“That’s where the undergangs live. They used to be human, or their parents did, but they’ve spent too long down here. They aren’t a pretty sight.”
He hawked and spat noisily into the slow ooze.
“Still. Rather the undergangs than the ghuls. Or the trow.” He laughed, but it was without any humour. Yagharek could not tell if Lemuel was mocking him.
Lemuel lapsed into silence. For some minutes, there was no sound except the slosh of their legs through the thick effluvia. Then Yagharek heard voices. He stiffened and gripped Lemuel’s shirt, but a moment later he heard them clearly, and they were Isaac’s and Derkhan’s.
The excremental water seemed to carry light with it, from around a corner.
Bent-backed and swearing with effort, Yagharek and Lemuel wound through the twisting brick junctions and turned into the little room under Murkside’s heart.
Isaac and Derkhan were yelling at each other. Isaac saw Yagharek and Lemuel over Derkhan’s shoulder. He raised his arms to them.
“Dammit, there you are!” He strode past Derkhan towards them. Yagharek held out a bag of food at him. Isaac ignored it. “Lem, Yag,” he said urgently. “We have to move fast.”
“Now hold on…” began Lemuel, but Isaac ignored him.
“Listen, dammit,” Isaac shouted. “The construct’s talked to me!”
Lemuel’s mouth stayed open, but he was silent. No one spoke for a moment.
“All right?” said Isaac. “It’s intelligent, dammit, it’s sentient…something’s happened in its head. The rumours about CI are true! Some virus, some programme glitch…And although it won’t come out and say it, I think it’s hinted that that damned repairman may have given it a helping hand along the way. And the upshot is the damn thing can think. It’s seen everything! It was there when the slake-moth took Lublamai. It…”
“Hold on!” shouted Lemuel. “It spoke to you?”
“No! It had to scrape messages in the mould over there: it was damn slow. That’s what it uses its litter-spike for. It was the construct that told me David had turned traitor! It tried to get us out of the warehouse before the militia arrived!”
“Why?”
Isaac’s urgency waned.
“I don’t know. It can’t explain itself. It’s not…very articulate.” Lemuel looked up, over Isaac’s head. The construct sat motionless in the red-black flickering of the oil-lamp. “But listen…I think one of the reasons it wanted us free is because we’re against the slake-moths. I don’t know why, but it…it’s violently against them. It wants them dead. And it’s offering us help…”
Lemuel barked with unpleasant, incredulous laughter.
“Marvellous!” he wondered, derisorily. “You’ve got a vacuum cleaner on your side…”
“No, you fucking arse!” yelled Isaac. “Don’t you understand? It’s not alone…”
The word alone echoed back and forth around the mephitic brick burrows. Lemuel and Isaac stared at each other. Yagharek drew back a little.
“It’s not alone,” Isaac repeated softly. Behind him, Derkhan nodded in mute accord. “It’s given us directions. It can read and write-that’s how it realized David sold us out, it found his discarded instructions-but it’s not a sophisticated thinker. But it promises that if we go to Griss Twist tomorrow night, we’ll meet something that can explain everything. And that can help us.”
This time, it was us that filled the silence with its reverberating presence. Lemuel shook his head slowly, his face set and cruel.
“Damn, Isaac,” he said quietly. “ ‘We’? ‘Us’? Who the fuck are you talking to? This is nothing to do with me…” Derkhan sneered in disgust and turned away. Isaac opened his mouth, dismayed. Lemuel interrupted him. “Look, man. I was in this for the money. I’m a businessman. You paid well. You got my services. You even got a little bit of time free, with Vermishank. I did that for Mr. X. And I’ve got a soft spot for you, ‘Zaac. You’ve been straight with me. That’s why I came back down here. Brought a bit of grub, and I’ll show you out of here. But now Vermishank’s dead and your credit’s run dry. I don’t know what you’ve got planned, but I’m off. Why in fuck should I go chasing these damn things? Leave it to the militia. There’s nothing for me here…Why would I hang around?”
“Leave it to who…?” hissed Derkhan with contempt, but Isaac spoke over her.
“So,” he said slowly. “What now? Hmmm? You think you can go frflcfc? Lem, old son, whatever else you might damn well be, you ain’t a stupid man. You think you weren’t seen? You think they don’t know who you are? Godsdamn, man…you’re wanted.”
Lemuel glared at him.
“Well, thanks for your concern ‘Zaac,” he said, his face twisting. “Tell you what, though-” his voice turned hard “-you may be out of your depth. I, however, have spent my professional life evading the law. Don’t you worry about me, mate. I’ll be cushty.” He did not sound sure.
I’m not telling him anything he doesn’t know, thought Isaac. He just doesn’t want to think about it right now. Isaac shook his head contemptuously.
“Dammit, man, you aren’t thinking straight. There’s a whole godsdamn universe of difference between being a go-between and being a militia-murdering criminal…Don’t you get it? They don’t know what you know or don’t know…unfortunately for you, old son, you’re implicated. You have to stick with us. You have to see this through. They’re after you, right? And right now, you’re running from them. Better to stay in front, even if you’re running, than fucking well turn round and let them catch up.”
Lemuel stood still in the silence, glowering at Isaac. He said nothing, but neither did he leave.
Isaac took a step towards him.
“Look,” Isaac said. “The other thing is…we…I…need you.” Behind him Derkhan sniffed sulkily and Isaac shot her an irritated glance. “Godspit, Lem…you’re our best chance. You know everyone, you’ve got a finger in all the right pies…” Isaac raised his hands helplessly. “I can’t see a way out of this. One of those…things is after me, the militia can’t help us, they don’t know how to catch the damn things, and anyway, I don’t know if you’re keeping track but those fuckers are hunting us too…I can’t see a way, even assuming we get the slake-moths, where I don’t end up dead.” The words chilled him as he spoke them. He talked rapidly, pushed the thoughts away. “But if I keep at it, maybe I can figure one out. And the same goes for you. And without you, Derkhan and me are dead for sure!” Lemuel’s eyes were hard. Isaac felt a chill. Never forget who you’re dealing with, he thought. You and he are not friends…don’t forget that.
“You know my credit’s good,” Isaac said suddenly. “You know that. Now, I’m not going to pretend I’ve got a massive bank account, I’ve got a bit, there’s a few guineas left, all of it yours…but help me, Lemuel, and I’m yours. I’ll work for you. I’ll be your man. I’ll be your fucking pet. Any jobs you want done, I do them. Any money I make, it’s yours. I’ll sign my fucking life to you, Lemuel. Just help us now.”
There was no sound except the dripping of ordure. Behind Isaac, Derkhan hovered. Her face was a study of contempt and disgust. We don’t need him, it said. But still, she waited to hear what he would say. Yagharek stood back. He listened to the argument dispassionately. He was bound to Isaac. He could go nowhere and do nothing without him.
Lemuel sighed.
“I am going to be keeping a running total, you realize? I’m talking about serious debt, you know? D’you have any idea of the daily rate for this sort of thing? The danger money?”
“Doesn’t matter,” breathed Isaac brusquely. He hid his relief. “Just keep me posted. Tell me what I’m accruing. I’ll be good for it.” Lemuel nodded briefly. Derkhan exhaled, very quietly and slowly.