Ciaphas Cain: Choose Your Enemies by Sandy Mitchell

Author:Sandy Mitchell
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3, pdf
Published: 2018-08-01T06:06:33+00:00

Sixteen

After leaving the Ironfound Defence Force post we followed one of the main trade routes for a while, but rapidly became weary of forging against the flow of upward-bound travellers – not to mention periodic firefights with gangers and scavvies protective of their territories, made even more trigger-happy than usual by the influx of downhive refugees. Accordingly, we left the well-travelled paths and the larger settlements they linked at the earliest opportunity, striking off into the smaller tunnels, where we were less likely to encounter anyone.

Which wasn’t the same as not encountering anyone at all, of course, although most of the locals we came across seemed to be giving us a wide berth, betraying their presence only by the scuffling sounds they made as they retreated into the many side passages and long-abandoned chambers surrounding us.

‘Scavvies setting a bushwhack?’ Zemelda asked, the first time this happened, and I shook my head; there was still enough light seeping through from the main tunnels for me to be confident that she’d pick up the gesture, even though we were barely visible to one another as anything more than silhouettes by now.

‘Doubt it,’ I said, though I kept my hands close to my weapons from force of habit. Judging by the pattern of echoes there were only three of them, and they were definitely moving away. ‘There aren’t enough of them to take us all, and they’re in the wrong place to set up a crossfire.’

‘You can really tell that just by listening?’ Pelton shrugged, trying not to sound too impressed. ‘For all I know it could just be rodents out there.’

‘Too loud, and no squeaking,’ I said. The truth was, I couldn’t have told him how I knew even if I could have been bothered; it was just something I’d grown up doing, in a place not too dissimilar to this.

‘Three people, moving away,’ Amberley confirmed, her face illuminated by the glow of the portable auspex she’d produced from a pocket while Pelton and I spoke. ‘No other life signs in the vicinity.’ Which wasn’t entirely true, as there were indeed rodents scurrying around not far from here if my ears and nose were any judge, but the little machine-spirit was only on the lookout for anything human sized or thereabouts.

‘Neat trick,’ Zemelda said, with a glance of approval in my direction, ‘but seeing would zenith.’

Mott nodded. ‘Visual acuity in this environment would speed our progress appreciably,’ he agreed.

‘Luminators, then,’ Amberley said, ‘we’ve got no time to waste. Although I was hoping to hold off using them for a while, to conserve the powercells.’

‘Don’t worry, miss,’ Jurgen said, patting one of his webbing pouches, ‘I brought a few spares.’

‘And we don’t all have to carry one,’ I said. ‘That would save some light for later, in case we need it.’ And possibly my neck, if I hung back towards the rear of the group, as whoever was out in front lighting the way would be the first target of an attack from ambush.

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