Un Lun Dun - China Mieville [131]
The smell grew stronger and stronger.
“The workshop was on a top floor,” Deeba said when they reached some stairs. “And…” She sniffed. “There’s more smoke up there.”
“There’s definitely something up there,” said Lectern nervously. Noises of cackling, and gobbling, and animated talking were audible in the stairwell.
The infiltrators ascended, to a closed door. It was from behind that that the sounds were coming. The Smog-stench was thick.
Deeba listened. There were several voices emanating from behind the wood, and they were talking over each other, interrupting and finishing each other’s sentences, in aggressive, boisterous chat.
“I bet you there are six of them,” whispered Jones.
“Oh no,” said the book. “It’s true, the Smog is working with them. That’s the Hex.”
“…long are we going to be waiting?” roared one of the voices.
“Hush—”
“—up, Aye-Aye.”
“Soon, Brolly man says.”
“He says, Ivv.”
“King Smogra’s roaring around, to put the wind up ’em, make everyone practice with brollies—”
“—and tomorrow he’ll move them all around.”
“So what are we, Vee?”
“Don’t you ever pay attention? We’re helping with removals, Vee-Aye.”
“Brolly and Smogula haven’t decided yet, Broll says.”
“They dunno how long they can get away—”
“—get away yourself, AyeAyeAye!”
“Shut up! Get away persuading the UnLondoners that Unbrell and Smog-enstein are enemies.”
“They are enemies! Hasn’t Brollwah clocked that yet? He’s nothing with his poxy shields. Smogzilla don’t need him.”
“And he thinks it was all his idea! Silly hombre!”
“Its Smokeliness has other plans.”
“Not that the Brollington Prime realizes it. He did well to get the Propheseers on his side, though.”
“Yes. I seen them here.”
“Pay attention! They think Unstibulus is one of them, Ivv!”
“Don’t know he’s…puppet.”
The voices snickered.
“My, they’re going to be unhappy…”
“The Concern?”
“Propheseers! And the Concern.”
“How’d it get so strong so fast? I remember when the Smogtopus was just a wee little puff of stink. Now it’s all over the place in bits and bigger than ever…”
“Been feeding, ain’t it?”
“Suckling on chimney teats. They been sending down gunk-smoke from that other place.”
“The weird version of UnLondon? Lodno, ain’t it?”
“Something like that, Vee-Aye. Anyway, they been feeding Smogli. On the quiet.”
“Where is unbrella man anyway?”
“Things are going wrong, ain’t they? Trouble all over.”
“Hence no one here for supper?”
“Yes, what is all this for?”
“What, the spread? Broll meant it for a meeting with the Concern, tonight. Plans over repast.”
“Not happening.”
“No, things a smidge too chaotic for them to get here.”
“People are up and arguing early! He’s off like a bat-squid here and there, trying to stop trouble. There’s fighting! People not doing as told and clearing off when Smogus comes on!”
“Shouldn’t we be out, scary as bugbears, then? To frit them?”
“No need to frantic. Smogosaurus ain’t concerned. Preparing still.”
“I don’t think it’s caring if Unbrell’s having a bad night.”
“Don’t care at all.”
There was unpleasant tittering.
“They’re just nasty,” whispered Deeba. “How are we going to get past? Can we face them?”
“Absolutely not,” hissed Lectern. “They’re the Hex. Most powerful magickers in UnLondon. Each of them was strong originally. Two were Propheseers, a long time ago. But since they joined into one…No we can’t face them.”
There was a pause.
“So what do we do?” said Deeba.
“You know a funny thing?” whispered Obaday, his ear to the door. The utterlings mimicked him: locust, little man, and him, the three of them pressed up close.
“Maybe I could try to lure them out here one by one,” said Jones.
“There are six, right?” said Obaday.
“That’s crazy, Jones,” said Deeba. “They’d never buy it. We have to try to find another way round.”
“Well,” said Obaday, “I’ve been listening carefully, and I can only count five voices in there.”
One by one, Deeba and her companions stopped speaking, and turned to Obaday.
Whistling jauntily and doing up his fly, a man sauntered around the corner towards them. He was very tall and fleshy, and he