‘Gidibibigibidibibidibi!’
The girl looked exasperated. She plucked the thing from her hair with one hand and crushed it; first it and then she vanished, an instant before Oncaterius’ grabbing hand would have clamped onto her arm.
The room, all the people in it and the fabric of sensation itself seemed to waver and haze then, and Gadfium felt a moment of sickening dizziness before everything seemed to snap back into focus again.
Adijine whirled to Oncaterius. ‘Check the distribution on this,’ he said, then – as the others in the group started to disappear, some of them together, already talking urgently – the King looked round the crowd of watching people and raised his magnificently leonine head, frowning. ‘Fellow citizens,’ he intoned. ‘Obviously most of what you have heard is untrue. What can be confirmed is that an act of war has been committed upon us; an attempt had been made to extend the chaotic levels to include the crypt’s higher functions. That attack is being resisted vigorously. What you have witnessed here has been a bid to spread confusion, despair and contempt for the rule of law amongst all loyal subjects. I know that it will not have succeeded. Please, do not panic. We shall keep you informed on the progress being made to combat this despicable and treacherous attack. Thank you, and remain vigilant.’ Adijine glanced at Oncaterius, then he disappeared. The crowds vanished an instant later. The huge room was almost empty.
Oncaterius turned to glare at Gadfium. They were the only people left in the representation for a second or two, then the place filled with Security personnel. Most of them levelled weapons at her. Two of them pinned her arms.
‘You,’ Oncaterius spat, pointing at her, ‘are under arrest.’
– Oh no you’re not, laughed her own voice.
The room vanished.
She staggered, unsure of both where she was and where she was supposed to be. She was sitting. The girl who’d called herself Asura stood in front of her. Gadfium looked around; she was in what looked like some sort of small lobby. It was pleasantly if rather old-fashionedly furnished. The air was warm and smelled odd; stuffy, somehow, even stale. Two sets of double doors faced each other across the room. The lammergeier was perched on a table beside her, gazing levelly at her.
‘Now where are we?’ Gadfium asked.
‘Not far from where we were,’ Asura said.
– Near Oubliette, her own voice told her.
Asura looked at one of the sets of doors. ‘We’re waiting,’ she announced.
– For the elevator, to take her to the top of the fast-tower, said the voice in Gadfium’s head.
– How did-
– The presentation as she called it took place in base-level time, with a half-hour hiatus immediately afterwards when the whole upper crypt became chaotic. All of that gave her time to get herself and you back into the tunnels. The mammoth troop is either standing guard or leading any pursuit away in the wrong direction.
– What did she do, carry me?
– No; you walked the last bit. You just weren’t really here, that’s all. But it means you don’t know where you are, which is what she wanted. Oh, and I’m only in your implants now; I had to leave the data corpus or Security might have been able to trace our movements through me. Only temporary, though; I can download again.
– I see. Well, welcome back aboard.
– Thank you.
Asura was looking down and smiling at a ring on one of her hands. It appeared to be silver with a small red stone.
– What about the bird? Gadfium asked, smiling uncertainly at the animal.
– It isn’t under Asura’s control. It is some sort of ally though and it may be the birds are avatars of whatever is in the fast-tower. They get instructions from somewhere and they seem to have their own agenda, but nobody has been able to work out what it is yet. Well, I haven’t and Asura says she hasn’t either.
– Why has she brought me?
– You’re a waif, Gadfium; a stray. You’ve been picked up for your own good. But don’t worry about it.
– What about you? Does she know about you?
– Yes, of course she does. There isn’t much she doesn’t know about.
Gadfium looked over at the girl. Every now and again she would look down at the ring she wore, and smile.
– So, is this lift on its way?
– Not yet, I think.
– Shall I ask her how long she intends to wait?
– If you like.
‘Until the elevator arrives,’ the girl told her before Gadfium could say anything. ‘Or until we are captured or some different circumstance otherwise determines our course of action.’ She smiled. ‘We must be patient, Hortis,’ she said. ‘This place is not recorded on the plans that Security use, and it took me a very long time to find it, even with help. It ought to remain undiscovered and so safe for some time, though doubtless Security – and especially Consistorian Oncaterius – will be doing all they can to find us. I imagine we ought not to have to wait more than a few hours. Would you like to sleep again in the meantime?’
‘No, thank you,’ Gadfium said, quickly holding up one hand. ‘No, I’ll stay awake, thanks.’
‘Good,’ the girl said, and sat down, her hands clasped on her lap and her gaze fixed on the double doors across the room.
– Oh. So she can hear what we’re saying.
– Yes.
Asura turned to her and smiled as though coy, then turned her attention to the double doors again.
Gadfium took a deep breath and watched them as well.
* * *
5
Translation
Itz a very strainje feelin wakin up alive when u wer fooly expectin 2 b ded. Speshily when u fot u wer reely reely ded, like compleetly uttirly & finely. U sorta cum roun sloly thinkin; I muss b ded, but Im finkin, so I cant b, so whots goan on heer then? U r evin a bit fritind about wakin up eny moar in case thers sum sorta unplesint surprise in stoar, but then u fink, wel, Im never goan no whots goan on unless I do wake up, & so u do.
I opin my Is.
Gloari bleedin b, its brite & warm. Im lyin on ma bak lookin up @ sum sorta sculptchir or mobil or sumfin; a bludy hooj 1, 2. Thers this grate big planit fing suspendid rite abuv me & ol theese uthirs suspendid from thi seelin & conectid wif hoops & stuf. I sit up. Im in sum kinda big sirculir room with dark windos; stars outa 1 side, thi Encroachment on thi uthir. Thi thing abuv me seems 2 b a modil ov thi solar sistim & it takes up most ov thi space in thi room. In thi midil ov thi room, undir thi big gloab ov thi sun, thers a buncha cowches, seets & desks & stuf. Thers a gy thare, standin on a desk, holdin his hand up 2 thi modil sun. He sez sumthin, nods, then gets down & cums ovir 2 me. Heez got blond hare & goldin Is & skin like dark polishd wood. Heez wayrin a pare ov shorts & a litl waystcoat. He waves 2 me.
O helo, he sez, r u ol rite?
Not 2 bad, I say, witch is tru. My soar hed’s a lot betir & thi.rest ov me isnt aykin 2 mutch Ither but if I had 2 pik 1 improovmint abuv ol thi uthirs it wude ½ b thi fact I doan feel like Im juss abowt 2 dy eny moar.
Welcum 2 thi hi Grate Towr, thi holo blossim ov thi fastniss, he sez. This iz thi Orrery Room. May i help u up?
Thanx, I sez, akseptin his hand & getin 2 ma feet.
Thi lites in thi room flikir. Thi man lukes up & smilez.
Ah, he sez. He lukes bak @ thi centir ov thi room, goze stil 4 a sekind, then lukes @ me & wif a grate big smyle on his fayce sez, Fayth moovs mownitins. From our holoniss is discharjed owr sentril purpis; it is sent that we may b deliverd.
Padin? I sed.
Cum; let me find u sumthin 2 eet & drink.
Wel, I wen wif thi gy, but I doan mind sayin I woz givin him a funy luke bhind his bak. He got me 2 sit in a chare in thi centir ov thi rume & startid fiddlin wif sum sorta control fings on 1 ov thi desks.
It’s bin so long, he sez, scratchin his hed. Whot wude u like? he asks.
Frankly chum, I sed, am parcht. I fancy a cup ov t but enyfin wet wude do.
T, he sez, scratchin @ hiz nodil agen. T; let me c. He punchiz sum moar controals.