Human company

A Novel by Robert Petty

Chapter 1 – Mechanicals

The trouble with women is that all you get is sympathy. They will probably still
be patting me on the head when the Elevator destroys the world.
As I searched for Redblood, I took a deep breath to ease the tightness gripping
my chest. This would be her last chance. She either helped me or else.
Was she gone? A dark shape moved on the left – only a horse in the stables.
Across the square, the open gate framed a deserted drawbridge. Why did it have to
get dark so soon? At last I saw someone to the right, standing on the castle wall.
Shadows from the tower hid her features, but she stood straighter than the farm girls.
It was Redblood.
She frowned, I thought, when she saw me on the ladder, and when she
extended her hand to help me onto the walkway, she tilted her head to make my
name a question. “Gypsy?”
“It’s cold.”
It wasn´t, not really, but she let me snuggle against her while she stared up at
the mechanics’ garage. Several times I started to speak, but what could I say when her
thoughts were so clearly on tomorrow.
So I watched the shadows chase the last rays of sunshine off the peaks and
tried to marshal my arguments. I was too young, she would claim, but fifteen years –
no, thirty winters, that sounded older – was almost grown. They would make me marry
next year.
Finally, after the white rock of the cliff below the garage faded into darkness,
she broke the silence. “I’m worried about Apogee.”
“You should worry about the Elevator.”
“Have patience little one.” Her hand stroked my hair. “Your time will come.”
I pulled away. “Just look at it. You can see that it curves.”
She turned. The motion took her eyes to the east, but she didn’t bother to look
up. “It’s always been that way.”
“Not in ancient times. It was straight then.”
My eyes sought the vertical line. The darkness of the land hid its base, but
higher up the setting sun caught the silver thread as it rose into the sky.
Once, two elevators carried women to their orbiting starships. But the old
Femdom was gone: destroyed when the Western Elevator fell.
The Eastern Elevator was the last of their ancient wonders, and now it too was
in trouble. Up where the stars poked pinholes in the darkening sky, I could see it curve
gently to the south. It was falling.
They would blame me. They said not, but they blamed my ancestors when the
Western Elevator fell, and in the end, they would blame me too.
 “It’s up to me to save it,” I said. “I need your help.”
Redblood spread her hands. “You know that I’m commited to Apogee.”
“I told you. It’s not about him.”
“I’m sorry.”
“But he always gets everything.” I bit my lip. Law. I might as well have stamped
my feet.
“Good night Gypsy,” she said, making the words a sigh that signalled the end of
her patience. She had no time for kids. Not now.
I watched her walk away. She paused for the briefest moment, but her glance
was to the garage, not to me. Then she faded into the shadows.
I would have thrown myself off the wall except my hand, acting on its own,
crept into my pocket. So I let my fingers caress the cool, slick sides of the cards, as they
always did, until they felt the cards warm to life. Then they traced quickly over the
smooth edges to find the one card separated from the others.
I drew it out. The Mech Card, omen of adventure. Sometimes the cards were
like that: so right, yet you still had to think about what to do.
The Mech Card. It had to be about tomorrow. I would have one last chance.
Smoky aromas from the breakfast fires still lingered in the air when the
trumpeters blew their horns and the procession came out through the castle gates.
Everyone, even the people from the fair, crowded into the narrow street to watch
them pass. They got in the way and you couldn’t see anything except the pennants
dragging a bubble of applause and commotion through the village.
I couldn’t get to the front, but as the procession passed, I found a box to stand
on. Even so, I still had to raise up on my toes to see over the women’s head. I could
just make out Redblood leading the way with Apogee on her arm. Redblood’s company
flanked them: Stoneheart carried Apogee’s pennant; Slayer, the Mechanic’s pennant.
Mechanic Axeblade, the Court, and important property owners trailed close behind.
Redblood looked fierce. She wore full battle gear: a broadsword across her
back, a short sword at her side, and numerous knives stuck in her belt and strapped to
her legs. The black leather armor and polished breast cups along to her figure and
emphasized her strength.
“Redblood. Redblood. Look at me,” a little village boy called as she passed. Her
answering wink brought a chorus of screams and whistles from the other boys. They
kept it up, making her grin and breaking her pretense at a serious demeanor.
Apogee remained somber. Dressed in the traditional heavy shirt and baggy
trousers of a mech rider, he kept his eyes straight ahead and did not respond when
called.
Since ancient times, the flight ceremony has tested the boys from Farhaven. By
mountain law, only boys who have flown can rule. So today Apogee would ride a
mechanical and earn the right to commission a company. One day he would become
the Rider; his captain, the Mechanic.
 The confusion and milling about helped me. No one noticed as I pressed
through the excited crowd and attached myself to the procession. I was taking a
chance: the women tried to keep boys out of the garage; too dangerous they said. And
Axeblade had threatened dire punishment for the next time I got into trouble. But I
had drawn the Mech Card. I had to go.