The Ascendant Stars - Michael Cobley [127]
‘I see,’ said Harry. ‘Is it too steep a problem?’
‘Did I say that? Did I say it was too steep?’ Nicodemus was staring maniacally. ‘Too steep for me? … well, actually it is but I haven’t survived this long in the Glow without accumulating a posse of workaholic wannabes and savants … behold.’
He raised a hand to point at the shadowy end of the room, which lit up to reveal that the room now stretched on for another similar length, with desks lining both sides. And at the desks sat another six or seven Nicodemuses: one was female, one was tall and burly, while the rest were variations on squat, stocky, flabby and bald. But they all wore long grey coats and black rubbery goggles. A couple of them waved.
Nicodemus’s grin was a mixture of fatherly pride and energised anticipation as he faced them.
‘My emulating offspring,’ he said. ‘Your dedication is noted. I am pleased to tell you that we have been set a well-paid task that will require every sweat-faraday, every elbow-tesla that you can muster. This, my febrile progeny, will be a brainburner!’
The Nicodemoids broke into fervent applause and whoops of delight. Harry and Julia exchanged a nonplussed look.
Nicodemus turned back to them. ‘We now have to get down to it, so in the meantime amuse yourselves with any of the screen stuff. If you say “music” it’ll offer a selection of toe-tappers old and ancient; if you say “veeshows” it’ll show you something involving serious amounts of guns, and if you say “pretty colours” – well, I’m sure you catch the notion.’ He started buttoning up his coat with theatrical élan. ‘This may take some time but not so much that you should start worrying.’
So saying, he marched off to join his posse, and a moment later that half of the long narrow room was swallowed in shadow once more.
Julia was in the grip of both unease and irritation. ‘Can we trust this man? Is he even sane?’
Harry gave her an amused look. ‘I would have thought that eccentric characters like our host would have been a regular feature of the Enhanced subculture.’
She shook her head. ‘The emphasis was always on rational behaviour since it determined how we were perceived by the ordinary people. It was ingrained into us over and over – don’t frighten the norms.’ She glanced at the dark end of the room. ‘Anyone openly eccentric was generally seen as a danger to the project’s profile.’
‘Well, the Glow is the ultimate metropolitan culture,’ Harry said. ‘Since anyone can look like anything, eccentric behaviour isn’t so much accepted as positively expected. But remember – all exters are masks in one way or another … ’
Abruptly, the far end of the room lit up again and Nicodemus came staggering towards them, leaning on the desks for support. Head down, he seemed to be panting and shaking.
‘Is something wrong?’ Julia said, halfway out of her seat.
She paused when she realised that Nicodemus was laughing almost uncontrollably.
‘Those … crazy little phreaks! – even when they’re on down time their scarred brainpans are frying up some mélange of delicious loonery. A choir of lab mice gentekked up with the president’s face, indeed!’
‘Nicodemus, I don’t understand,’ Julia said. ‘Why are you back so soon?’
‘So soon?’ Nicodemus loomed over her with wide staring eyes. ‘My dear lady lion, my minions and I have been hard at work on this conundrum for eight stark shrieking hours! Show some gratitude, if you will … ’
‘Eight hours … ’
‘Eight subjective hours,’ Harry said quickly. ‘Hence brain-burner!’
‘Correctamundo, tiger-boy,’ said Nicodemus. ‘This is my own little citadel in the Glow, well, not strictly speaking part of the Glow, more a handcrafted extension built onto the side of it.’ He struck a pose, outstretched hand sweeping around. ‘Here I determine the limits and the depths and the heights, so when I took my meme-kids into the crucible of your predicament we cranked up the subjective ratio and really got our neural oatmeals simmering!’
‘So you have a plan,’ Julia said, keeping her annoyance from showing.
Nicodemus held up his fingers, thumbs hidden.
‘Eight individual targets,