The Ascendant Stars - Michael Cobley [49]
‘Ah, the admiral’s disciple. You proved more competent than I originally anticipated. Perhaps I should have killed you first.’
The facing chairs were placed in some kind of alcove next to a raised platform walkway. The Clarified Sendrukan wore a close-fitting green uniform with blue highlights. Kao Chih saw that additional restraints held chest, waist and head in place. He did not know what the Clarified meant, but he was ready with a rejoinder.
‘In one’s fondest imaginings,’ he said, ‘one may wish for much, only to find that reality is somewhat unaccommodating.’
‘Impertinence,’ murmured the Sendrukan. ‘How tiresome.’ He looked up to a point behind and above Kao Chih. ‘Lord-General, I’m afraid that it is time I was leaving. Would you have my shuttle made ready?’
‘You are ours now,’ came a dry, raspy voice that spoke with calm deliberation. ‘Upon your re-emergence from the caul you will cherish the way of dust and treasure the chains of obedience.’
The Sendrukan grinned widely. ‘I fear that you are mistaken.’ As he tipped his head back, dark lines appeared on his neck, extending up the sides of his head to his hairless scalp. Kao Chih’s curious stare turned to one of horror as the dark lines began to smoke and a dull redness glowed through the charring flesh. Small tremors in the Sendrukan’s limbs quickly became convulsive spasms, and a nauseating smell filled the air.
The grotesque display ended with a prolonged moment of locked muscles before something gave and the Sendrukan slumped slightly in the chair, muscles now relaxed, wisps of smoke or steam rising from blackened eyes and mouth. A bulky humanoid form swathed in dark robes trudged into view, went up to the body and with odd thick fingers examined and prodded it. A flexible probelike device was produced to test the mouth and ears.
‘Death, High One,’ the examiner pronounced. ‘As predicted.’
‘Wheel it over to the Bonecarrier. Have the Caulmaster scrape its mindflesh for any vestiges.’
The robed figure tipped the dead Sendrukan’s chair back on wheels Kao Chih hadn’t noticed before, and pushed it away. Heavy footsteps began on the platform behind him, moved round and approached from the left. An imposing figure came into view, a tall man clad head to foot in a strange grey armour, the one whom the Sendrukan had called Lord-General. At first glance the whole assemblage appeared thoroughly archaic, like something from Earth history, from medieval Europa. But a closer look revealed telling details: the bulky, segmented breastplate was attached to the backplate with what seemed to be leather straps, as were the arm and leg armour sections. And in the shadowy gaps between Kao Chih could see gleaming machine parts and flexing spirals of shielded cabling.
From atop a thick neck, a long, thin, almost cadaverous face regarded him. There was a slight ridge of a nose ending in a pair of slits over the lipless, expressionless mouth. The skin was ash-pale and had an odd sheen to it, just like the large, bare hands. A straight-sided helmet enclosed the head, with two spiky adornments jutting up from either temple. The eyes stared out from sunken sockets and Kao Chih thought he saw a mournful sadness in them. For a moment.
‘Another Human,’ said the Lord-General. ‘My hearkeners tell me that there are thousands of your kind aboard those other ships, the ones that fled. Is this true?’
Kao Chih offered up a silent prayer to his honourable ancestors before answering.
‘Regrettably, I can neither confirm or deny such matters,’ he said. ‘I spent most of my time in my stateroom playing trichess … ’
‘Your defiance earns you no honour.’ Those big, ash-grey hands clenched. ‘Hear me – I am Lord-General Zhyrac of the Shyntanil Twice-Born, commander of the Stone Breath regiment, over-captain of the warcraft Bonecarrier. You are ours now. Soon you will be placed in