around Denix. Denix itself loops about the Eater in a long ellipse. All our time on Snowglade had been spent in the
warm middle portion of its orbit—after the glacial stage, but before Denix approaches the Eater. Here:
A three-color 3D diagram strobed in Killeen’s left eye. An iceblue dot circled a flame-red globe. Then point ofview telescoped and the globe looped around a hotpoint swirl of colors: the Eater. Numbers and words Killeen could not read
gave slide-sheets of data.
“Yeah.” Killeen rummaged for something to say. “Pretty.”
I do not work out such intricate aids for your artistic appreciation.
Arthur’s voice was stern, piqued. Killeen dutifully shut his right eye. The diagram swelled, showing Snowglade as a mottled
dry disk. Sandy blotches blended into gray, ribbed mesas.
The view was time-sped. Centuries flickered by. Glinting sheets of ice dwindled. Clouds dispersed. Deserts gnawed at the flanks
of flinty mountain ranges.
This is what they have done to approach the climate which mechs desire. And then—
Three notes piped in his right ear, an assembly-call. “Look, gotta go,” Killeen said with relief.
Into his right eye popped a 2D map to guide him to Ledroff.
SEVEN
Killeen could see Ledroff was holding a meeting as he approached. Five Family were sitting on a big brassglass machine at
the end of a tin-roofed assembly shed.
“—since we silenced the managers quickstyle, there’s prob’ly no mayday, no outbound screamers, nothing.” Ledroff was saying
as Killeen dropped down on a polished rampart.
“Ummm,” Jocelyn said doubtfully, fingering a stray tuft of glossy hair, coiling it around her thumb. “Right, we
used
get couple days clear ride. But now?”
Ledroff said, “Our strike was
good.
The best.”
Killeen thought it was pretty routine, but he said nothing. Let the new Cap’n crow.
Cermo-the-Slow blinked owlishly. “Could use the break.”
Killeen asked, “What’s on?”
Ledroff made a little dramatic pause out of putting his helmet on a nearby lever. He was sitting on top of the blocky, alum-edged
pyramid-machine, and control levers sprouted around him. “We’re discussing holing up here,” he said down to them.
Killeen snorted. “We got a step or two still in us.”
“I think we’re still tired,” Ledroff said reasonably. “In the past, no higher mechs showed up ’n’ checked a deadheaded factory
for three, four day. I say we
use
that, rest up.”
Jocelyn said, “Mantis might’ve called some Marauders, try trackin’ us.”
Ledroff nodded, his bushy beard like a frothy explosion beneath the severity of his stiffhaired ridge. Killeen noticed that
the scalping around Ledroff’s backchopped hair was fresh. The slick, walnut skin stretched tight and shiny. He was paying
more attention to his appearance now. “Yeasay—in the open. Here they not look.”
“Whosay?” Killeen demanded as he climbed up a tier on the big silent machine. From there he got a view of thewhole ’plex. Navvys still went about their mutedumb rounds. A perpetual machine hum bathed the area. Among the steady, efficient
trajectories of the mechs, Family moved on their own paths, taking whatever they could find.
Ledroff eyed him. “Isay. Is custom! Family hangs out after a raid.”
Cermo-the-Slow nodded, his big eyes amiable and warm. “We need time, do some ’sploring. Might find more servos, even maybe
stimjacks.”
Jocelyn laughed. “Cermo, no stimjacks in a fact’ry.”
Cermo shrugged. “Could be. Dunno till you look.”
Something in the middle distance caught Killeen’s eye and at first he did not understand.
Ledroff smiled. “Yeasay you, then? Isay we bed down in the big fac’try, post—”
“Wait. See that?” Killeen pointed.
Jocelyn squinted. “Navvy. So?”
“Ever see one like it?”
Cermo said slowly, “Maybe once. Can’t be sure.”
Jocelyn said, “I ’member one somewhere….”
“Earlier today. And I think it was
warm middle portion of its orbit—after the glacial stage, but before Denix approaches the Eater. Here:
A three-color 3D diagram strobed in Killeen’s left eye. An iceblue dot circled a flame-red globe. Then point ofview telescoped and the globe looped around a hotpoint swirl of colors: the Eater. Numbers and words Killeen could not read
gave slide-sheets of data.
“Yeah.” Killeen rummaged for something to say. “Pretty.”
I do not work out such intricate aids for your artistic appreciation.
Arthur’s voice was stern, piqued. Killeen dutifully shut his right eye. The diagram swelled, showing Snowglade as a mottled
dry disk. Sandy blotches blended into gray, ribbed mesas.
The view was time-sped. Centuries flickered by. Glinting sheets of ice dwindled. Clouds dispersed. Deserts gnawed at the flanks
of flinty mountain ranges.
This is what they have done to approach the climate which mechs desire. And then—
Three notes piped in his right ear, an assembly-call. “Look, gotta go,” Killeen said with relief.
Into his right eye popped a 2D map to guide him to Ledroff.
SEVEN
Killeen could see Ledroff was holding a meeting as he approached. Five Family were sitting on a big brassglass machine at
the end of a tin-roofed assembly shed.
“—since we silenced the managers quickstyle, there’s prob’ly no mayday, no outbound screamers, nothing.” Ledroff was saying
as Killeen dropped down on a polished rampart.
“Ummm,” Jocelyn said doubtfully, fingering a stray tuft of glossy hair, coiling it around her thumb. “Right, we
used
get couple days clear ride. But now?”
Ledroff said, “Our strike was
good.
The best.”
Killeen thought it was pretty routine, but he said nothing. Let the new Cap’n crow.
Cermo-the-Slow blinked owlishly. “Could use the break.”
Killeen asked, “What’s on?”
Ledroff made a little dramatic pause out of putting his helmet on a nearby lever. He was sitting on top of the blocky, alum-edged
pyramid-machine, and control levers sprouted around him. “We’re discussing holing up here,” he said down to them.
Killeen snorted. “We got a step or two still in us.”
“I think we’re still tired,” Ledroff said reasonably. “In the past, no higher mechs showed up ’n’ checked a deadheaded factory
for three, four day. I say we
use
that, rest up.”
Jocelyn said, “Mantis might’ve called some Marauders, try trackin’ us.”
Ledroff nodded, his bushy beard like a frothy explosion beneath the severity of his stiffhaired ridge. Killeen noticed that
the scalping around Ledroff’s backchopped hair was fresh. The slick, walnut skin stretched tight and shiny. He was paying
more attention to his appearance now. “Yeasay—in the open. Here they not look.”
“Whosay?” Killeen demanded as he climbed up a tier on the big silent machine. From there he got a view of thewhole ’plex. Navvys still went about their mutedumb rounds. A perpetual machine hum bathed the area. Among the steady, efficient
trajectories of the mechs, Family moved on their own paths, taking whatever they could find.
Ledroff eyed him. “Isay. Is custom! Family hangs out after a raid.”
Cermo-the-Slow nodded, his big eyes amiable and warm. “We need time, do some ’sploring. Might find more servos, even maybe
stimjacks.”
Jocelyn laughed. “Cermo, no stimjacks in a fact’ry.”
Cermo shrugged. “Could be. Dunno till you look.”
Something in the middle distance caught Killeen’s eye and at first he did not understand.
Ledroff smiled. “Yeasay you, then? Isay we bed down in the big fac’try, post—”
“Wait. See that?” Killeen pointed.
Jocelyn squinted. “Navvy. So?”
“Ever see one like it?”
Cermo said slowly, “Maybe once. Can’t be sure.”
Jocelyn said, “I ’member one somewhere….”
“Earlier today. And I think it was
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