Part 31 (1/2)

Light began to spread through the manufactory. Irisis was on her way to the wall to make a last stand when a ma.s.sed cheer sounded. She ran up the steps three at a time. A panting scrutator appeared beside her.

Over the ridge to the west, between the mountains, appeared a flotilla of clankers. These were bigger than the ones the manufactory made. The great, ten-legged monstrosities had a pair of javelards at the front as well as the catapult at the rear.

'Twenty-seven clankers,' said Irisis. 'That's the most beautiful sight I've ever seen.'

All along the wall the soldiers were laughing, cheering and embracing one another. The workers of the manufactory began streaming up the steps to rejoice in the sight. Already the lyrinx were pulling back, melting into the forest and disappearing. It was over.

She looked across at the scrutator. His face was twisted into the most bitter anguish Irisis had ever seen on a man.

'What's the matter?' she asked, laying her hand on his arm. He did not respond. 'Xervish?'

He turned that gaunt face, pared of all superfluous flesh, to her. 'Do you see the ensign on the leading clanker?'

'Yes, of course. What of it?'

'That is the flag of my most bitter enemy; and yours, Irisis. It belongs to the man who will not rest until he destroys us both. Perquisitor Jal-Nish Hlar!'

TWENTY-EIGHT.

Irisis tried to breathe and found that she could not. The air felt as thick as the gruel they served in the refectory. She could not get it down. 'What will he do to us?' she gasped.

'He'll watch, and wait, and bide his time. He likes to drag these things out, the better to torment his enemies. We should go down. At least, I must. Stay back better that he does not see you straight away.'

Flydd trudged down the steps, back bowed, and her heart went out to him. The scrutator was as tough as boiled leather. A hard man but, underneath, a decent and honourable one. He had done his best. It had not been enough.

Gathering her crossbow and a pocketful of quarrels, Irisis headed for the rear of the manufactory. Most of the workers remained atop, to cheer the clankers in. She went out of the rear door and down to the ravine over which the wastes were dumped into the river. It was a horrible, reeking place suited for nothing except despair. She wandered along the cliff. Irisis had not been this way since her failed suicide attempt, when all that had saved her had been Nish going over the edge and ending up in Eiryn Muss's air-moss farm.

She could hardly remember that self now, so long ago did it seem. What had happened to Muss? He had not been a halfwit at all, but the scrutator's prober, or spy. Muss had disappeared just as his secret was revealed.

Irisis missed Nish. Could he still be alive? It seemed unlikely, but Nish was resourceful. If anyone could could survive it would be him. She paced along the escarpment. The smooth rocks were coated in brilliantly green spring moss, so soft she felt like taking off her boots and walking barefoot across it. Why not? Enjoy life's small pleasures while you may. survive it would be him. She paced along the escarpment. The smooth rocks were coated in brilliantly green spring moss, so soft she felt like taking off her boots and walking barefoot across it. Why not? Enjoy life's small pleasures while you may.

It was peaceful here. The damage to the manufactory could scarcely be seen. It looked an architectural abomination, but not the scene of a b.l.o.o.d.y and murderous battle.

Irisis sat by the drop-off. The lichens made a patchwork of colours green and grey, brown and yellow, and even red. They gave her an idea for a brooch. She began to plan it in her head, knowing she would never make it now.

It was funny the way life could turn out. Who could have imagined this just a few short months ago? She tossed a pebble in her hand, reached out to throw it over the edge, but drew back. Nish had done that, and look at the consequences. She saw them cascading on into the future for as long as time existed. The thought paralysed her, for a few seconds, then Irisis smiled, and shrugged, and dropped her pebble on the ground. She could not live her life that way. Dusting her hands, she headed back.

She reached the gravelled expanse out the front at the same time as the leading clanker. It clattered to a halt. The shooter leapt down and stood by the rear hatch with his hand gripping the lever, but did not open it. The rest of the clankers rattled in, almost filling the yard. All but the first disgorged armed, hard-bitten veterans, ten from each. They stood by their machines, at attention.

Xervish Flydd emerged from the shattered front gate, a small, withered man, standing alone. The rising sun caught the angles and planes of his face. He looked almost as ruined as the front of the manufactory.

The shooter of the leading clanker flung the hatch upwards. A figure emerged, straining to make it look easy, but unable to conceal the pain. His feet crunched on the gravel, he swayed, then snapped upright.

The perquisitor had once been a roly-poly little fellow but the plumpness had been etched away, revealing a stocky frame hard with muscle. His right arm had been cut off at the shoulder, which made him look lopsided. Irisis, who had done it to save his life, would remember his screams for all her remaining hours.

Jal-Nish's face had been torn apart in the attack and he had lost an eye. Irisis could not forget the torn ball of jelly dangling from its empty socket. The wounds had not healed in the weeks-long journey back to the manufactory.

The damaged parts of his face were now covered by a burnished platinum mask that hid the lost eye, the hideous red crater that had once been his nose and the warped and twisted mouth and cheek. It curved across below the other ear, where a thin band of the same silvery metal swept around the back of his round head to join up on the other side. Another band ran across his forehead and around, making an open helmet. A mouth opening, like a downwards-curving crescent moon, revealed nothing. He might have drunk through it using a straw, Irisis thought, though surely he would have to take off the mask to eat.

Irisis moved closer, walking on the paved path that ran along the side of the manufactory. She had to see the confrontation between the two, which would reveal her own fate. She was only a dozen steps away when the perquisitor's head whipped around. The single eye fixed on her. Irisis froze. The face showed no expression at all, but she sensed such feelings of rage and loathing that she could scarcely breathe.

He did not move for a handful of heartbeats, then turned away in a manner that dismissed her as worthless, and crunched across the gravel to the scrutator. She held her breath.

'Perquisitor Hlar!' The scrutator inclined his head. 'Never have we seen a more welcome sight.' He held out his hand.

Jal-Nish hesitated for a second, then took it. 'Scrutator!' His voice had once been rich and warm; now it was slurred as if he had been drinking. His ruined mouth could barely shape the words. He bowed and Irisis held her breath in case the mask came off. It did not. 'We would appear to be just in time.'

'The enemy have been unrelenting, Jal-Nish. They know the worth of this place, and its people.'

'Things have not gone well since you moved your station here,' said the perquisitor.

The words held a threat and Irisis was not the only one to notice it.

'I inherited a difficult situation.'

'That was some time back. I'd have expected that you would have sorted it out long ago.'

That was no way for a perquisitor to speak to his superior. Jal-Nish was hiding something.

'How goes the war, down on the coast?' the scrutator enquired.

If he was hoping to discomfort his enemy, it misfired.

'Badly, though we would do better if we had the clankers that sit here, rusting and controllerless.'

'Aren't you in charge of the node failures?' asked Flydd. 'What progress has been made there?'

'None so far,' Jal-Nish said grudgingly. 'I have put a new team on it, though, and I expect results very soon.'

'What team?'

'It is led by Mancer Flammas.'

The scrutator raised part of his eyebrow. 'A courageous choice, perquisitor. No doubt you have your reasons.'

'He won't let me down.' let me down.'

'I'm sure. But you've travelled a long way, and in haste. You must be as tired as we are. Come inside; breakfast is ready.'

'I'll inspect the damage, if you don't mind, then go down to the mine.'

'The mine has fallen into enemy hands.'

'What?' bellowed Jal-Nish. The soldiers swung around, their boots grating on the gravel. He lowered his voice. 'This is bad, scrutator. The Council, I need not remind you, is unhappy. When they hear this news ... I can't say how they will react, surr surr.'

'I am also unhappy unhappy, perquisitor, but I cannot do the impossible. It would take an army to defend this place against the forces gathered nearby and the Council has not seen fit to give me one. However, I do have a plan. I'll tell you about it while we do our inspection.' He drew the perquisitor toward the shattered gates.