Read Online Chronicles of Isambard Smith 05 - End of Empires by Toby Frost - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Toby Frost
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machine?’
Mark Twelve jerked upright in a flurry of limbs. ‘Ben the Builder. He’s one of the best-connected thugs in the robot underworld. They say that if there’s a card game, or a shadar-race – Ben can fix it.’
‘Yes, he can,’ Bill Sticker growled.
‘It is he who requires fixing now,’ Suruk said. He smiled.
‘Thank you,’ Smith said. He nodded to Suruk. The alien lifted the robot pickpocket, looked it over, and tossed it on the ground. It scurried over to hide behind Sticker. Suruk shrugged. ‘It has no skull. You are welcome to it.’
Smith said, ‘Well then, it sounds as if we know where to go to find these people. I’m sure these Cranes won’t be a problem. And now, we’ll leave you to your business.’
‘You’re most kind,’ said Mark Twelve. ‘Charmed to meet you. Goodbye, and be back soon, eh?’
* * *
It was almost time for bed. Isambard Smith opened his Civiliser, peered into the cylinder and closed it up again. He thought about reading up on Popular Fist, but he felt too tired. He sat down at the captain’s desk, which was currently covered in bits of model kit, and yawned.
‘Hey, Isambard. What do you think?’
He looked up, wondering what Rhianna wanted, and was astonished. She wore a dark blue skirt with a matching jacket and highly polished boots. Her hair was neatly tied back, and there was a strip of black ribbon around her neck.
‘Crikey!’ he said. ‘You look – well – jolly good, really.’
‘You think so?’ She pulled the skirt out and spun around. Smith felt a rush of pride that someone so attractive was walking out with him, and then hoped that it wasn’t too obvious. For one thing, letting one’s pride show wasn’t terribly British, and for another, it made walking uncomfortable. ‘You don’t think it’s too much? I mean, I have to wear proper shoes and everything.’
‘Well, it looks smashing. You should definitely keep it on. Unless you’re planning on taking it off, that is,’ he added, moving his eyebrows seductively.
Rhianna laughed, which wasn’t exactly what he’d intended. ‘I’m a bit tired, really. I’ve been thinking…’ she added thoughtfully, and Smith felt a flash of terror that she had been thinking about ‘us’, ‘… about my psychic powers.’
‘Good-oh.’
‘Do you know what a premonition is?’
‘Yes. It’s a little word, like a or the .’
‘It’s when you see something bad in the future. I’ve got an amazing gift, but I don’t know how to use it for good.’ She walked into the room. ‘Do you remember when that Edenite high-priest tried to kill us all, and I made him die?’
‘Absolutely. That was brilliant.’
‘Was it? Really?’
‘Of course. He got eaten by space frogs. Served the evil bugger right.’
‘But I was, like, responsible for his death.’
‘Nonsense, old girl. All you did was knowingly direct him into a room full of killer frogs. He could have got out of there and learned his lesson. But he stayed.’
‘Because we locked him in.’
‘Well, he had a gun. And he was very rude about Carveth. All that “Whore of Babylon” stuff. I know she’s hardly a nun, but I won’t stand by when women are being mistreated, or horses, or any other animals. If anyone’s got blood on their hands, it’s the killer frogs. Except it was mainly on their teeth. A right mess, now I think about it. Anyhow, they’re gone, so’s he, and everything’s fine. Where was I?’
She was quiet for a moment. Then she said, ‘You’re worried too, aren’t you?’
‘Only about tomorrow. I don’t know what to expect from these anarchist types, that’s all.’
‘Would it help to talk about it?’
‘Hmm... could I just rest my head on your chest instead? That would cheer me up a lot. I’d still be listening, if you want to talk about your stuff.’
* * *
‘So, overall, it’s a kind of holistic thing,’ Rhianna said half an hour later. ‘I’ve always, like, believed in extra-sensory
Mark Twelve jerked upright in a flurry of limbs. ‘Ben the Builder. He’s one of the best-connected thugs in the robot underworld. They say that if there’s a card game, or a shadar-race – Ben can fix it.’
‘Yes, he can,’ Bill Sticker growled.
‘It is he who requires fixing now,’ Suruk said. He smiled.
‘Thank you,’ Smith said. He nodded to Suruk. The alien lifted the robot pickpocket, looked it over, and tossed it on the ground. It scurried over to hide behind Sticker. Suruk shrugged. ‘It has no skull. You are welcome to it.’
Smith said, ‘Well then, it sounds as if we know where to go to find these people. I’m sure these Cranes won’t be a problem. And now, we’ll leave you to your business.’
‘You’re most kind,’ said Mark Twelve. ‘Charmed to meet you. Goodbye, and be back soon, eh?’
* * *
It was almost time for bed. Isambard Smith opened his Civiliser, peered into the cylinder and closed it up again. He thought about reading up on Popular Fist, but he felt too tired. He sat down at the captain’s desk, which was currently covered in bits of model kit, and yawned.
‘Hey, Isambard. What do you think?’
He looked up, wondering what Rhianna wanted, and was astonished. She wore a dark blue skirt with a matching jacket and highly polished boots. Her hair was neatly tied back, and there was a strip of black ribbon around her neck.
‘Crikey!’ he said. ‘You look – well – jolly good, really.’
‘You think so?’ She pulled the skirt out and spun around. Smith felt a rush of pride that someone so attractive was walking out with him, and then hoped that it wasn’t too obvious. For one thing, letting one’s pride show wasn’t terribly British, and for another, it made walking uncomfortable. ‘You don’t think it’s too much? I mean, I have to wear proper shoes and everything.’
‘Well, it looks smashing. You should definitely keep it on. Unless you’re planning on taking it off, that is,’ he added, moving his eyebrows seductively.
Rhianna laughed, which wasn’t exactly what he’d intended. ‘I’m a bit tired, really. I’ve been thinking…’ she added thoughtfully, and Smith felt a flash of terror that she had been thinking about ‘us’, ‘… about my psychic powers.’
‘Good-oh.’
‘Do you know what a premonition is?’
‘Yes. It’s a little word, like a or the .’
‘It’s when you see something bad in the future. I’ve got an amazing gift, but I don’t know how to use it for good.’ She walked into the room. ‘Do you remember when that Edenite high-priest tried to kill us all, and I made him die?’
‘Absolutely. That was brilliant.’
‘Was it? Really?’
‘Of course. He got eaten by space frogs. Served the evil bugger right.’
‘But I was, like, responsible for his death.’
‘Nonsense, old girl. All you did was knowingly direct him into a room full of killer frogs. He could have got out of there and learned his lesson. But he stayed.’
‘Because we locked him in.’
‘Well, he had a gun. And he was very rude about Carveth. All that “Whore of Babylon” stuff. I know she’s hardly a nun, but I won’t stand by when women are being mistreated, or horses, or any other animals. If anyone’s got blood on their hands, it’s the killer frogs. Except it was mainly on their teeth. A right mess, now I think about it. Anyhow, they’re gone, so’s he, and everything’s fine. Where was I?’
She was quiet for a moment. Then she said, ‘You’re worried too, aren’t you?’
‘Only about tomorrow. I don’t know what to expect from these anarchist types, that’s all.’
‘Would it help to talk about it?’
‘Hmm... could I just rest my head on your chest instead? That would cheer me up a lot. I’d still be listening, if you want to talk about your stuff.’
* * *
‘So, overall, it’s a kind of holistic thing,’ Rhianna said half an hour later. ‘I’ve always, like, believed in extra-sensory
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