Page 66 of Godslayer
She points to the plate. “It sure looks like Clara to me. And there’s only one way to find out for sure.” She looks me dead in the eyes. “We’ll go check.”
She turns, and I turn with her, but that’s as far as we get because there is a man standing in the doorway watching us.
Jasina lets off a surprised squeal, taking a few steps back.
I pull her behind me, quickly assessing the man and who he might be. He’s tall, has neat hair. Neat clothes—a kind of black suit, though it’s a weird style I’ve never seen before. And he’s smiling at us. Like he’s amused.
“Hello,” I say, taking a step forward and extending my hand. Jasina is clutching the back of my shirt, but lets go when I move. “I’m sorry. We got lost.”
The man laughs. “Did you now?” His accent is strange. I can understand him just fine, but all the words are pronounced funny.
“We were… on the train. And got lost. Wrong stop.”
“Is that so?”
I’m not quite sure what to make of him. Is he unhappy that we’re here? “We didn’t mean to invade your office—if that’s what this is.” I pan a hand at the room. “We’ll be leaving now.”
I take another step, but he doesn’t move back. And he’s blocking the door, so… “Or… well… we can stay if you like.”
“I would,” he replies. “I think we have a lot to talk about.”
I want to confer with Jasina about this, but she’s not making any kind of move to come out from behind me. And she’s the kind of woman that would insert herself into the conversation without hesitation if she had something to say. So she obviously doesn’t.
“Um.” I shrug. “OK. But we’re in a rush. So unfortunately?—”
“Mr. Scott, please don’t insult my intelligence. I know who you are and you aren’t in a rush. Your only purpose here is to blow up Extraction Towers along the bright line.”
I instantly become annoyed. But then, confused. “Bright line?” Because the only reference I have for this phrase comes from the words I recite during Extraction ceremonies.
A line so bright in the dead sandy world that resides outside the safety of these walls. That is what we are. We are what’s left of the human race after the Great Sweep and every day that we exist is a blessing bestowed upon us by the god who resides inside the tower behind me.
“You’re…” I suddenly can’t breathe.
He tilts his head at me, questioning. “I’m…?”
“You’re the god. The god of this… factory?”
He sighs. “Like I said, we have a lot to talk about. Now, if you’re quite done with your excuses,please.” He steps aside, waving his hand at the door, inviting me to walk through it.
This is when I realize he didn’t come alone.
Because behind him is a whole group of those workers. Blank white faces, gleaming white bodies, and every single one of them is holding a weapon. I might not know what these weapons are called or how they work, or what they do—but there is no doubt in my mind that we do not want to find out.
So what choice do I have?
I turn, take Jasina’s hand, whisper, “It’s OK. We’ll be OK.” And then I lead her through the door.
Jasinaand I walk side by sidedown the corridor with the god. Half of the workers behind us, the other half in front of us, leading the way.
We are not led back the way Jasina and I came, instead we exit the Matron tower and walk along a debris-laden pathway that runs along the tertiary canal just outside. We cross a bridge, then another, finally coming out between the Maiden Tower and a cluster of shops.
Here, the god overtakes us, leading the way towards the God’s Tower.
We follow, obviously.
We’re going up the steps when Jasina squeezes my hand, whispering, “We’re going inside.”
Indeed, we are. Because we climb all the way up the steps to the God’s Tower Stage and head straight for those giant, black double doors. They swing open before we arrive, and even though I don’t gasp out loud the way Jasina does, I’m feeling the same awe.
