Menagerie - Martin Day [12]
Zaitabor sat down and brought his fingertips together in front of his face. 'I have always advocated that the City Guard should be introduced to our techniques of training and discipline.' He extended a broad palm towards the Captain, before bringing his fingers together in a tight fist.
'Give me a boy for a few weeks, and I'll show you the man within.'
'The knights are rightly feared throughout the city.'
'Feared? No, "respected" is surely a better word,' smiled Zaitabor with grey contempt. 'But you did not come here to discuss training.'
'Indeed,' agreed Oiquaquil. 'I would, however, request that the knights aid us wherever possible.'
'Of course,' smiled Zaitabor. 'Although this assumes that the creatures will emerge again.'
'You believe that they will not?' asked Oiquaquil.
'Who can say?' replied Zaitabor. 'But the retribution of the knights will soon be obvious to all.' His voice lowered to a conspiratorial whisper. 'Better, of course, to take our swords to the creatures than stand idly waiting for their next attack.
The creatures are dumb brutes, mere vermin. We will obliterate them. We will be held in even greater respect than before.'
'The populace believe that these creatures are merely the first that we should expect from the Menagerie of Ukkazaal,' said Oiquaquil in a quavering voice.
'Expect?' asked Zaitabor, his voice becoming harder.
'What do you mean, Captain?'
'The legends ... The legends are clear.'
'The legends should not concern us. They are a phantom of so-called history. We have no need for legends.'
'But the stories are . . .'
'The stories are not to be trusted! Whatever may have prompted the tales cannot affect us now.'
'But the prophecies clearly state that scientific research shall be punished by the creatures from the Menagerie —'
'You brazen fool!' Zaitabor rose as if to strike Oiquaquil.
'You sound like one of the Brotherhood of Rexulon!'
Oiquaquil's face blanched at the words. 'Commander, I . .
. I assure you I have no sympathy for the brothers and their terrible aims. The knights must remain immutable if our city is to survive and —'
'The brotherhood must be rooted out and destroyed,'
interjected Zaitabor. 'They have encouraged these macabre tales.'
'Indeed, Commander,' nodded Oiquaquil hastily.
Zaitabor walked to the window, and stared down into the city. From the great Kuabris towers it looked like a smoking refuse heap, damped down by drizzle. Zaitabor pointed across to the buildings and chimneys of the Furnace, the red bricks blackened by soot, the walkways clogged by slag-heaps, tumbling piles of coal and forests of chopped timber.
'The Furnace and the buildings like it in other cities are the only exceptions to our opposition to disgraced, fiendish science. Rest assured that other projects, any unlicensed scientists, all dissent — all will be crushed by the knights.'
He turned back to the Captain, and fixed him with a level gaze. 'And remember, too, that the brotherhood, and its sympathizers, will be annihilated. Their wives, their children — they too will be purged.' He smiled. 'There is no other way.'
The Captain rose to his feet, and reached for his cape.
'Please be assured that my men will hunt down the brotherhood, and will continue to seek the faithless scientists.'
'I am grateful for your continued dedication,' smiled Zaitabor. 'Your concerns have been noted. I will inform you when we have made progress against the creatures from the sewers.'
'Thank you, noble Commander. I have taken quite enough of your time. I too have matters to attend to.' Oiquaquil shuffled towards the door, half-bowing before the Commander, who seemed distracted once more.
'Goodbye,' said Zaitabor, staring out of the window once more at the fluttering electric lights.
As Oiquaquil closed the door he heard