The Chamber in the Sky by M. T. Anderson Read Free Book Online Page B

there.”
    General Malark sadly gazed down at the levers that controlled their walking battle tower, the clanksiege.
    He said, “So you’ve told me.”
    Kalgrash said, “It was always a wreck. Most of New Norumbega was held together with twine.”
    â€œI saw the beauty of the city with my own eyes.”
    â€œAll of us are built to see what they want us to see,” said Kalgrash. “I was built after you all left for this world, so they didn’t stick me with the razzle-dazzle blinders. I was built by a really good guy. Wee Snig. I just see what’s there.”
    The general looked out over the city of his former masters through the haze of diesel smoke. He said quietly, “Tell us about the city as it really is.”
    Kalgrash nodded. “It’s a mess. Most of it’s built out of old stuff. There aren’t any town walls. There never were. I don’t know what you thought you were bombing, but there weren’t any walls to knock down. There aren’t any gates. The nice, big houses are made of chunks of drymuscle cut out of the heart. There’s no way this place can stand up against a Thusser invasion, not even for five minutes.”
    Malark pressed his finger to the top of his nose. “The Empress has asked that I defend her city. I can’t refuse.”
    â€œI’m telling you,” said Kalgrash, “we have got to make some decisions.”
    General Malark considered strategy. “I estimate we have at least two weeks. The Thusser have taken Pflundt, our own fortress down in Three-Gut. But it will take them a while to get here from there. They’ll need subs to get through the veins of flux. Otherwise, there’s no way to get to the Dry Heart from Three-Gut. Not by marching or land vehicles. It’s in a different system. They’re stuck in digestion until they can get enough subs to transport their troops up here. And then we’ll put up a firm fight before they can unload through the airlocks.” He frowned.
    The wind picked up across the desert. General Malark activated the clanksiege and walked several gargantuan steps across the pile of rubble. He faced the machine toward the city’s black railroad yards. Train tracks stitched their way across the salty plain toward faint red arches of muscle.
    â€œSo we have two weeks,” said Kalgrash.
    Malark nodded. “They’re probably running raids on villages down in the guts right now. Trying to find any submarines they can. I’d guess it will take them at least that long to gather a naval attack force. And until then” — he looked around — “we have to fortify this city. Or part of it. We’ll evacuate people from some of the fartherreaches. Concentrate them. Build a wall out of the flesh. Dig a fosse. Raise a scarp. Ravelins. Redoubts. Revetments.”
    â€œI have no idea what any of those things are.”
    â€œOf course you don’t, troll. You’re a machine of peace. I am a machine of war.”
    â€œI’m not just a machine of peace. I mean, you know, I smite. Well, I’ve smitten.”
    General Malark clapped him on the armor. “Good man,” he said. “Good man.” He put the clanksiege into gear and began stalking down the mound. The iron feet clomped down spills of concrete and broken glass. Over the grinding of the engine, Malark said, “Look, we’re going to need you, troll. We need someone who can see. The Norumbegans will never draw the damn lace curtain from our eyes. You’re the only one of us who knows what’s lying in heaps around us. We see ruin, too, but of fair palaces and goodly temples.”
    â€œPacking crates and aluminum ladders,” Kalgrash corrected.
    â€œStay by me,” said General Malark. “We’re going to have to abandon some parts of the city and fortify other parts. You’ll have to tell us what’s really there.”
    The clanksiege