The Rise of the Remarkables by Gareth Ward

The Rise of the Remarkables by Gareth Ward

Author:Gareth Ward [Ward, Gareth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781760652517
Publisher: Walker Books Australia
Published: 2020-04-15T00:00:00+00:00


Bot stormed into the briefing carriage where Plum and Wrench waited. “How does setting fire to Flemington’s rooms fit in with the modus operandi of stealth and guile?” he bawled.

Wrench glared at the mechanoid. The moment she’d seen the contents of the wardrobe she’d known she was taking the documents; there had been no other option. When she’d been strapped in the electric chair Flemington had shown that the regulators had a file on her. However, what she’d retrieved from the wardrobe went well beyond the call of duty and was straying very much into the behaviour of a lunatic.

Besides, who was Bot to lecture her? He’d blown up the Epochryphal Brotherhood’s manor house without a second thought. He’d nearly blown them up too in the process. At least she’d thought her plan through. Like the best machines, it possessed a simple elegance.

“No one saw us go into his rooms, so that was stealth,” said Wrench.

“And the guile?” asked Bot.

“Plum left sooty shapes on the wall like the ones in the Minster and the church. Flemington will think it’s a remarkable like Carwyn seeking revenge. And while he’s busy chasing his tail we can find out what he’s up to,” said Wrench.

Bot loomed over Plum, who concentrated on the cat curled in his lap. The strange-looking beast purred contentedly.

“What is that thing and why is it on my train?” said Bot.

“She’s not a thing.” Plum toyed with a silver name tag on the madder-red collar the cat wore. “She’s called Lady Lovelace and I rescued her from the fire.”

“The fire which I thought you were merely ineffectual in stopping but are apparently complicit in starting.”

Plum scratched Lady Lovelace behind the ears. “I didn’t have any choice. Wrench made me do it,” he mumbled.

“You were the senior regulator on the scene. I trusted you to keep her out of trouble,” said Bot accusingly.

“Stop being such a big brass baby.” Wrench slapped Bot’s arm. “You sent us in there to gather information and that’s what we did.” Plum swallowed loudly beside her, his body trembling. Wrench clenched her teeth and squared her shoulders towards Bot. She didn’t care that the robot could crush her with a single blow; she wasn’t scared of him. Being in charge didn’t give him the right to bully them. Plum might not stand up to Bot, but she refused to submit. He was only a machine, and she controlled machines, not the other way around.

Bot raised a hand and Plum flinched backwards, his arms curling protectively over Lady Lovelace. The carriage lights flickered. Wrench remained staunch. The robot rapped a finger against his skorpidium-carbide skull. “I’m not actually brass,” he said.

“On the inside you are.” When Wrench had reached into him on the way to the Minster, the brass gears and clockwork had felt shiny and bright, glowing with a sheen she’d not encountered before; not until she’d visited the Artificer.

Bot’s eyes narrowed. The seconds stretched out for an eternity, then his face broke into a smile. “And you are skorpidium-carbide all the way through, Brasswitch.



Download



Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.