His body oiled and humming sweetly beneath blackened panelling, Wa-Ka-Mo-Do stepped out into the midmorning daylight.
His company was waiting for him in the Street of Becoming, just beyond the Ice Gate.
Eighty robots, in red-brass bodies, their swords sheathed in wood at their left side, their rifles slung over their right shoulders. They were lined up in compact formation, each robot pressed against the robot in front, a mass of metal pushed together so that virtually no inch of space was anything but robot. Only their eyes moved, following him as he walked to meet them.
Ka-Lo-Re-Harballah was waiting, too.
‘Honoured Commander, I wish to be allowed to accompany you on this mission.’
‘No, Ka-Lo-Re-Harballah, I want you to remain here. I need you to watch La-Ver-Di-Arussah.’
Ka-Lo-Re-Harballah was visibly shocked.
‘But Honoured Commander, she is my superior!’
Wa-Ka-Mo-Do chose a different tack.
‘Forgive me, Ka-Lo-Re-Harballah. You understand I am a robot of the High Spires. I do not always express myself as well as robots such as yourself. What I meant to say was that La-Ver-Di-Arussah will find her attention drawn to many events. I wish you to maintain the peace whilst she is otherwise engaged, not to raise the tension.’
‘Surely you would be better placed to do so, Honoured Commander. Let me lead the troops instead.’
He was right, realized Wa-Ka-Mo-Do. But the Vestal Virgins had been most insistent that he leave. More than that, Wa-Ka-Mo-Do wanted to see what was happening outside the city.
‘No, Ka-Lo-Re-Harballah. A good commander should walk the extent of his command. Now, return to the Copper Master’s house. I will lead these robots.’
Ka-Lo-Re-Harballah saluted, obviously torn between what he believed to be right and what he believed to be his duty, then turned and made his way back up into the city.
‘Captain,’ called Wa-Ka-Mo-Do, and a captain detached himself from the crush of robots. He wore bronze flashes on his shoulders. ‘Get the robots ready to march.’
‘Commander.’
Wa-Ka-Mo-Do watched as the ranks of robots opened up like a bellows. Arms unfolding and legs shuffling free. The company expanded before him, filling the street. He took his place at the head, told the captain to give the order, and the company began to march.
Outside the Ice Gate, Lake Ochoa shone with the healthy blue of copper salts. Wa-Ka-Mo-Do turned his gaze away from the Mound of Eternity, imagining the eyes of the Vestal Virgins upon him. It was a fine day, lit by a yellow sun that warmed the metal of the robots moving busily back and forth around him. He heard the singing of the nearby rails: a train was approaching the station.
‘Wa-Ka-Mo-Do! Wa-Ka-Mo-Do!’
The voice came from over towards the lake. A human was running towards him. Rachael. She was wrapping a piece of cloth around herself as she came, concealing the pink-white skin of her body.
‘Wa-Ka-Mo-Do! Wait!’
Couldn’t she see that he was marching at the head of eighty armed robots? Didn’t she realize that he wasn’t going to bring the troops to a halt, just for her? It dawned on Wa-Ka-Mo-Do that she really didn’t. Humans didn’t seem to consider the Empire’s work as being important. It wasn’t even a considered insult; it was just a simple lack of awareness.
‘Wa-Ka-Mo-Do! I know you can hear me!’
He remembered her father’s attitude the night before. He didn’t want to be seen to insult Rachael again, even unknowingly. Maybe in human terms it was just as wrong to ignore a young woman as it was to give her something to drink. Frustrated, he ordered the captain to call a halt. Beyond him he felt the discharge of electricity, heard the clank of metal as the soldiers stopped.
He turned and waited for Rachael as she ran past the red-brass robots, their bodies warming in the yellow sun.
‘Wa-Ka-Mo-Do! You stopped! Thank you!
Rachael was in front of him, wrapping that strange piece of cloth over her body. It was almost transparent. Through it he could see the two dark strips of cloth she wore around her chest and the top of her thighs. She realized that he was looking at her, and she clutched the cloth tighter. Then she looked straight at him with those copper-blue eyes.
‘Wa-Ka-Mo-Do, I wanted to apologize.’
‘For what, Rachael?’
‘Wa-Ka-Mo-Do, what I did last night was wrong. Tricking you into giving me drinks. I was taking advantage and I shouldn’t have. I’m sorry.’
‘I accept your apology,’ said Wa-Ka-Mo-Do. He was uncomfortably aware of the captain standing by his side, gazing straight ahead.
‘I hope I haven’t got you into too much trouble?’
‘Trouble?’ said Wa-Ka-Mo-Do in surprise. ‘I’m the Commander of Sangrel.’
‘I know that,’ said Rachael. ‘Listen, I explained everything to my father. It should be okay.’
Again, Wa-Ka-Mo-Do was struck by the humans’ attitude to the robots. They certainly did not act like guests of the Emperor. He dismissed the subject.
‘All is harmony, Rachael. Now, if you will excuse me…’
She finally seemed to notice the soldiers, lined patiently in the sun behind him. The contrast between her soft pink body, barely wrapped in thin cloth, and their hard, steel bodies was marked.
‘Oh! I’m sorry! You’re busy. I’ll get back to the beach. The sun is the best thing about this place. Shame you poisoned the lake.’
‘Poisoned? That’s copper!’
But she was already gone. He watched her running back towards the lake, the strange cloth flapping behind her.
Susan
‘What are you doing in here?’
Yellow eyes gazed at her out of the darkness. Susan turned up her own eyes to get a better look at the stranger. She made out the grey shape of an infantryrobot.
‘I’m looking for my friend. She’s called Nettie. Have you seen her?’
Susan stepped forward, the other robot moved away, keeping the big stone bowl at the centre of the room between herself and Susan.
‘No! She’s not here. Now go away. Leave me alone.’
Susan gazed thoughtfully at the other robot.
‘You’re hiding in here too, aren’t you? Have you run away from the battle as well?’
‘That’s none of your business! Get out of here!’