A Fire Upon the Deep (22 page)

Scriber Jaqueramaphan didn't tell anyone about his meeting with the Two-Legs. Of course, Vendacious's guard had overheard everything. The fellow might not speak much Samnorsk, but he had surely gotten the drift of the argument. People would hear about it eventually.

He moped around the castle for a few days, spent a number of hours hunched over the remains of his notebook, trying to recreate the diagrams. It would be a a while before he attended any more sessions with Dataset, especially when Johanna was around. Scriber knew he seemed brash to the outside world, but in fact it had taken a lot of courage to walk in on Johanna like that. He
knew
his ideas had genius, but all his life unimaginative people had been telling him otherwise.

In most ways Scriber was a very fortunate person. He had been born a fission pack in Rangathir, at the eastern edge of the Republic. His parent had been a wealthy merchant. Jaqueramaphan had some of his parent's traits, but the dull patience necessary for day-to-day business work had been lost to him. His sibling pack more than retained that faculty; the family business grew, and -- in the first years -- his sib didn't begrudge Scriber his share of the wealth. From his earliest days, Scriber had been an intellectual. He read everything: natural history, biography, brood kenning. In the end he had the largest library in Rangathir, more than two hundred books.

Even then Scriber had tremendous ideas, insights which -- if properly executed -- would have made them the wealthiest merchants in all the eastern provinces. Alas, bad luck and his sib's lack of imagination had doomed his early ideas. In the end, his sib bought out the business, and Jaqueramaphan moved to the Capital. It was all for the best. By this time Scriber had fleshed himself out to six members; he needed to see more of the world. Besides ... there were
five thousand
books in the library there, the experience of all history and all the world! His own notebooks became a library in themselves. Yet still the packs at the university had no time for him. His outline for a summation of natural history was rejected by all the stationers, though he paid to have small parts of it published. It was clear that success in the world of action was necessary before his ideas could get the attention they deserved, hence his spy mission; Parliament itself would thank him when he returned with the secrets of Flenser's Hidden Island.

That was almost a year ago. What had happened since -- with the flying house and Johanna and Dataset -- went beyond his wildest dreams (and Scriber granted that those dreams were already pretty extreme). The library in Dataset contained
millions
of books. With Johanna to help him polish his ideas, they would sweep Flenserism from the face of the world. They would regain her flying house. Not even the
sky
would be a limit.

So to have her throw it all back at him ... it made him wonder about himself. Maybe she was just mad at him for trying to explain Peregrine. She would like Peregrine if she let herself; he was sure of it. But then again ... maybe his ideas just weren't that good, at least by comparison with humans'.

That thought left him pretty low. But he finished redrawing the diagrams, and even got some new ideas. Maybe he should get some more silkpaper.

Peregrine stopped by and persuaded him to go into town.

Jaqueramaphan had made up a dozen explanations why he wasn't participating in the sessions with Johanna anymore. He tried out two or three as he and Peregrine descended Castle Street toward the harbor.

After a minute or two, his friend turned a head back. "It's okay, Scriber. When you feel like it, we'd like to have you back."

Scriber had always been a very good judge of attitude; in particular, he could tell when he was being patronized. He must have scowled a little, because Peregrine went on. "I mean it. Even Woodcarver has been asking about you. She likes your ideas."

Comforting lies or not, Scriber brightened. "Really?" The Woodcarver of today was a sad case, but the Woodcarver of the history books was one of Jaqueramaphan's great heroes. "No one's mad at me?"

"Well, Vendacious is a bit peeved. Being responsible for the Two-Legs' safety makes him very nervous. But you only tried something we've all wanted to do."

"Yeah." Even if there had been no Dataset, even if Johanna Olsndot had not come from the stars, she would still be the most fascinating creature in the world: a pack-equivalent mind in a single body. You could walk right up to her, you could
touch
her, without the least confusion. It was frightening at first, but all of them quickly felt the attraction. For packs, closeness had always meant mindlessness -- whether for sex or battle. Imagine being able to sit by the fire with a friend and carry on an intelligent conversation! Woodcarver had a theory that the Two-Legs' civilization might be
innately
more effective than any Packish one, that collaboration was so easy for humans that they learned and built much faster than packs could. The only problem with that theory was Johanna Olsndot. If Johanna was a normal human, it is was a surprise that the race could cooperate on anything. Sometimes she was friendly -- usually in the sessions with Woodcarver. She seemed to realize that Woodcarver was frail and failing. More often she was patronizing, sarcastic, and seemed to think the best they could do for her insulting.... And sometimes she was like last night. "How goes it with Dataset?" he asked after a moment.

Peregrine shrugged. "About like before. Both Woodcarver and I can read Samnorsk pretty well now. Johanna has taught us -- me via Woodcarver, I should say -- how to use most of Dataset's powers. There's so much there that will change the world. But for now we have to concentrate on making
gunpowder
and
cannons
. It's that, the actual doing, that's going slow."

Scriber nodded knowingly. That had been the central problem in his life too.

"Anyway, if we can do all that by midsummer, maybe we can face Flenser's army and recapture the flying house before next winter." Peregrine made a grin that stretched from face to face. "And then, my friend, Johanna can call her people for rescue ... and we'll have all our lives to study the outsiders. I may pilgrimage to worlds around other stars."

It was an idea they had talked of before. Peregrine had thought of it even before Scriber.

They turned off Castle Street onto Edgerow. Scriber was feeling more enthusiastic about visiting the stationer's; there must be some way he could help. He looked around with an interest that had been lacking the last few days. Woodcarvers was a fair-sized city, almost as big as Rangathir -- maybe twenty thousand packs lived within its walls and in the homes immediately around. This day was a bit colder than the last few, but it wasn't raining. A cold, clean wind swept the market street, carrying faint smells of mildew and sewage, of spices and fresh-sawn wood. Dark clouds hung low, misting the hills around the harbor. Spring was definitely in the air. Scriber kicked playfully at the slush along the curb.

Peregrine led them to a side street. The place was jammed, strangers getting as close as seven or eight yards. The stalls at the stationer's were even worse. The felt dividers weren't that thick, and there seemed to be more interest in literature at Woodcarvers than any place Scriber had ever been. He could hardly hear himself think as he haggled with the stationer. The merchant sat on a raised platform with thick padding;
he
wasn't much bothered by the racket. Scriber kept his heads close together, concentrating on the prices and the product. From his past life, he was pretty good at this sort of thing.

Eventually he got his paper, and at a decent price.

"Let's go back on Packweal," he said. That was the long way, through the center of the market. When he was in a good mood, Scriber rather liked crowds; he was a great student of people. Woodcarvers was not as cosmopolitan as some cities by the Long Lakes, but there were traders from all over. He saw several packs wearing the bonnets of a tropic collective. At one intersection a redjackets from East Home was chatting cozily with a labormaster.

When packs came this close, and in these numbers, the world seemed to teeter on the edge of a choir. Each person hung near to himself, trying to keep his own thoughts intact. It was hard to walk without stumbling over your own feet. And sometimes the background thought sounds would surge, a moment where several packs would somehow synchronize. Your consciousness wavered and for an instant you were one with many, a superpack that might be a god. Jaqueramaphan shivered. That was the essential attraction of the Tropics. The crowds there were
mobs
, vast group minds as stupid as they were ecstatic. If the stories were true, some of the southern cities were nonstop orgies.

They had roamed the marketplace almost an hour when it hit him. Scriber shook his heads abruptly. He turned and walked in lockstep off Packweal, and up a side street. Peregrine followed, "Is the crowd too much?" he asked.

"I just had an idea," said Scriber. That wasn't unusual in a close crowd, but this was a
very
interesting idea.... He said nothing more for several minutes. The side street climbed steeply, then jinked back and forth across Castle Hill. The upslope side was lined with burghers' homes. On the harbor side, they were looking out over the steep tile roofs of houses on the next switchback down. These were large homes, elegant with rosemaling. Only a few had shops on the street.

Scriber slowed down and spread out enough that he wasn't stepping on himself. He saw now that he'd been quite wrong in trying to contribute creative expertise to Johanna. There was simply too much invention in Dataset. But they still needed him, Johanna most of all. The problem was, they didn't know it yet. Finally he said to Peregrine, "Haven't you wondered that the Flenserists haven't attacked the city? You and I embarrassed the Lords of Hidden Island more than ever in their history. We hold the keys to their total defeat."
Johanna and Dataset.

Peregrine hesitated. "Hmm. I assumed their army wasn't up to it. I should think if they were, they'd have knocked over Woodcarvers long before."

"Perhaps, but at great cost. Now the cost is worth it." He gave Peregrine a serious look. "No, I think there's another reason.... They have the flying house, but they have no idea how to use it. They want Johanna back alive -- almost as much as they want to kill all of us."

Peregrine made a bitter sound. "If Steel hadn't been so eager to massacre everything on two legs, he could have had all sorts of help."

"True, and the Flenserists must know that. I'll bet they've always had spies among the townspeople here,
but now more than ever.
Did you see all the East Home packs?" East Home was a hotbed of Flenser sentiment. Even before the Movement, they had been a hard folk, routinely sacrificing pups that didn't meet their brood standards.

"One anyway. Talking to a labormaster."

"Right. Who knows what's coming in disguised as special purpose packs? I'd bet my life they're planning to kidnap Johanna. If they guess what we're planning with her, they may just try to kill her. Don't you see? We must alert Woodcarver and Vendacious, organize the people to watch for spies."

"You noticed all this on one walk through Packweal?" There was wonder or disbelief in his voice, Scriber couldn't tell which.

"Well, um, no. The inspiration wasn't anything so direct. But it stands to reason, don't you think?"

They walked in silence for several minutes. Up here the wind was stronger, and the view more spectacular. Where there wasn't the sea, forest spread endless gray and green. Everything was very peaceful ... because
this was a game of stealth
. Fortunately Scriber had a talent for such games. After all, hadn't it been the very Political Police of the Republic who commissioned him to survey Hidden Island? It had taken him several tendays of patient persuasion, but in the end they had been enthusiastic.
Anything you can discover we would be most happy to review.
Those were their exact words.

Peregrine waffled around the road, seemingly very taken aback by Scriber's suggestion. Finally he said, "I think there is ... something you should know, something that must remain an absolute secret."

"
Upon my soul!
Peregrine, I do not blab secrets." Scriber was a little hurt -- at the lack of trust, and also that the other might have discovered something he had not. The second should not bother him. He had guessed that Peregrine and Woodcarver were into each other. No telling what she might have confided, or what might have leaked across.

"Okay.... You've tripped onto something that should not be noised about. You know Vendacious is in charge of Woodcarvers security?"

"Of course." That was implicit in the office of Lord Chamberlain. "And considering the number of outsiders wandering around, I can't say he's doing a very good job."

"In fact, he's doing a marvelously effective job. Vendacious has agents right at the top at Hidden Island -- one step removed from Lord Steel himself."

Scriber felt his eyes widening.

"Yes, you understand what that means. Through Vendacious, Woodcarver knows for a certainty
everything
their high council plans. With clever misinformation, we can lead the Flenserists around like froghens at a thinning. Next to Johanna herself, this may be Woodcarver's greatest advantage."

"I --"
I had no idea.
"So the incompetent local security is just a cover."

"Not exactly. It's supposed to look solid and intelligent, but with just enough exploitable weakness so the Movement will postpone a frontal attack in favor of espionage." He smiled. "I think Vendacious will be very taken aback to hear your critique."

Scriber gave a weak laugh. He was flattered and boggled at the same time. Vendacious must count as the greatest spymaster of the age -- yet he, Scriber Jaqueramaphan, had almost seen through him. Scriber was mostly quiet the rest of the way back to the castle, but his mind was racing. Peregrine was more right than he knew; secrecy was vital. Unnecessary discussion -- even between old friends -- must be avoided. Yes! He would offer his services to Vendacious. His new role might keep him in the background, but it was where he could make the greatest contribution. And eventually even Johanna would see how helpful he could be.