Chapter 17: The World Through a Cracked Lens

 Juniusey at least was honest with her promise. Two crossbow armed men had carried me down and sprawled my limp body atop the courtyard sundial-- to be ironic because of my astronomy background or simply to keep me from getting trampled, I was never sure. It wasn’t till the coiled serpent started shooting jets of steam from the exposed pipes peppering its body and began rumbling in a menacing undertone that I was rescued by Bardrakeu and Garsa, who had just come back from Bardrakeu’s father’s estate with their own weapons. 

 Realizing my weapons had been taken off me, I asked them to wait just inside the Natural Philosophy building while I went to Tulonan’s office to retrieve my personal sword.

 I tried the door and found it locked, but I had anticipated the need for my blade and had packed the office key in my bag when I’d left for the campus that morning. Opening the door, I heard a startled exclamation from Tulonan. The office looked empty, but further searching revealed the astronomy instructor and Eshendisa  crouched down behind his desk and huddling in terror. 

 “Tulonan,” I said, “it’s just me, Syndeeka.”

 He and Eshendisa nervously pulled their heads up and stared at me. They both rose to their feet and Tulonan took my arms into his pudgy hands, ignoring the blood on my clothes.

 “Syndeeka,” he replied, “I’m so happy to see you. Do you realize what’s going on out there?”

 He looked to the arched window where I could see the cosmic serpent slowly uncoiling. Around the automaton were clusters of men, women, and children-- some running for safety, but many writhing on the flagstones.

 I sighed. “Yes. I came to retrieve my sword… and probably also my skiff. Hopefully, I can stop that thing.”

 Tulonan’s eyebrows rose. “You skiff?”

 I stepped over to the window and knelt down to retrieve my watercraft and my steel. “They’re taking the serpent to the palace to kill the Emperor. The only way of getting there in a timely manner is to use the aqueduct.”

 Tulonan, followed closely by Eshendisa, walked to the edge of the window. “You mean that metal monster can float?”

 I buckled my sheathed weapon to my hip belt, wrapped my fingers around the skiff’s crossbar, and stood. “Suhodetan must have designed it to be able to move on water. Otherwise, it would make for a very impractical weapon. I’ve sailed on some big, heavy ships in my day, and their bulk has always been enough to displace the water to keep them afloat.”

 I stepped away from the window and crossed the room to the door.

 “Syndeeka,” said Tulonan.

 I turned to him. “Yes?”

 “Should Eshendisa and I stay here for now?”

 I let a sigh hiss through my front teeth. “Um, I suppose. Maybe the two of you had the right idea crouching behind the desk.”

 Looking for the office key, I dipped my hand into my bag and felt something which jogged my memory. 

 “Oh,” I said. “Yes. I forgot. I’d told your assistant there I’d return your spyglass. I would have given it to her before, but I wasn’t sureif I’d need it or not.”

 I grabbed the wooden cylinder, pulled it from the bag, and tossed it to Tulonan.

 He managed a clumsy catch in his cradling arms. He examined the spyglass before looking up at me and saying: “The main lens is cracked.”

 It was like an ice cloak had descended onto my shoulders, briefly negating the numbness I’d been feeling since my time in the king’s chamber.

 “Is it? I’m sorry, Tulonan. I suppose I should have just handed it to you, Eshendisa, when we met earlier. I’ll pay for a new lens…if I’m still around.”

 Tulonan gave me a sad smile. “Thank you, Syndeeka.”

 I touched my fingers to the door handle. “Uh…no, you don’t need to thank me. I know one can’t see the world clearly through a cracked lens.”

 I stared at the floor.

 “She died today,” I closed my eyes to clear away tears, “my best friend.”

 Eshendisa inhaled deeply. “Mala?”

 I opened the door and stepped out.

 It seemed a safe assumption that the automaton would move more slowly on land than water, so I convinced Bardrakeu and Garsa to help me remove stricken people from the mechanical monster’s path. Since the aqueduct and the main gate were on the campus’s north end, we started dragging Eqoci who lay in that direction. By now, the drug had fully set in  so most of the intoxicated citizens were prone and not likely to hit or kick us as we pulled them out of harm’s way. The sheer numbers of victims made this a seemingly impossible task, but the three of us were soon joined by about ten healthy men inspired by our example.

 Meanwhile, the big, heavy serpent had finished unwinding from its coil and was crawling forward on what appeared to be flipper-like paddles that had emerged from its underside. As the beast slowly but inevitably barreled down on us it looked for all the world like a great green centipede, but for the whip-like swaying of its hind regions and the scaly reptilian head staring down at us from a long neck. Standing atop that head and working the tall iron levers was a huge masked and cloaked man in black. At his side (and looking for all the world like a little girl in gray) was his duplicitous aunt, Juniusey.     

 Behind them on some of the curving flanks of the serpent were cloaked, masked men who I assumed came with Medon in his balloon. They brandished crossbows as they surveyed the crowd. I knew they were going to be an obstacle when I finally gave chase.

 Although I didn’t have a leather harness for carrying my skiff like a backpack the way some students did, I still managed to secure it to my back by running my sword belt under the boat’s crossbeam and then tightening the belt a few notches. Then I slid the paddle down the back of my shirt. It wasn’t the most comfortable fit, but I needed to free my arms up if I was going to try saving the lives of drugged patrons. 

 Moving limp but living bodies was taxing on my muscles, especially since I had the skiff weighing me down, but that monstrous machine was bearing down on us. Already, some unfortunate people had been caught in the snake’s wake and I could only watch in horror as their forms were crushed under its metal fins like plump wineskins.

 It was as I was tugging on the arms of a little brown girl in a yellow dress that the grinning muzzle of the serpent overwhelmed my vision. I could hear the hissing of steam jets and the metallic thud of fins as the automaton’s massive bulk cast me into shadow.

 There were maybe ten feet between me and the automaton, and Bardrakeu closed that distance by half when he stepped in front of me, unhooking his loaded crossbow from a leather strap on his back and aiming the weapon at the Sepulchral Giant. I was convinced Medon’s archers would take my friend down before he could lose the arrow shaft, but the giant simply yanked on a lever. 

 A thundering bang echoed through the courtyard, followed by the deafening hiss of steam. We soon were engulfed in a hot, wet cloud of white mist. Bardrakeu, now a hazy silhouette, turned about in confusion. Then a metal ratcheting sound assaulted my ears. 

 Knowing something was up, I finished pulling the young girl to safety and then stood to the side, waiting. Through the curtain of white I saw a great mass rising. Everything was bathed in darkness and I stared up. It towered above us like some long forgotten cobra god.

 “Bardrakeu,” I yelled, “run!”

 Bardrakeu sprinted in the direction of my voice, his hazy features becoming distinct. Suddenly, those features were lit from above and we both stared behind us at a flickering orange light illuminating the serpent’s face. It was a shimmering ball of fire dancing in the creature’s now open jaws. In an instant, it shot out in a jet of flame. The mist was burnt away, giving us a clear view of the carnage as still unconscious people’s bodies were incinerated by the reptilian machine’s fiery breath. 

 Bardrakeu and I resumed our sideways run to escape the shaft of fire as it began oscillating back and forth in a fanning motion. We stumbled between the rows of columns in front of one of the buildings and kept running till we were at the very end of the colonnade. Hiding behind a column, we looked at each other. 

 “What do we do now?” asked Bardrakeu, panting.

 I wiped sweat out of my eyes with the back of my hand. “Just wait here a few minutes. It’s heading for the main gate, so I assume it’s clearing away any heroic types such as yourself.”

 Bardrakeu turned his head and stared down the length of the colonnade where we both saw the snake on the other side settle back onto its belly before resuming its journey.

 He looked to me with wide, frightened eyes. “By the Lord and the Lady and all the other gods. These truly are fanatics. How many innocent people have they killed today? It was bad enough when they took poor Nebiat’s life, but this--”

 “Nebiat was one of them.”

 “What?” His face grew incredulous. “I don’t believe that. And anyway, how would you know?”

 I didn’t dare mention I was partly responsible for his death. Nebiat had a sweetness of heart, a grace, and a sense of decency. I understood why Bardrakeu would deny my words. 

 I sighed with a deep sadness. “It’s better if I don’t tell you right now. We have a lot of work to do. Just know that your old friend was indeed a good man, but he fell in with dangerous people.”

 Bardrakeu looked at the ground and squeezed his eyes shut, then slowly returned his gaze to me. “Nebiat was loyal to my father. I know he shared in our cause.”

 “He did. But he followed a more destructive path.” I placed my thumb and finger to my eyes, trying to rub away moisture. “I’m afraid Mala did, too.”

 “Did?” Bardrakeu stepped to my side and touched my shoulder. “Where is she now?”

 What could I say? With Mother Spider? With the Celestial Lord and Lady? With a long-dead king in a watery tomb…?

 I filled my lungs with air and looked at him. “Come on. We have business to attend to.”

 The main gate was open for the celebrants so the snake had no trouble exiting the campus and making its short trek to the aqueduct. 

 Garsa, Bardrakeu, and I stepped out of the campus grounds and stared at the trail leading from the academy. Already the steam-belching monster was wriggling its way to the waterway. 

 I turned to my young companions. “Do you two know how to operate a skiff?”

 “I used to have one,” said Garsa, “so I know how to navigate the waters.”

 “I don’t,” said Bardrakeu, frowning.

 I placed my hand on his arm. “Then stay here and help the survivors, Bardrakeu.”

 Bardrakeu gave the serpent a nervous glance. “You don’t understand, Syndeeka. My father’s at the palace. The whole Senate is required to attend the Ceremony of the Equinox.”

 “Can’t they all just evacuate the palace?”

 “Fodineo Quabeno won’t let them. He always locks all the exits because he thinks it’s bad luck to let anyone leave before the ceremonies are over.”

 I exhaled a whistling breath through my lips. “I’d think a huge monster attacking the palace would be enough bad luck.”

 I placed my hand on the side of my face.

 “What about the dungeons below the palace?” I finally asked. “When I’d first met the Emperor, it wasn’t on the best of terms. He’d kept me imprisoned below the palace. That is until I saved his life from another one of Suhodetan’s automatons.”

 Bardrakeu’s face took on a look of shock. “Have you been working for him all this time?”

 I cleared my throat. “Yes. I’m afraid so. But only to eliminate the Sepulchral Giant. I’m no admirer of the Deity Imperator.”

 “We should go,” said Garsa, pointing to the serpent.

 “Bardrakeu,” I said, adjusting the skiff on my back, “we’ll do everything in our power to save your father.”