIRST WALLED CITY RESIDENT ARRIVES LET’S SEE, THE GREGORIANS BEGAN COUNTING YEARS BEGINNING WITH THE MOMENT THE MARTYRED YOUNG MAN, THE CHRISTIAN ICON, WAS BORN...
AN HONORABLE CHOICE... WHETHER THE DATE IS LEGITIMATE IS NEITHER
HERE NOR THERE. THAT MAKES IT THEN, BY THEIR COUNT, 1905.
...THOSE ON THIS END OF THE GLOBE, THEY HEARD NOTHING ABOUT THIS MARTYRED YOUNG MAN UNTIL LONG AFTER, WHEN THE MISSIONARIES ARRIVED. OR POSSIBLY MARCO POLO BROUGHT THIS NEWS. IN ANY CASE, THOSE HERE HAD BEEN COUNTING ALL ALONG. NO ONE TOLD THEM NOT TO, YOU SEE?
FOR THEM IT IS SOME 39 HUNDRED YEARS SINCE THE BEGINNING. 8
SO. PLEASE, Father?
Pleeeaase. Where are you?
KINDLY CHOOSE. IS IT EARLY ON IN THE MARCH OF TIME? OR IS IT QUITE LATE?
I’m. Starving.
WE ARE IN CALCUTTA, THAT MUCH
WE CAN AGREE ON. GATEWAY BETWEEN EAST AND WEST. A
BUSY PLACE.
A PROFITABLE PLACE. AND FOR OUR PURPOSES,
A MEETING PLACE. IT
IS MORNING. WHEN ALL SHIPS LOAD AND LEAVE.
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