—Billy . . . , said Emmett.
Billy looked up at his brother, clearly no more aware of their separation than Emmett had been.
—Isn’t it just like you imagined, Emmett?
—Billy, we’ve got to keep moving.
Billy looked up at Ulysses.
—Which one is the Empire State Building, Ulysses?
—The Empire State Building?
Ulysses said this with an impatience that sprang more from habit than urgency. But upon hearing his own voice, he softened his tone and pointed uptown.
—It’s the one with the spire. But your brother’s right. We’ve got to move along. And you need to keep closer. If at any time you can’t reach out and touch one of the two of us, then you’re not close enough. Understand?
—I understand.
—All right then. Let’s go.
As the three resumed walking over the uneven ground, Emmett noticed that for the third time the train rolled forward for a few seconds, then stopped. He was wondering why it would do that, when Billy took his hand and looked up with a smile.
—That was the answer, he said.
—The answer to what, Billy?
—The Empire State Building. It’s the tallest building in the world.
* * *
? ? ?
After they had walked past half of the boxcars, Emmett saw that some fifty yards ahead the elevated angled to the left. Due to a trick in perspective, just beyond the bend an eight-story building seemed to be rising straight from the tracks. But when they got closer, Emmett could see that it hadn’t been a trick of perspective, after all. The building actually rose directly over the tracks—because the rails ran right through the middle of it. On the wall above the opening was a large yellow sign reading:
Private Property No Admittance
Fifteen feet short, Ulysses signaled for them to stop.
From where they were standing, they could hear the sounds of activity up ahead on the other side of the train: the sliding of freight-car doors, the squeaking of dollies, and the shouting of men.
—That’s where we’re going, said Ulysses in a lowered voice.
—Through the building? whispered Emmett.
—It’s the only way to get where we’re headed.
Ulysses explained that at the moment there were five boxcars in the bay. Once the crew finished unloading them, the train would roll forward so that the crew could unload the next five. That’s when they would go. And as long as they stayed behind the boxcar and moved at the same pace as the train, no one was going to see them.
This struck Emmett as a bad idea. He wanted to express his concern to Ulysses and explore whether there was an alternative route, but from farther up the tracks came a release of steam and the train began to move.
—Here we go, said Ulysses.
He led them into the building, walking in the narrow space between the boxcar and the wall at the exact same pace as the train. Half of the way through, the train suddenly stopped and they stopped with it. The sounds of the warehouse activity were louder now and Emmett could see the rapid movements of the laborers expressed by the shadows that flitted between the boxcars. Billy looked up as if intending to ask a question, but Emmett held a finger to his lips. Eventually, there was another release of steam and the train began to roll again. Being careful to move at the same speed as the car, the three emerged on the other side of the building unnoticed.
Once outside, Ulysses picked up his pace in order to put some distance between them and the warehouse. As before, they were walking in the narrow gap between the boxcars and the guardrail. But when they finally passed the locomotive, a great vista opened on their right.
Anticipating Billy’s sense of wonder, this time Ulysses stopped.
—The Hudson, he said, gesturing toward the river.
After giving Billy a moment to appreciate the ocean liners, tugboats, and barges, Ulysses made eye contact with Emmett, then continued on. Understanding the point, Emmett took his brother by the hand.
—Look how many ships there are, Billy said.
—Come on, said Emmett. You can look at them while we walk.
As Billy followed along, Emmett could hear him counting the vessels under his breath.
After they had walked a bit, the way forward was blocked by a tall wire fence that transected the elevated from guardrail to guardrail. Stepping into the middle of the tracks, Ulysses took hold of a section of the fence that had been cut and pulled it back so that Emmett and Billy could pass through. On the other side, the rails continued receding southward, but they were overgrown with weeds and grass.
—What happened to this stretch of the line? asked Emmett.