By the Feet of Men Read online

  ‘Our efforts to combat the disease were initially unsuccessful. We could slow the spread of the bruising, but the internal bleeding was something else.’ Lupo paused. ‘My daughter, too, fell ill. She was part of the first group.’ He sighed and shook his head. ‘But this isn’t relevant. Three weeks ago we made a breakthrough. We created a serum, a coagulant that stimulates platelet activation, combined with a sedative that places the patient into an induced coma. We tested it. The serum reversed the effects after two days. After coming out of the coma, the patient made a complete recovery.’

  Lupo rested his hands against the table and squeezed his eyes shut. Cassady watched him. The man was a step away from diving off the deep end. Italy to Prestige in six days, all while injured. He wasn’t sure he could believe it.

  ‘I apologise,’ he said in the same thin voice. ‘I am still somewhat short of energy. After we concluded the tests, we found we had enough supplies for only two more patients. We used them immediately. For days afterwards we travelled far and wide looking for supplies, but we failed. Eventually we realised we would have to go further north. I and three others volunteered to go. While we prepared, our head researcher reported to sick bay with a bruise on her arm. We left that afternoon. When we made it to the walled zone around the Alps, we split up. We were supposed to rendezvous on the other side, but I was the only one waiting.

  ‘I continued alone. At a settlement in your south, I spoke to a Runner who directed me to Prestige. This is where I found Faustine. She believed my story and agreed to help. The medication is now ready to be delivered. It must be brought to La Talpa while there is still time. If we lose more people, it might take years for the machine to be completed. Many of us have dedicated our lives to it. When it is finished it will work, I promise you. It is the best chance we have of removing the burden our ancestors gave us to carry.’

  The sound of more ANFO being detonated drifted over the plateau. Mosquitoes staked their claim in mahogany flesh. None of the Runners moved or looked at one another. It was as though asking a question would turn fiction into reality. Cassady waited a few beats longer and then took the plunge.

  ‘You made it through the Alps?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘How? It’s impregnable.’

  ‘No longer. I passed through almost without detection. The route I took was difficult, but passable. There was much snow, but few soldiers.’

  Cassady narrowed his eyes. ‘The temperature is too high for snow.’

  ‘Outside the zone, yes. Not inside. For years the corporations that set up shop there had the best geo-engineers in the world working to find ways to sidestep the Change. Until they tried to enslave us, we too had an agreement with them to help develop their technologies. They deploy drones to draw a sulphur dioxide blanket above the mountains. It reflects enough sunlight to keep the snowpack in place. They have wind barriers, artificial trees, clouds that block out the sun, fan walls, protected biotopes. A huge number of different technologies that allow them to maintain a steady pre-Change climate, more or less.’

  ‘My mother worked on some of these projects,’ murmured Katarina. A lock of hair fell across her eyes and she swept it back. ‘You say ‘They.’ Are the corporations still around?’

  ‘No. They merged a long time ago. They’re called the Koalition now,’ said Lupo. ‘And the Koalition controls the zone and everything in it.’

  A snort came from Victor. Here, at least, was something he could dismiss. ‘The Koalition is a myth.’

  ‘Somebody is running things behind that wall,’ said Ghazi.

  ‘The Koalition is a name people throw around because they ain’t got a clue what’s actually going on down there.’

  Lupo wheezed. ‘I assure you it is not.’

  ‘Yeah, and maybe that knock on the head screwed you up a little.’

  Brandt straightened up and squared his shoulders. ‘Show some respect.’

  Victor’s smile vanished. ‘You ain’t running things here, old man.’

  Brandt’s lip twitched. ‘Do you wish to test me?’ Cassady watched them size each other up. The kid didn’t seem unsettled by Brandt’s size. The quieter one, Tagawa, kept his attention on Renfield, who looked on with amusement as though the whole scene was being staged just for him.

  ‘It wouldn’t be a test,’ said Victor.

  Brandt took a step forward. The younger man barely reached the top of his chest.

  ‘Not many young men on the road. Too arrogant and too foolish to survive for long.’

  ‘Pretty words. Make a move.’

  Before Brandt could react, Lupo rapped his cane on the table. The group’s attention returned to him.

  ‘I did not drive nearly two thousand kilometres to watch you beat your chests at one another. This matter is urgent. Please.’ He pointed at Brandt. ‘Now is not the time for this.’

  ‘He is right, Jürgen,’ said Katarina, placing a hand on his arm.

  Brandt’s features softened. ‘Klar. It isn’t a problem.’ He backed away from Victor and didn’t look at the boy again.

  Renfield chuckled, shaking his head. Then he became serious.

  ‘Let us assume, for argument’s sake, that the Koalition does exist. What does it want with the machine?’

  ‘They either want to destroy it or take it for themselves. The Koalition state exists because our world – the world beyond the walls it has constructed to keep out – is an unforgiving one. As long as they have water, food, structures and the rest, the Koalition’s rule is preferable for the people who live within its borders. But if we activate the machine, the land beyond the walls would become bountiful again. The Koalition’s alternate reality would become obsolete. And they would lose their grip on the people.’

  ‘How strong are the Koalition’s forces?’

  ‘I do not know.’

  ‘I have seen the wall,’ said Brandt. ‘And I saw no breaks. Only scorched earth and barbed wire and death.’

  ‘The walls in the south are unguarded. There is nothing left to watch over. My land is barren. There are few people still alive. Most, like us, live underground to escape the sand and the heat, and we leave only to scavenge and barter. We are not concerned with the Plato’s cave the Koalition has created.’

  ‘But what about the defences in the north?’ asked Katarina. ‘Anybody who drifts too close is dealt with.’

  Sergei crossed his massive arms across his chest and spoke up. ‘Some time ago, maybe. But it ain’t like that anymore. Most of the towers have been abandoned. They rely on old minefields, blockades, bunkers and other traps. The guards they have are for show, mostly.’

  ‘How do you know that?’ asked Ghazi.

  ‘Faustine has eyes everywhere. She’s been watching the wall for years. Just in case. People have made it in and out from time to time. Lupo here ain’t the only one.’

  ‘I ain’t buying that,’ said Victor.

  ‘I don’t give a damn what you’re buying,’ he growled.

  ‘Well,’ said Brandt, turning back to Lupo. ‘How many soldiers did you see?’

  ‘Except for one time, I saw their soldiers only from a distance. A few troop transports, some smaller four-wheeled vehicles. They mostly use drones to defend their lands and quell unrest.’

  ‘When did you see them up close?’

  ‘I ran a blockade at the northern border. I managed to break their line. This is where I was wounded. They followed me, but I escaped.’

  Cassady had to stop himself from reaching into his pouch for a stick of root. It was obvious what the man wanted from them. A movement from Hearst drew his attention. Her lips formed silent words as she looked at the floor. She did it when she wanted to be sure a sentence was correct. After a few moments she raised her head. ‘Whole state could be on alert.’

  ‘Probably,’ said Lupo.

  ‘You want a pantech to take supplies to your base.’

  ‘Not just one. I want all of you to go.’

  She made a clicking sound w
ith her tongue and her face wrinkled in disgust. Lupo continued, undaunted.

  ‘If a single machine leaves this camp and fails, my people will die. If four go, the chance is greater that one will be able to slip through.’

  Katarina folded her arms. ‘While the rest perish.’

  ‘The risk is high, certainly. The roads are dangerous. You will have to contend with extreme heat, extreme cold, unwanted attention, poor roads and people who want you dead. If the Koalition seizes the medicine, I believe they will attempt to hold us hostage. The machine in exchange for the lives that are left.’

  The heat was already advancing up the hill to the plateau, but Cassady’s brow was cold. Clammy palms left faint imprints on his khakis.

  ‘Is your base safe?’ asked Ghazi.

  ‘Yes. La Talpa is deep underground. It has never been discovered. The Koalition tried its best in the past, but did not succeed. Let me show you.’

  Sergei cracked the case and took out a large piece of paper, which he unfolded. It was a detailed map of the continent. Lupo placed a crude cotton map over the Alps area. The Runners crowded around the table on which their world was laid. Cassady followed the lines on the paper.

  ‘We are here,’ said Lupo, pointing at a spot in northern Germany. His finger drifted south until it hovered over the square of cotton. ‘I was able to cross the wall somewhere here. I am not sure where exactly. This line is the approximate route I took through the mountains. I was only able to make a rough sketch. The road is wide enough for your vehicles, though I presume there are others if you wish to find an alternative route. I also passed three abandoned settlements. These I have marked here, here and here.’

  He paused and gritted his teeth. He had to force the next words out. ‘Once you exit the zone, keep going. There is a single track bearing south. You should not encounter any difficulties. La Talpa is here. You will be intercepted on approach. They are expecting you. All you need is my name and the name of the settlement.’

  ‘Wanna take a break?’ asked Sergei. Lupo waved him away.

  Each Runner took their time consulting the map. Cassady’s eyes traced the crudely drawn lines. The intel was weak, the conditions beyond dangerous. Hearst grunted a couple of words that confirmed it.

  ‘Suicide mission.’

  Lupo’s response was immediate. ‘I still live.’

  ‘You were on a bike,’ said Katarina.

  ‘True. But this is why you are here. I asked Faustine to find me the best drivers around. If I did not believe this to be a matter of life and death, I would not ask you to risk your lives. I am not an egotist. But we are desperate. My people need you. If we do not act now, the machine may never be completed.’

  Katarina waved a fly away from her cheek. ‘How does it work?’

  ‘It serves no purpose for me to tell you.’

  Victor stepped forward. He did not look to the others. The disdain was gone.

  ‘You guarantee the machine’ll work?’

  ‘Yes.’

  He waited until the sound of a detonation had passed. ‘The Silkworm will get your supplies to La Talpa. We’re ready to go.’

  Leaning on the cane with one hand, Lupo held the other out. Victor grasped it.

  ‘I cannot thank you enough.’

  ‘We ain’t there yet.’

  ‘Forgetting something?’ asked Renfield, his bare head reflecting the light of the sun. ‘What’s the payment?’

  Lupo reached into a knapsack that hung by his hip. He withdrew a handful of yellow capsules.

  ‘For now, this is all I can give you.’

  ‘Blitz pills? We have quite enough of those, my friend.’

  ‘Not quite.’ He handed one to Renfield. ‘Swallow it.’

  ‘I didn’t reach this age by acting on the suggestions of strangers.’

  ‘If my intention was to harm you, this is not the way I would do it. These pills are a form of sustenance. We produce them at La Talpa.’

  Renfield reached out and took one of the pills. He placed it on his tongue and held it there.

  ‘Now swallow it,’ said Lupo.

  He did as he was asked. A smile cut across his weathered face. ‘Astonishing.’

  ‘What?’ asked Brandt.

  ‘I can feel it in my stomach.’

  ‘You only need four for a complete meal,’ said Lupo.

  With the exception of Hearst, each Runner plucked the yellow pills from the scientist’s hand. Cassady forced the pill down and waited for the effects. Slowly, the hunger that had been gnawing at him since he awoke receded.

  ‘Nice trick,’ he said.

  ‘It is not a trick. We engineered it to cover everything the body needs,’ said Lupo. ‘Now you see what we can do. Once you reach La Talpa, we will repair and upgrade your pantechs. We can increase the capacity of your batteries and their charging speed. We have also designed a lightweight para-aramid synthetic fibre weave. Impregnable to blunt force. This we can apply to the body of your vehicles.’

  Brandt and Renfield retreated from the group and spoke in low voices. Cassady could see from their expressions that they would go for it. He glanced at the map once more and balled his fists. It just didn’t look possible. The old Runners returned to the table.

  ‘You use your words well,’ said Brandt, ‘and we’re prepared to believe you. We’ll be the convoy’s shield.’

  ‘It’ll make a change from running hemp to nowhere,’ added Renfield with a smile.

  As with Victor, Lupo gripped Brandt and Renfield by the hand and thanked them both several times. The hairs of his moustache quivered and a tear fell from the corner of his eye.

  Brandt disengaged from the gaunt scientist and stared at Victor. ‘I’ll be seeing you, boy.’

  The younger man smirked. ‘You got it.’

  ‘We’ll have the cargo over to you this afternoon,’ said Sergei. ‘Prepare your rig and get some rest. Briefing at dusk.’

  Brandt and Renfield shuffled away. Cassady wanted to ask them to look after his machete until he came to retrieve it, but he didn’t trust his voice not to waver.

  Victor shook his arms out by his sides before swiping the shock of blonde hair from his forehead. ‘Well, we gotta fine-tune the Silkworm. We gonna leave at daybreak, I guess?’

  ‘Yeah,’ said Sergei.

  ‘Good.’ He winked at Cassady and left with Tagawa, who didn’t give the others a second glance.

  Lupo rested his hand on the cane and waited. A fly buzzed near the dark patch on his bandage. Without warning, Hearst spat in the dust at Sergei’s feet and stalked away. Katarina looked at them all, the creases on her forehead deepening. ‘I’m sorry.’ She walked quickly to catch up with her partner.

  ‘Pity,’ whispered Lupo.

  Cassady exchanged glances with Ghazi, who closed one eye slowly. They had to talk to Sergei. ‘We need time to discuss this,’ he said to the gaunt scientist.

  Lupo looked into his mismatched eyes. ‘Of course. And I must rest. I will wait for your answer in my tent.’ Then he said something odd. ‘You could be our saviour.’ Leaning on the cane for support, he followed one of the paths leading between the tents.

  Only when the man was safely out of earshot did Cassady offer a response. ‘Not likely,’ he muttered.

  8

  Ghazi traced the lines on the map with his finger, mind already turning as it sought the best route south. If Warspite volunteered to go with the others, they would have to avoid all major camps and settlements. Three trucks travelling together would be too much of a target to pass up. The Watched Road was out, too. The Agis weren’t the only ones with their eyes on the asphalt. So they would have to stick to the back roads and trails half-digested by nature.

  ‘What if we say no?’ he murmured, almost to himself. ‘Will you make us disappear?’

  Sergei’s remaining eye showed surprise. ‘What do you think this is? You don’t wanna take on the contract, you can go. You ain’t hostages.’

  ‘Then why did you keep a gua
rd on us?’

  ‘Precautions. Just precautions. Didn’t wanna spook you.’

  ‘Why didn’t you tell us about this in Prestige?’

  ‘Spies. Prestige ain’t safe. Information is worth more than water, you know that. We wanted to keep a lid on things.’ Sergei caught the sceptical look on Cassady’s face. ‘I’m telling the truth, damn you. It’s part of the show. People are always gonna sell others out if they can get something outta it.’

  Cassady bit back. ‘And you think this stockade is safe?’

  ‘Ain’t a place in the world we can call safe anymore. We do the best with what we have.’

  ‘And what’s Faustine’s end in this?’ said Ghazi, cutting in again. An argument would get them nowhere. ‘Does she know Lupo?’

  Sergei sighed. ‘No. Look. Lupo shows up and tells us about the machine and the drugs he needs for his serum. We don’t know what to believe. But we’ve got a couple of guys listening to the traffic on the shortwave, right? Always do. We know which frequency they broadcast on down there, and we got transmitters and receivers that can overcome all the collisional damping.’

  ‘You mean to say you knew about the Koalition already?’ asked Cassady.

  ‘Yeah.’

  ‘Christ.’

  ‘So our guys pick up a few references,’ continued Sergei. ‘The Koalition is using code, but we work out they’re talking about the machine. And then their comms guys get excited. They start scrambling search teams and breaking radio-silence rules they’ve kept up for years. You wanna know why? They’re looking for Lupo.’

  ‘So that’s why you believe him,’ said Ghazi. He tried to keep his mind from racing in ten different directions.

  ‘You said you heard a broadcast yourself somehow. That thing didn’t appear out of nowhere, did it? What you gotta understand is that Faustine’s an intelligent woman. She listens to the broadcasts. She understands the trouble this guy’s causing. And Lupo’s descriptions of what it’s like inside the state check out with ones we’ve heard before. So she figures this guy is telling the truth. Yeah, it’s a gamble. We don’t know him and we can’t pin his story to the wall, not with any certainty. But we’re gonna take the chance.’