“We’re using power,” Ken assured Hiro. “These have batteries.”
“Different power,” Mari told Ken. “It’s so different from what the Mages use that they can’t sense it.”
“That makes me feel better,” Ken said. “Sir Mage, after seeing one of you Mages make an instant tunnel through more than a lance-length of reinforced concrete and masonry, it’s nice to know that some of our Mechanic skills impress you.”
“This one is… interested…” Mage Hiro said without feeling or expression. “Not… impressed.”
“He means that well,” Mari whispered to Ken. Then, more loudly but still quietly, “Isn’t this hallway on the roving watch route?”
“Sure is.” Alli checked the time. “But the watch won’t be by here for half an hour.”
“The armory is this way,” another Mechanic said. They went down one of the narrow hallways that ran next to the outer wall, passing an armored emergency exit with thick steel bars locked in place across it to protect against anyone breaking in. “We need to go up to the next corner, then left.”
Just short of that corner, Bev held up a warning hand. “Hold it! I heard something.”
The group shuffled to an irregular halt. Once they did, the sound of footsteps became clear. Whoever was walking didn’t seem to be in any hurry, but was coming their way. “I know that slow, dispirited shuffle,” Calu commented in a whisper. “That’s an Apprentice on roving watch.”
“Either they’re off-schedule or the schedule here at Edinton has changed!” Alli whispered back.
Mari realized that everyone was looking at her, waiting for her to tell them what to do. Could she convince the Apprentice that this was just some routine group of Mechanics who were out at an odd time?
“Wait,” she murmured. “If we were a regular group of Mechanics…”
“Mari?” Alli questioned.
“Everybody else stay here.” Mari gestured the others back, then came around the corner.
Partway down the hall, an Apprentice was making his rounds, meandering along in the bored fashion Mari remembered from her own days having to fulfill such duties. Despite the fact that he was supposed to be watching for trouble of any kind, the teenage Apprentice took a while to notice Mari wearing her dark jacket in the dim hallway. Finally he did, stumbling to a sudden halt.
Mari saw that unlike the security patrols she was used to, this Apprentice was equipped with a pistol in a holster on one hip. She beckoned imperiously, adopting the worst kind of Master Mechanic attitude. “Get over here.”
Even in the dimly lit hallway she could see the Apprentice’s worry as he doubtless wondered what this full Mechanic was about to chew him out for. He hastened up to Mari. “My pardon, Lady Mechanic, I was—”
“Never mind that,” Mari interrupted harshly. “Let me see that revolver.”
“Lady Mechanic, my instructions are not to remove the revolver from the holster unless—”
“Did I ask you what your instructions were?” Mari broke in, letting her voice grow even harsher. “Don’t you think I already know what your instructions are? Hand me that weapon for inspection!”
The Apprentice hastily removed the pistol from the holster and handed it to Mari.
She looked it over. “Five chambers loaded. Safety on. Very good. Where is your alarm signal?”
“Here, Lady Mechanic.” The Apprentice pulled a large whistle from one of his pockets.
“Give it to me.”
“Yes, Lady Mechanic.” As the Apprentice did so, the first traces of a different kind of worry crossed his face. “Lady Mechanic, I was told not to—”
“Relax.” Mari smiled reassuringly at him. “It’s a drill,” she said, remembering what the Apprentices aboard the Pride had thought. “Pretend you’re a prisoner.”
“Y-yes, Lady Mechanic.” The Apprentice stared as the rest of Mari’s group came around the corner. “M-m-m-mages? Lady Mechanic, why are some of them dressed as Mages?”
“You’re not questioning your instructions, are you?” Mari asked as one of the other Mechanics took custody of the young man. “Now, quiet. You’re a prisoner, remember?”
“Yes, Lady Mechanic. Are you going to take Mechanic Ilya prisoner too?”
“Mechanic Ilya?” Mari heard more footsteps approaching.
“My watch partner. He was just resting for a moment.”
“Watch partner?” Calu asked. “They’ve teamed full Mechanics on the roving watches with Apprentices? I’ll bet that hasn’t helped morale in the Guild Hall any.”
“You didn’t know—?” the Apprentice began with a puzzled expression.
Mechanic Ilya came around the turn, huffing slightly from trying to catch up. “Who’s talk—?”
“Shhh,” Alli said, pointing her rifle at him.
Ilya, facing at least four rifles, stopped and held his hands up. “Wha—?”
“It’s a drill,” the Apprentice said.
“You idiot! This isn’t—”
“Shhh,” Alli said again, walking forward to pull the Mechanic’s revolver from his holster. “Noise makes me nervous,” she said, holding her rifle with the barrel in Ilya’s face, “and my finger twitches when I get nervous.”
Not resisting, Mechanic Ilya stared over Alli’s shoulder. “Master Mechanic Mari? I remember you from when you were here early last year. What are you doing back in Edinton? The Senior Mechanics have a shoot-on-sight order out on you.”
“I know. I want to have some words with the Senior Mechanics,” Mari said. “How is Mechanic Abad?”
“He got sent to Debran. After you left and word got out that you’d been ordered into Tiae, there was all kinds of hate and discontent here. Even more than before, that is. They sent off anybody considered a dissident, and then shipped in a lot of other people considered dissidents who were internally exiled to here.”
“Brilliant,” Calu said.
“But now—” Mechanic Ilya looked over the group before him. “You’re really doing it, aren’t you? You really are. Give me back my revolver and I’ll help!”
“He speaks the truth,” Alain said.
“Why,” Master Mechanic Lukas demanded, “did the Senior Mechanics put someone like you, who was sympathetic to Mari, on a security watch?”
“To punish me!” Ilya said. “For my bad attitude!”
“Just when you think the Senior Mechanics can’t get any more stupid,” Alli observed, “they prove you wrong again. Putting people with questionable loyalty on security watches to punish them. That’s just awesomely dumb.”
“We’re on our way to get more weapons,” Mari said.
“The armory? That’s on our roving watch route. You shouldn’t run into anyone else at this hour.”
“Mechanic Ilya?” the bewildered Apprentice asked.
“These Mechanics are all right,” Ilya assured him.
They hurried, Mari checking the time remaining until the official day would begin in the Guild Hall and the Mechanics and Apprentices would begin waking up. Everything needed to be done before then.
The entry to the armory loomed before them, a steel door set into a steel frame with multiple massive steel locks set through heavy steel hasps.
A female Mechanic knelt to one side of the door. “All of the walls are alarmed,” she said. “Except for this spot.” She traced an area low on the wall. “I’ve been telling the Senior Mechanics for fifteen years that they needed to run an alarm wire across here, and for fifteen years they’ve sent my every report back with demands for further justification for deviating from established design. Open this up like you did the outside wall, and I can get in and disarm the alarms from the inside.”