Chapter 1 Immigrants

The ceaseless stream of people and carts stretched into an endless procession from the far end of the avenue to the tail of the road, with the neighing of horses and the bellowing of oxen. Their noises intermingled with the cries of children, the turning of wagon wheels, the coughs of the elderly, the curses of women, and the calls of men, conjuring a sonata that was harmonious yet complex, rolling slowly forward along the avenue.

The sky was somewhat gloomy, reflecting Komer's current mood. The excitement of gaining more than a hundred thousand citizens had long since disappeared, replaced by endless worry and anxiety. The undulating stream of people before him was just a part of the first wave of immigrants heading towards Caucasus, all one hundred and fifty thousand of them. It was impossible for all to depart at once, given the constraints of available carts and the logistics along the way, so they had to be broken into groups and depart in stages.