The Chamber in the Sky by M. T. Anderson

innkeeper smiled. “Sure, they came through. Great guys. Stayed for a week in an alleyway in town, then I let them use the barn for a while. They’re off again.”
    â€œDo you know where, sir?”
    â€œSure. They said they were heading into Three-Gut. Mannequin territory. They said they were lonely. They wanted more clockwork acquaintances. Don’t suppose you’re windup yourself?”
    â€œNo. I’m human.”
    â€œWell, that’s extraordinary.”
    â€œThey’ve gone into Three-Gut?”
    â€œThat’s right.”
    â€œBut the Thusser are in Three-Gut! They’ve invaded!”
    â€œYeah, this was before that. The Umpire Capsule really didn’t seem very happy in the barn. Very mopey set of machines. So they’re off. Anything else I can help you with?”
    â€œWhich way did they go? Into Three-Gut?”
    â€œThrough the Volutes. Downriver, then maybe heading off into the side passages at Bloxham. That’s where they were heading when they left here. I let them stay in the barn for free.”
    â€œHow long since they left?”
    â€œOhhhh … maybe three weeks.”
    â€œDo you know where in Three-Gut they went?”
    â€œThey said they were going to visit the town where all the heads of the mannequin people are from.”
    â€œPflundt,” whispered Brian. “They’re going to Pflundt. It’s a fortress. We were there.”
    â€œOkay, cool,” said the innkeeper. “Cool.”
    Brian said to himself, “No. It’s awful. The Thusser took Pflundt a couple of weeks ago.”
    â€œI’m sorry,” said the innkeeper. “Maybe you should find different friends.”
    Brian turned to the two Gs. “We’re going to be heading straight into Thusser territory.”
    Gwynyfer smiled. “Unless we sensibly don’t go at all.”

    They were back on the barge, heading down the broad canal to Bloxham.
    Gwynyfer was bored now, and didn’t want to go stomping through the weirder Volutes to stumble into Three-Gut and fall prey to the Thusser Horde. She voted loudly and often that they just continue down through the Volutes to the Globular Colon, where they could spend the season wading in the reflecting pool, playing billiards, and riding thombulants through the pasturelands.
    Brian said, “Obviously, we can’t do that. We don’t have time.”
    Gwynyfer rolled her eyes. “If the awful Thusser are going to win anyway , why not just enjoy the last few weeks of freedom? Maybe by the time we stick our heads out again, the war’ll be over and we will have won. Ticker-tape parades and congratters all round!”
    This kind of thing made Brian crazy.
    He didn’t answer. He figured that the best thing he could do was not say anything. If he argued with her, he could tell she was only going to be more stubborn.
    The heraldic bacterium sat curled up by his feet on the barge.
    Brian watched the high grasses go by on either side of the canal. The paddle wheel spluttered. And they drew ever closer to enemy territory.

    The first assault on the town of Wellbridge came about two days after the kids had left on the trams. Subs captured by the Thusser battered at the docks and forced their way to the landing hatches. Thusser soldiers poured up the passageways that led into Two-Gut.
    A Thusser lieutenant stood and watched his men throw firebombs into the graceful gut fingers. Homes and storehouses and the town’s hotel blasted into flame. Huge joints of burned gut finger toppled to the ground. Norumbegans ran screaming from the blaze. The Thusser beat them, knocked them out, struck them again and again on their skulls, and dragged them away.
    The Horde had come to seize the docked subs. They were building their fleet. Soon they’d be able to attack the Dry Heart itself.
    They kicked in doors and ransacked houses. They did not ask any questions. They killed if they needed