Blood and Iron (38 page)

‘How are the robots of the city?’ asked Wa-Ka-Mo-Do.

‘They remain under control.’

‘What does that mean?’

‘Honoured Commander?’ Her face was innocent. He saw the knot insignias on her panelling and thought of Go-Ver-Dosai, lying dead in the radio room. What would Li-Kallalla do, he wondered? Who would the young robot betray, Wa-Ka-Mo-Do or the Emperor?

Either way, it was out of his hands now.

Wa-Ka-Mo-Do looked up again at the broken roof.

‘Have the humans apologized for what happened to our city?’ he asked aloud.

‘Honoured Commander?’

‘Nothing.’ Wa-Ka-Mo-Do straightened up. He had chosen his path, now he had to walk it. ‘La-Ver-Di-Arussah, fetch me the human commander.’

‘Honoured Commander, he is far too busy at the moment. He is co-ordinating other troop movements, preparing a counterattack on those who came here last night.’

Too busy,
thought Wa-Ka-Mo-Do.
He is too busy to speak to me.

‘So, Honoured Commander, shall I organize the withdrawal from the Copper Master’s house?’

‘No, La-Ver-Di-Arussah. No. I don’t think so. We will remain where we are for the moment.’

‘But the humans said . . .’

Wa-Ka-Mo-Do felt the current begin to hum inside him.

‘The humans are no longer in charge here. I am. And I received my orders from the Emperor, not ten minutes ago.’

‘But—’

‘No buts, La-Ver-Di-Arussah. Tell the human commander I will be pleased to see him at his earliest convenience, here, in the middle of Smithy Square. Tell him that I will be pleased to discuss his continued presence in my city.’

‘But—’

‘Tell him that
now
, La-Ver-Di-Arussah. And whilst you’re doing it, get me Ka-Lo-Re-Harballah. He will no longer be required to secure quarters for us in the Copper Market. We’re staying here. Quickly now, La-Ver-Di-Arussah.’

She didn’t move quickly. As slowly as possible, La-Ver-Di-Arussah turned and moved away. He wasn’t overly surprised when he saw her head, not in the direction of the Street of Becoming, but back towards the group of humans. Wa-Ka-Mo-Do didn’t watch their hurried conversation, but made his way instead to look out across Lake Ochoa towards the Mound of Eternity.

There was a lot of movement down there today. Human machines – those boxy green and yellow shapes that spent much of their time in the fields to the south of the city – had been brought back here to the very edge of the city and set to excavating holes, moving soil and gravel.

Human craft flew above them. They were lifting up machines on cables, carrying them to new locations. Wa-Ka-Mo-Do watched as a craft headed up to the terrace, one of the strange guns swinging on a cable beneath it.

Wa-Ka-Mo-Do ignored it. He was still scanning the area around the lake. Amongst all the humans he saw robots. Many, many robots. More robots than had business being there. It was happening already. All the resentment that had been building up over the past weeks had found a focus. Sangrel had been attacked. To make matters worse, the humans were withdrawing from the surrounding land. Whatever pressure had been holding those farmers and miners in their place was being released. They were coming towards the city. For the moment, they were only watching. But for how long would that be true . . .

‘Wa-Ka-Mo-Do!’

Wa-Ka-Mo-Do turned to see a human female. She wore grey cloth panelling; her face was dappled with dew, like metal in the morning.

‘I’m Gillian.’ The female held out a hand, and Wa-Ka-Mo-Do took it in his own, the way he had seen other humans do, and moved it up and down.

‘My official title is Honoured Commander.’

‘I’m sorry, Honoured Commander. Blame the translating machine.’ Wa-Ka-Mo-Do watched the little blinking light as the female spoke. ‘Listen, we have a problem. You saw the attack last night? You saw the machines that came here? Well, our intelligence suggests that the next attack will be with much faster craft. Craft that use rockets for propulsion, not propeller blades. Do you understand those concepts?’

‘I understand.’

‘Good! Now, do you see our cannon? They’re fully automatic. They can track moving objects many miles away, they can turn and fire in a fraction of a second.’

‘They are impressive devices indeed,’ replied Wa-Ka-Mo-Do, politely.

‘Thank you, Honoured Commander.’ Gillian seemed pleased at the compliment. She was not at all like Rachael, Wa-Ka-Mo-Do noted. Her hair was grey, her face had far more lines upon it. ‘But there is a problem,’ she continued. ‘You see, the enemy has equally fast devices. We need to give our cannon enough time to see and react to an attack.’

‘I understand this.’

‘Good! Then you will understand why we need to occupy the Copper Master’s house.’

‘I understand.’ Gillian beamed. ‘But there is another solution, you realize? A much simpler one.’

‘Yes?’ Gillian leaned forward, listening carefully. ‘And what’s that?’

‘If you were to leave this city, there would be no reason for an attack to take place.’

There was a moment’s silence, and the human adopted an expression that Wa-Ka-Mo-Do could not quite read. She moved her head from side to side. Wa-Ka-Mo-Do knew from Rachael that this meant disagreement.

‘Sadly, Honoured Commander, it would just make the attack more likely. The attackers will seek to take control of this city themselves.’

And would that be any worse than your presence?
wondered Wa-Ka-Mo-Do.

‘So, you will give your permission?’

‘I’ll think about it.’

Wa-Ka-Mo-Do was suddenly flushed with self-doubt. What had he done? By destroying the radio he had completely isolated himself. He had placed himself in charge of this dreadful mess, and he didn’t know what to do next. What if removing the guns left the city open to worse attack? How was he to know?

‘You’ll think about it?’ said the woman, and something in her attitude hardened. ‘I thought it was understood, this city is a gift to the humans from the Emperor.’

‘A gift?’ said Wa-Ka-Mo-Do, and he felt double a lurch of betrayal, one by his Emperor, one by himself. ‘I wasn’t told about that. I was only told to command the Emperor’s Army of San-grel.’

‘Robot, there—’

‘My title is Honoured Commander. You will show me respect by using it!’

Her eyes widened at the tone of his voice. Even through his annoyance he saw the way her animal body tensed, and then relaxed.

‘Fine. Honoured Commander, there will be another attack tonight. Would you hinder it? What would your Emperor say?’

‘I don’t know. Nor have I the means to find out. The radio is destroyed.’

‘Destroyed? How?’

‘Just destroyed. I said I will think about your request. You may go.’

The woman looked at him for a moment, and he caught a hint of Rachael in her expression.

Rachael!
thought Wa-Ka-Mo-Do.
Where is she? Did she live through the attack?
He hadn’t thought of her since returning to the city; he had been too busy dealing with the fallout. Jai-Lyn, Rachael . . . He hadn’t exactly promised the human he would look after her, but even so . . .

But, to his relief, here she came now, there amongst a group of humans that had just emerged from the western gate. She wore different panelling today, something of a heavier cloth, it showed very little of her skin, it concealed the shape of her body rather than displaying it to the world, as had been her style in the past. The other humans were dressed in the same manner; they were almost like the soldiers that guarded them, the long black spikes of their rifles held not quite pointing at the ground.

Rachael was marching with her father, part of the group of the more important humans. Wa-Ka-Mo-Do looked for the anthracite-skinned ambassador, with his iron skin, but he couldn’t see him.

‘Honoured Commander!’

A woman stepped forward. Wa-Ka-Mo-Do recognized her as Captain Littler, La-Ver-Di-Arussah’s equivalent amongst the human soldiers.

‘Captain,’ said Wa-Ka-Mo-Do. He watched the little light on her headset flicker as he spoke, translating his words.

‘Honoured Commander, we must apologize for what has occurred in this city last night! I hope you understand that we are not ourselves without losses. Ambassador Mbeki died in the Emperor’s Palace.’

‘That is a great sadness,’ said Wa-Ka-Mo-Do. ‘Many robots also died last night.’

‘We’re sorry, truly we are.’

Wa-Ka-Mo-Do couldn’t read her face. Was that expression one of genuine sorrow? Whatever it was, it vanished immediately.

‘But Honoured Commander, you must understand, this is not the end. Our intelligence tells us that we will be attacked again tonight. We must take appropriate defensive action!’

Wa-Ka-Mo-Do asked the question that no one else seemed yet to have asked.

‘Why was this city attacked by other humans?’

He saw Rachael staring at him, her copper sulphate eyes willing him on. Willing him to do what?

Captain Littler had lost her voice. She was speaking to the other humans, but the light on her headset stayed dark. The unpleasantly wet organic sounds she made annoyed Wa-Ka-Mo-Do unduly. Now she turned to him and that little light began flashing once more.

‘I am sorry, Honoured Commander, that we did not tell you the full truth earlier, but you will understand our embarrassment. You see, one of our units has gone rogue. A company of soldiers have broken away from our command; they seek to overthrow the legitimate government of Sangrel in order that they might exploit your land.’

Wa-Ka-Mo-Do watched Rachael as Captain Littler spoke. He tried to read the expression on the young woman’s soft face. She was trying to tell him something, he was certain of it.

‘A company of your soldiers?’

‘You must sympathize, Honoured Commander. After all, your own robots seek to rebel against you.’

Only since you came here
, thought Wa-Ka-Mo-Do.

‘I am sorry to say some of this rebellion was fuelled by humans.’

Wa-Ka-Mo-Do thought of the petrol cans back in the fields. The human-made cans.

‘But believe me, Honoured Commander, once captured, they will be made to pay for their actions. For now, though, we need your help.’

‘And you may have it, Captain Littler. Only not at the expense of the robots under my command.’

He saw La-Ver-Di-Arussah and Ka-Lo-Re-Harballah approaching, hurrying across the square. Ka-Lo-Re-Harballah was wearing another robot’s arm.

‘I was pulled into a crowd,’ he explained. ‘They wrenched my own from me.’

‘I took that arm from another robot,’ said La-Ver-Di-Arussah. ‘Honoured Commander, is there discord between you and the humans?’

‘There is no discord, only misunderstanding,’ said Captain Littler, smoothly. ‘I’m sure that the commander will aid us to his fullest ability.’

‘Of course I will.’

‘Honoured Commander,’ said La-Ver-Di-Arussah, ‘I know your feelings on this matter, but may I strongly suggest we open fire on the crowd below in order to encourage their dispersal? They are getting angry.’

‘Of course they are! Their city was attacked!’

‘It is, of course, the Emperor’s city,’ corrected La-Ver-Di-Arussah.

‘I thought it belonged to the humans now?’ replied Wa-Ka-Mo-Do.

‘Then obey their orders, as the Emperor commanded.’

‘I told you, the Emperor has issued new orders.’

‘So you said. Ka-Lo-Re-Harballah,’ she turned to face the young robot, ‘go and bring confirmation from the radio room.’

‘You dare to question my authority, La-Ver-Di-Arussah?’

‘No, Honoured Commander, but confirmation is appropriate in these circumstances.’

‘Sadly, that will not be possible. The radio is destroyed.’

La-Ver-Di-Arussah gazed at him, and he could feel the surge of the current through her body even from here. She was angry.

‘How did that happen?’

‘Go-Ver-Dosai lies dead amongst the debris. He did not like the Emperor’s words.’

He felt such shame. He hadn’t lied as such, but what he had implied was not the truth.

‘You’re saying that Go-Ver-Dosai destroyed the radio?’

La-Ver-Di-Arussah stared at him. He knew that she was wondering whether or not to challenge him, here and now. Even the humans felt it. They were listening to the exchange in silence, their wet eyes wide.

‘Ka-Lo-Re-Harballah,’ ordered La-Ver-Di-Arussah. ‘Go and see what must be done. Find out how long it will be until the radio is repaired.’

‘Ka-Lo-Re-Harballah is under my command,’ warned Wa-Ka-Mo-Do.

‘It was a reasonable request, Hounoured Commander.’

It was. He directed Ka-Lo-Re-Harballah to go.

‘And so, Honoured Commander,’ pressed La-Ver-Di-Arussah. ‘What of the robots who approach this square? Shall we open fire?’

‘Not yet. Order the robots to disperse. Tell them that I am controlling this city now, and that there may be another attack tonight.’