City of Broken Magic

by Mirah Bolender

  She stalked out the door. Down the hall they could hear her barking orders.

  “All right, men, we’ve got an emergency on our hands. We need the entire city evacuated, ASAP. I want the telephone operators calling everyone. I want police overseeing the evacuation, make sure everything stays orderly. I want the military leading out, fully armed, and I want every single person who isn’t necessary to our operations outside the walls by sundown. Normally the Council would be making this order but I’m overriding them. We don’t have time for the official decision; god knows some of them would fight it. The walls are breached. We have a massive infestation in the interior and it’s spreading as we speak. I don’t care if you have to tell people that it’s an infestation, or that the mobs have decided to burn the city to the ground, whatever it takes to get people out of here. We take too much time, and we are all dead. Get going.”

  * * *

  The time was now 4:45 P.M., and the evacuation order traveled fast. Laura had heard it broadcast on the pawnshop radio as they passed.

  They currently sat in the Sweeper shop, waiting to be picked up. Laura had as much equipment as she could comfortably fit in her bag and pockets, and was very glad she wore kin-treated clothing today. She kept patting at the bag, tapping at the glass of Eggs every few minutes to reassure herself that she hadn’t forgotten them. The nervous habit seemed right at home in this atmosphere. Clae flitted between his briefcase and the drapes, restless. Every once in a while he deposited more equipment on the surfaces next to them without a word, not even pausing before continuing his pacing; Laura had long run out of room and simply pretended to pack them even as she stowed it all under the counter. Okane sat on his stool, still quivering. If the presence of one infestation could scare him, the group of them must’ve had him terrified.

  Outside the windows people rushed to evacuate. Shop owners passed with what wares they could carry, but others were smart enough to bring shelter and protection from the cold instead. A few went by with sticks and blankets to furnish tents, pillows, and winter clothing.

  Mr. Brecht was not one of them. He tried to walk off with a teetering stack of books, but Mrs. Keedler caught him and scolded; she dumped an extra comforter on his load and kept him close to her and her husband. Laura watched until they were out of sight, trying to ignore the tugging feeling in her chest. How many people were uprooted now? Would every last person escape the city, or would there be a skeptical or wary few staying in familiar surroundings? With a jolt, she wondered if she knew one of those people; many times Morgan refused to acknowledge when situations went wrong. During the pregnancy debacle she’d acted like everything was fine, kept reaching out to family or to Cheryl’s father even when they shouted or threatened her. Would she be in the apartment now with that placid, fake smile, convincing herself and Cheryl that nothing was wrong? The idea made Laura’s stomach turn. She sprang to her feet so fast Clae stopped his pacing to stare.

  “Can I make a call? Just a quick one. It’s important, I swear.”

  “If the operator will put it through,” he grumbled, pushing back through the drapes.

  Oh, she’d make them put her through. Laura cranked the telephone so hard the entire setup rattled on the wall. Someone picked up right away.

  “Did you have a question about the evacuation?” asked the operator.

  “No, sorry. Is it possible to put me through to the Cynder Block?”

  “My apologies, but I have to tell you to get out of the city. There’s an evacuation order.”

  “I know, but I can’t leave. I’m a Sweeper, so I get to deal with the problem.” The operator was silent, so she hurried to explain. “Don’t worry! I just need to get through to my family. I have to make sure my aunt gets out.”

  “It’ll have to be fast. The switchboards are busy here.”

  She connected the call. It took a while to be picked up, and Laura was surprised when Morgan answered.

  “Hello? This is the Cynder Block. You don’t have to worry, we’re on our way out!”

  Laura let out a shuddering breath. “Morgan? It’s me.”

  There was a laugh, both despairing and relieved. “Oh my god, Laura. Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine. I never sent you that letter you asked for, but I wanted you to know I got to Puer and back in one piece.”

  “When did you get back? Are you still inside the city? Oh, of course you’re in the city, you’re on the telephone.”

  A weak smile tugged at Laura’s lips. “I’m at the Sweeper office. Just needed to check if you were evacuating. How’s Cheryl taking it?”

  “Not well!” The shrill tone told Laura that Morgan wasn’t thrilled either; it sounded like she was working herself into a tizzy. “Not well at all, but at least she’s got her doll. Don’t worry, we’re all getting out. Do you want us to meet you somewhere?”

  “No, just go ahead.”

  “But how are we going to find each other? I mean—”

  “Sorry, Morgan, but I’m staying here. It’s the kind of monster we’re supposed to be hunting, so we get to take care of this one too.”

  “But we’re being evacuated! They can’t really be expecting you to fix all this! I mean, you only work in inventory! What if you get hurt? Or—or killed?” She ended with a horrified squawk.

  Laura had never felt more horrible about that lie. She hesitated a moment, considering telling the truth, but clenched her teeth instead. She couldn’t do that. Not now. She bit back her loathing and threw on a fake smile, willing her façade back into place. Just keep up the act. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”

  Okane slowly turned and gave Laura a disbelieving stare.

  “I don’t believe that,” Morgan whispered.

  Okane’s eyes felt like an accusation. Laura avoided them and hunched toward the phone, but she could still feel them boring into her back. “I promise, I’ll be fine. Just get out of here and I’ll find you later.”

  “You better make good on that promise.”

  “I will.”

  “Y-you promise. You promise…” Morgan’s voice tapered off into a wavering hiss of distress, and Laura felt a wave of guilt as she realized the woman was starting to cry.

  “I promise,” she whispered. “See you, Morgan.”

  “See you, Laura.”

  The earpiece clicked easily into its hook. Laura stood there awhile, eyes fixed on the bells and hand not quite willing to drop.

  “That was a lie,” said Okane.

  “Just a little one,” Laura growled, crossing her arms.

  “Look alive, you two. Our ride is here,” Clae barked, walking past.

  There was a car parked outside the shop, a long, boxy black wagon with white wheels and AMICAE POLICE DEPARTMENT emblazoned on the two doors. The driver greeted them as they emerged.

  “Hop in, we’re going to the interior.” He held the door open. “There’s a squad over there already to assist you.”

  Okane and Laura clambered into the back. Clae and his briefcase claimed the passenger seat. Their car didn’t move fast—too many people clogged the street and they didn’t dare risk hitting anyone—but they reached the door to Amicae’s core eventually. It was one of the doors they used for Pit monitoring, the one that should’ve been visited today. The sight was familiar, though the people outside were not. Workers filtered quickly out the door between lines of policemen. The car pulled up just out of the way, and the engine died with a gurgle. The Sweepers climbed out and Clae called, “What’s the situation?”

  The police looked around, but they weren’t the first to step up. The one who rushed forward was the bearded man who always opened the door for them.

  “There ya are, son!” he cried. “You the one who ordered evacuation?”

  “What of it?”

  “Ya were damn right to do it! Every man workin’ under the Fifth Quarter’s gone! Completely gone! Elevator came up empty!”

  Laura’s stomach dropped. She had to remind herself that winter months
were almost an off-season for mining, that so close to his break her father wouldn’t be in the mines but would be writing reports in a satellite town.

  “Fifth down, you say?” Clae’s brow furrowed.

  “That’s the last of them!” announced the policeman nearest the door.

  The line of men had ended. They hurried down the road while the police gathered closer together.

  “What’s your plan, sir?” Their driver hovered by Clae’s shoulder; now that he was close, Laura realized it was Collins. “We’ll help you as best we can.”

  “We need to investigate the situation, so we need to get in there.”

  “If that’s what you need.”

  “I can help,” offered the bearded man.

  Collins shot him down. “No. Civilians need to leave the city.”

  “But I know how everythin’ works in there,” the man argued.

  “We may need the elevator, at least,” said Clae. “Let him come.”

  Collins looked dubious but relented. “How should we proceed?”

  “You all stay near the exit.” Clae gestured at the policemen. “You don’t have the weapons to fight infestations, so your best defense is the sunlight out here. It won’t last long but it may last long enough. Now that people aren’t swarming down there, the monsters might be looking around up here to hunt. If something comes at you, run. And you”—he glanced at the bearded man—“stay close to us.”

  “Sounds good.”

  “Let’s begin, then.”

  They followed him through the door.

  The center of the city was quiet now. There was no hum of machinery in the factory areas, no booming of the miners. No voices. The boilers still spat, but more quietly, and the smoke had thinned significantly, simply trailing up in thin wispy clouds. No one was there, and it made Laura uncomfortable. It had always been busy before.

  Clae handed his briefcase to Okane and shucked off his coat. This he put around Laura’s shoulders. She jumped and gave him a suspicious look.

  “What’s this? Security blanket?”

  “Okane and I have more of an advantage when it comes to defense. Keep that on and don’t get killed.”

  He talked big, but he looked pale.

  “Are you sure? I have kin-treated clothes now. I should be fine.”

  She made to take it off but he set a hand on her shoulder and grumbled, “We covered this before. I’m not bringing you along so you can get killed. You wear the coat or you get to wait outside.”

  Laura wrinkled her nose but pulled it on properly. It was too big for her, shoulders too wide, sleeves reaching halfway down her hand. Clae muttered something to Okane, then stepped out onto the bridge. The others were half a step behind him.

  This empty core was eerie, and it made Laura shudder. There seemed to be nothing here. Abandoned machinery, sure, but no sign of life or amulets. Looking down over the railing gave a nearly unobstructed view of the lower levels, but Laura could only count the lights of one. Everything below was dark. When she said this aloud, Clae replied, “The infestation has been there in force. Broke the lights for its convenience.”

  “So we know it’s limited to down there.”

  “Not necessarily. That’s just where it’s mainly concentrated. For all we know, some have crawled up.”

  “That’s reassuring,” Laura muttered, pulling the coat tighter.

  “Look.” Clae pointed up and to their backs.

  Turning, Laura followed his gaze. There was a long black pipe, several feet wide, running straight down; on this level it floated alone in space, and in the next-highest level it was flush against the wall.

  “Is that the Pit?” wondered Okane.

  “That’s the one that was damaged. Can’t see where, though.”

  Clae squinted up above and then down below, looking for a breach.

  “The Sullivan pipe project was being built between the Fifth and Sixth Quarters,” said Collins.

  “Then that’s more than likely where it is. I’m going down in the elevator.”

  “To do what?”

  “Confirm that this is the broken Pit and locate the damage. Likely as it is that Sullivan pipes are to blame, we have no hard evidence for it. Besides, I want a better look at the infestations. Depending on their maturity, this could be more difficult than expected.”

  “I can get the elevator ta work,” the bearded man assured them. “Hang on just a minute.”

  He hurried to the control panel.

  “I don’t think it’s a good idea to go down there.” Laura looked uneasily over the edge again. The dark felt menacing. Just looking at it made her stomach lurch.

  “We’ve got no other way to check it out.”

  “I could go down,” Okane suggested.

  “What?”

  “I can repel them a lot better than --- can. They might leave me alone.”

  Brave words, but he was still shaky.

  “You think I’m going to send my apprentice down there?” Clae’s voice was acidic.

  “It’s the smarter move. They might attack --- if --- go down there. Just … just don’t, okay?”

  “I’m not putting either of you in any more danger than I have to.”

  “That’s not much better if—”

  “You are not going down there.”

  Okane backed down, but he obviously wasn’t happy.

  “Here.” Collins held out a large box with dials and a speaker like a radio. “It’s a radio transmitter; one of the university students came up with it. We’ve got the receiver being brought in. This way you can report the situation as you go without yelling. We probably wouldn’t be able to understand you, and besides, from what I remember you don’t like to be too loud around those monsters.”

  “Not bad,” Clae murmured, turning the cumbersome box over in his hand.

  “We hoped so, sir. The military carried all their radio equipment out with them, so it’s a good thing the students were willing to help. Otherwise all we have for communication are the call boxes. Needless to say, those wouldn’t work too well.”

  “I’ve got this all ready ta work,” called the bearded man.

  Clae pointed at Laura and Okane with the transmitter. “If the infestation attacks, get out of here. One or two you might be able to fend off, but if you end up with an entire swarm on the move there’s no way you’ll make it. If that happens, run. Run fast, seal the door, get somewhere with light.”

  “We’re not sealing the door if you’re still stuck in here,” said Laura.

  “Yes you will. Okane, I know you can run, you can tell when it’s stupid to stay. If she tries to play hero or something, drag her out too.”

  Okane nodded, and Laura glared.

  “But what about you?”

  “I’m resourceful.” Clae shrugged.

  “You’re batty,” she grumbled.

  “Better a pain, remember?” he hummed, walking off to the elevator.

  He climbed in and the grille closed behind him. After some conversation with the bearded man, he dug out an Egg and shook it. The elevator descended, slower than usual. The Egg’s glow dipped lower and lower into the dark.

  It was a while before a noise prompted Laura to turn around. The policemen had brought in a large box with many dials and meters and another, larger speaker. This one filled the carrier’s arms, and she deposited it on the grated floor with a grunt. The needles jumped as Clae’s voice issued from it.

  “I can see the break. That’s Sullivan piping all right, got the name stamped on it and everything. Looks like they tried to redirect the Pit, but they did a bad job of it. No wonder kin isn’t getting to the amulets.”

  “I’d like to see the look on old man Sullivan’s face when the chief gets ahold of him,” mumbled Collins, and the other policemen chuckled.

  There was another, longer bout of silence before Clae continued. When he did, his voice was quieter.

  “The infestation has filled out. I can’t see amulets. I can’t even
see the floor. They occupy all the space from halfway down the Fifth Level. They’re calm, though. Slight movements. More searching than threatening. I think at this stage they’re still small enough where they only register things that move and breathe as food. Takes a while for them to graduate from that. But there’s a hell of a lot of them, to cover this much space.”

  There was a pregnant pause, and when he spoke again, it was with a deadly calm that chilled Laura’s insides.

  “Bring me up.”

  The policemen looked up at each other in surprise.

  “Bring me up,” Clae repeated. “I have a kaibutsu staring me in the face.”

  Laura remembered the bloody eye she’d seen however long ago and sprang to her feet. “Come on, get him back up here!”

  “On it!” The bearded man did something with the control panel, and the elevator reversed.

  “Faster!” Clae’s voice hissed. “And get out! It’s following me up and the others aren’t far behind!”

  The bearded man pulled a lever, and the cables squealed in protest.

  “That’s fast as it can go, but if ya really want us out I won’t be able ta stop it for ya!” he shouted over the side.

  “Then get out!” Clae’s voice roared from the receiver. Strange noises issued from it, like the transmitter was being cracked against something; the garbled sound of the grille made Laura realize he’d forced the elevator open.

  The police made a mad scramble for the door, bearded man among them. Before Laura realized what was happening, Okane grabbed her hand and gave a sharp tug.

  “It’s coming up! Keep to the right!” he cried, eyes wide in panic.

  They took a few steps after the police, keeping to the right-side railing as the elevator shot up. Clae jumped out. His amulets must’ve been active, because he landed on the platform far too easily. He was sent tumbling forward as a surge of blackness roared up from below. It clipped the edge of the platform and caused it to snap forward, sending him sprawling onto the bridge. The blackness split, surged, twined together into a skeletal hand, far too many fingers and far too sharp. The fingers sliced through bridges and smoke before catching the elevator with a horrific crunch and yanking down. The entire shaft broke. Cables came free and the part of the shaft not bolted to the wall came crashing down. A metal beam plunged through the air not two feet from them, trailing sparking wires and loose pieces as it careened into the wall and fractured further. Debris landed and smashed upon the bridge, causing the surface to shake violently, while more of the structure groaned and snapped overhead. Laura almost lost her footing. Beyond the wreckage Clae stumbled to his feet.