Part 41 (1/2)

*It's confirmed,' said Kail. *They see it too.'

*Of course they do. Why would we lie?' Sal didn't try to hide his irritation, although he could understand both Marmion and the Magister being cautious before accepting such drastic news on his word alone. *The next step is to ask Pirelius to turn back.'

*The Magister doesn't want to do that. She thinks Pirelius is lying - letting her believe that he's helping her, when in fact he intends to hold her to ransom at the very last.'

*So she's going to do nothing, and a.s.sume he'll do the right thing without realising it?'

*That's her plan.'

Sal couldn't tell through the Change whether Kail approved or disapproved. The plan did make a kind of sense, though. From Pirelius's point of view, the only threat to the city was the man'kin. He didn't realise that, in fact, it was he who might be critical in the crisis. If he was to find that out, he really could hold the city to ransom.

*I don't like the idea of risking everything on Pirelius unintentionally doing what we need him to do.'

Kail didn't respond. When Sal sought the tracker out again, a stream of images and sensory impressions was all he received.

The Wall - so close now that it and the sides of the Divide blocked out most of the sky. This was the first time Sal had seen the city from that perspective, and he was startled by how forbidding it looked. From above, its architecture had seemed sweeping and bold. From below it was simply brutally functional.

Sal still couldn't see Kail, although he had to be well within eyeshot. It occurred to him that the tracker must be using a charm to hide from sight. Glamours weren't complicated, but they could be draining. Kail was also relaying information to him, and probably hadn't slept for almost two whole days. Sal felt new respect for the man.

Pirelius looked around as though sensing he was being followed. The bandit was in a bad way, wearied and battered by his long trek through the man'kin horde. Sunburn on his scalp pulsed red and a streak of dried blood stretched from the corner of one eye into his beard. But his pace was unchecked, as was the ferocity with which he forced the Homunculus ahead of him. A steady stream of invective, punctuated by the occasional blow, rewarded the twins for their compliance.

Occasionally Pirelius looked up at the heavy lifter, still cruising weightlessly overhead. He did so with a naked shrewdness that told Sal that the Magister was almost certainly right. Pirelius was the very picture of obedience. It was too much to believe.

He became aware of movement beside him. Dropping out of the vision, he turned to see three guards hastily affixing a complicated series of grapnels and pulleys to the guard rail in front of them. s.h.i.+lly oversaw their efforts closely, although it was clear they knew what they were doing.

*What's going on?' Sal asked, noticing a large coil of finely spun rope lying to one side, next to a pair of leather harnesses.

*I don't trust Marmion any further than I can throw him,' s.h.i.+lly said. *He'll pick up Kail, yes, but I'm sure he'd. rather watch the Homunculus drown.'

*Who's going to make him do the right thing?'

She squared her shoulders. *Me.'

*What?' Skender, who had been eyeing the harnesses with some reservation, looked up in surprise. *Don't be ridiculous. It'll be me if it's anyone.'

*Why?' she asked, ears reddening. *Because I'm a girl and a cripple?'

*No! Because I'm a climber and you're not.'

*But it was my idea.'

*So? You're needed up here. You're in charge. And Sal has to convey messages to Kail. It makes sense that I go. Doesn't it?'

s.h.i.+lly's lips tightened, and Sal knew from long experience that she wasn't arguing because she thought she was right.

*I'm not afraid of going.'

*Who said you were?' Skender rolled his eyes. *This is no time for pride, s.h.i.+lly. Just let me do it.'

*All right, all right,' she said, and Sal could see the relief her back-down brought. *But you've got to be careful. How could I face your mother if anything happened to you?'

*Don't worry about her,' Skender said, *because nothing's going to happen to me.' He turned to the guards. *Are you ready yet?'

*Almost.' The leader tossed him a harness. *Put this on and we'll hitch you up.'

Sal and s.h.i.+lly helped Skender thread the leather straps around his waist, thighs and shoulders. They were designed for someone about his size - the smaller the better for such labour - and all the clasps looked well maintained. A complicated series of bra.s.s loops and stays connected it to the rope.

*Take this,' said the guard as he attached Skender to the a.s.sembly. He clipped a pouch containing three flags to the harness. *Red for up, green for down, white to stop. Got that?'

Skender repeated it word for word. *What if I drop the flags?'

*You can't. They're all connected.'

*But if-'

*Don't worry. You get into a sc.r.a.pe, kick out from the Wall and that'll be our signal to haul you up.'

*I'll be keeping an eye on you,' said Sal, *through Kail.'

*Couldn't he do this?' asked Skender, a flash of nervousness showing.

s.h.i.+lly shook her head. *I don't entirely trust him, either.'

Skender resigned himself to his fate. *Right, then. I'm ready.'

*Wait,' said Sal as Skender walked, jingling, closer to the edge of the Wall. *You might need this, too.'

*Hey!' s.h.i.+lly exclaimed as Sal took her walking stick from her and handed it to Skender.

*I'll make you a new one,' he said to her. To Skender, he explained: *It's a reservoir of the Change. I've been stocking it up for ages. I doubt you'll need it, but just in case ...'

Skender's gaze danced between him and s.h.i.+lly. *Thanks. I promise I'll bring it back.'

There was no more time for talking as Skender put himself into the hands of the guards. They gave him gloves and showed him how to grip the rope. He adopted a wide-legged stance and backed up to the edge. When the last of his guiding hands fell away, he leaned out and down, while two of the guards operated a mechanical winch to gradually pay out the rope.

*A reservoir?' said s.h.i.+lly to Sal as their friend disappeared out of sight. *You never told me that.'

*I never needed to. And that's a good thing, right?'

She punched his arm. *Let's get back from the edge. Things could start shaking again any time soon, and you're going to have to keep me upright now.'

He did as he was told, while at the same time dipping back into Kail's senses.

The Wall was a vast, solid ma.s.s. He could barely make out Skender against its sheer enormity. The sky at the top seemed impossibly far away. The heavy lifter had fallen back, cautious of coming too close lest a stray gust of wind sent it cras.h.i.+ng into the stone. Pirelius picked his way over ground heavily scarred by the pa.s.sage of the man'kin. Ahead, the tunnel gaped like a mouthful of jagged teeth.