Read Online The Machine's Child by Kage Baker - Free Book Online

“You came for Mendoza. Yes, I remember that one. Funny, though, you know? In all the ages I’ve been here, not once has the Company ever called any of them back. This is a little unusual.”
    “So is Mendoza,” said Edward. “As I daresay you must have discovered.”
    “Yes indeed.” Marco pushed back from the table and stood. “Crome Girl. How did
she
ever slip by their notice? I bet somebody thinks they’ve found a way to harness Crome’s, huh? So they need her back for experiments?”
    “Something like that,” Edward said.
    “Well, well.” Marco sidled off toward the racks of shelves. “Let’s go see if we can find her.”
    The racks were no closer together than bookshelves in a library, but Marco was so wide he was obliged to turn sideways as he went along between them. Edward followed slowly, acutely aware of the possibilities of a trap. He had the exit at his back, at least, and Marco was at a comparative disadvantage in that he had very little room. So intent was Edward on planning his strike that it did not register on him that they were not walking past cell doors: only steel coffins.
    It registered on Alec and Nicholas, though, pulled along unwillingly as they were. Alec began to curse. Nicholas stumbled after him in silence. Then he cried out and froze, arresting their progress until Edward yanked them on again.
    What the shrack is it?
Alec turned to him.
    I made this place!
Nicholas looked horrified.
    What?
    Thy Spirit said it. I testified in the flame where I burned, and set in motion this long coil, this hellish circumstance that bore this Company!
    Lad, it ain’t true. And even if it was, now ain’t the time to think about it.
    All this place is mine,
said Nicholas as though he hadn’t heard the Captain,
and none but I set her on the path that led her here.
He stared along the narrow aisle, row upon row of steel coffins, and heard now clearly the faint terrible sounds that came from within them. The coffins bore brass plates engraved with the names of their occupants, just as though they were intended to be tidily buried.
    They came to the very end of the long passage, far from the light, and Marco groped in the shadows and dust. “She ought to be around here somewhere,” he said. He pulled out a box, peered at the name. “No . . .”
    Edward, lad, this is where we do it. He can’t get away to either side!
    I know. Let him find her first.
    “Hold on,” grunted Marco, dropping into a crouch. “Here she is, down on the floor.”
    Now, son, now!
    “The Botanist Mendoza,” said Marco with satisfaction, pulling out a box.
    It was no more than three feet long.
    Nicholas moaned, and Alec hid his mouth with his hands. Edward stared, unbelieving: but there was the brass plate, and as Marco brushed the dust away Edward saw plainly that the name engraved on it was mendoza.
    “I’d almost forgotten she was back here,” said Marco, wiping off cobwebs. “She got too dangerous to work on. I don’t think I’ve touched her in the last nine centuries, to be honest.”
    “H-how long?” said Edward.
    Marco looked up into his white face.
    An infinite second passed. Edward could hear the Captain cursing, in a really astonishing way for an artificial intelligence. There’d been confusion over the transit entry date, hadn’t there?
Take your best guess,
he’d told the Captain.
    “Ohh,” Marco said, as his eyes began to fill with horrific mirth. “
Now
I know who you are.”
    Edward, for God’s sake shoot him!
    But Edward, just at that moment, wanted to die.
    “You’re her mortal lover,” said Marco, gloating. “Oh, yes, I know about you. I get all their life stories, you know, in our long sessions together. All the intimate details. All the little secrets. I open their hearts, you could say, I get to know them all so well. I knew
her
! Would you like to know how intimately?
    “Look, here she is.” He grinned, holding up the box. “Still waiting for you. Quite a romantic rendezvous,