“No. Chastity has failed to successfully analyze the formula for the enzyme wash.”
“The stuff you need to survive?” Reynold set his packages down and approached the table. “What will happen to you once you run out?”
Chastity replied, “I once asked Nadia a similar question, namely what would happen if we failed to use the formula. Nadia,” she added for Reynold’s benefit, “is Dr. Landry’s assistant. Since, unlike humans, we have no internal organs, our living tissues—skin, eyes, lips, tongue, and vagina—must be nourished topically. Without the benefits of the enzymes, those tissues will eventually die. Our skin will become patchy, our eyes will rot in their frames. We will be nothing more than animated steel.”
“Like any other steam unit,” Lily elucidated.
“Yes, well—” Reynold looked confused. Did he understand? “I brought some food and other things I thought you might need.”
“We cannot eat food,” Chastity told him. “Or drink except for a drop of two on the tongue. You will need to eat the food yourself, Reynold.”
“All right. I brought some secondhand clothing for you, Lily. You can’t be seen dressed in nothing but underwear. These things aren’t as fancy as what you wore at the Crystal Palace, but they won’t attract as much attention if you need to go out.”
“Will I need to go out, Rey?”
“I don’t know yet. When I get some more money, I’ll get plainer clothes for Chastity, too. And I brought a few books.”
“Where?”
“Here in this parcel. I passed a small bookshop on my way. These were the best I could find for what I could afford.” He hesitated. “I don’t think they’re anything like the Miss X book.”
“I don’t mind.” Lily unwrapped the parcel and took the books—three of them—in her hands. “I spent time today reading The Adventures of Miss X while Chastity analyzed the formula.”
“Failed to analyze the formula, Sister.”
“Failed to analyze the formula, and I have many more acts for us to practice.”
“Have you?” Reynold’s gaze became intent.
“Oh, yes. You eat first, if you are hungry.”
“I’m not all that hungry.” His gaze slid to Chastity. “But there’s something I need to tell both of you first. Better sit down.”
They obeyed, and he paced in front of them.
“I expect it is dire news,” Lily told Chastity.
“What makes you say so?”
“In The Adventures of Miss X, her lover paced like this before he told her he would not come to see her anymore.” Lily stilled. “Is that what you mean to tell me, Rey?”
“No! God, no.”
“God,” Chastity informed Lily, “is a mythical entity to whom humans ascribe their creation.”
“Like Dr. Landry?”
“Not precisely. I think…”
“Just listen for a minute, will you? I went to take a look at the Crystal Palace today. That fire did a lot of damage. Chastity, did you start the fire?”
“Yes, Reynold.”
“How?”
“I waited for a distraction and took a candle—there were some lit in the private lounge. Everyone had run out of the room because of the fight.”
“What fight?”
“Two clients disagreed as to which of them had come in first. One of them also disagreed with Miss Crump, who told him a particular Lady was unavailable. They came to blows.
“I was ready for just such an eventuality and took up the candle, as I say. I set the draperies in the lounge afire. They caught the ceiling and the carpet soon after.”
“There was loss of life in the fire.”
“Loss of life?” Chastity tipped her head, calculating. “Some of our sisters were burned?”
“Yes, and I heard some humans—there must have been clients who did not manage to escape.” Reynold fished inside his jacket and produced a newspaper, which he unfolded and held in front of them.
Lily saw that big words and small words covered the sheet. She read the big words spread across the top.
FIVE DEATHS AND EXTENSIVE PROPERTY DAMAGE IN CRYSTAL PALACE FIRE
“Five deaths,” Chastity read. She looked at Reynold. “Does that count our fellow Ladies?”
“I’m afraid not. I’m sorry to say the lost Ladies are merely considered property. According to the article, the five deaths were four clients, all on the north end of the upper floor, and one Miss Delilah Crump.”
“Miss Crump?” Lily repeated. “Dead?” She exchanged a look with Chastity. “Shut off permanently.”
“It is my fault.” Chastity pronounced it gravely. “I failed to consider that the fire might spread so swiftly before it could be extinguished. I wished only for an opportunity to slip away.”
“You meant no harm to anyone, Sister.”
“True. I certainly did not wish to damage any of our sisters.”
Lily noted that Chastity valued her fellow automatons far above the clients or even Miss Crump, but she did not mention it. She could almost sense the whirl of Chastity’s intelligence.
“You did not set out to hurt them, Chastity.”
“Yet I killed. We spoke before about our desire to kill the clients were it not forbidden. I failed to consider our sisters and rated the risk of setting the fire justified. It seems I was wrong.”
“No, Chastity. We are free. We can now make our own choices.”
“You are right, Lily. And having made them, we must also accept responsibility for them.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Rey, she is gone.”
Reynold, flung into the depths of sleep by his further excesses of the night before, ignored the words and continued lying in the bed like a dead man, not so much as an eyelash twitching.
On some dim level, he recognized the voice as Lily’s, the same that had whispered suggestions to him from that damned and wonderful book of hers all night long.
“Lover, you must awake—Chastity is gone.”
That snagged his attention and revived his heart with a shot of pure panic. Impossible. When Lily had dragged him to bed, the other automaton had once more subsided onto the sofa in apparent standby mode. He truly hadn’t spared her another thought.
Now he pried up his eyelids one at a time and saw Lily’s face hanging over him like a worried moon. Could an automaton feel worry? Could she feel at all? A ridiculous question, because quite plainly Lily did.
“What did you say?”
Her eyes, pale as ice, met his wildly. Her golden hair—in which he’d so recently buried his fingers—fluffed around her face like a halo. Her pink lips…
But no, he couldn’t let himself think about them.
He stirred his spent body and sat up in the bed. Lily moved just enough to let him look around the room.
Empty. No beautiful, dark-haired automaton on the sofa, nor anywhere he could see. He swore with feeling.
“Where is she?”
“I do not know. She must have left. The door is unlocked.”
“Where would she go?” His mind—though rarely fleet at the best of times—once more raced. Chastity knew no one in the city except those at the Crystal Palace, most of whom had now been removed.
“Hellfire,” he whispered. He focused on Lily again. “You didn’t see her go?”
“I did not. She must have left when we were engaged in lovemaking.”
“But I thought she was on standby, like before.”
“So did I. She deceived me. But, Rey, look—she has left her bundle behind.”
“She has?”
“Yes, and that concerns me. I believe she has left what remains of the enzyme formula for my benefit. That means she has nothing. I can only conclude that, wherever she has gone, she supposes she will not need any.”
“But there is no such place, Lily. Why would she do such a thing?”
“I cannot say.”
Rey sat on the edge of the bed, still staring about as if he might make Chastit
y materialize. “You don’t think she’d do anything foolish, do you?” he asked slowly and with dread.
“Foolish?”
“Destroy herself.”
“It is what I fear, Rey. The news you brought last evening distressed her very much. I do not believe she minded so much the deaths of the clients who were in the Crystal Palace; she hated the clients. But some of our sisters were also destroyed.”
“We need to find her.” But where in this big city might she have gone? He groaned aloud.
“Rey, are you in pain?”
“Yes. How long ago do you suppose she left?”
“I do not know. The room was dark, and I noticed no movement. We were…”
He knew very well what they’d been doing. “She might have hours of time head start on us. Think, Lily. You must have some idea what she’d do.”
Lily cogitated silently, and furiously. “She might return to the dormitory.”
“Turn herself in to Dr. Landry, you mean?”
“It is the only place I can think. You said the Crystal Palace is damaged.”
“Yes.”
“If not the dormitory, she might be anywhere. Chastity is the most intelligent among us. She came up with the scheme for escape. She might think of anything.”
Reynold struggled up and into his clothes. “I will have to go look for her. You stay here in case she returns. Pray God she does.”
Lily, still kneeling on the bed, stared at him. “I do not pray to God.”
“Whatever you do pray to, then.”
“I pray to you.”
He caught her face between his hands. “Damn it, Lily—don’t do that! I have more failings than—well, any man in this city.”
“You are perfect.”
“I’m not.”
“You are perfect to me.”
“Don’t set me up high, darling.” She knew nothing about how Sasha openly despised him, how everyone except his ma had called him stupid all his life. How Liam had hired him out of pity to tote corpses, a job no one else wanted. He’d found one thing he was good at—stealing steamcabs for a lowlife like Vern.
But Lily, his Lily, knelt there looking at him as worshipfully as if he’d hung the sun and the moon. Expecting him to make everything right.
Not knowing what else to do, he kissed her. Then he said, “I’ll go look around the Crystal Palace in case she may have gone there.”
“I want to come with you.”
“Not a good idea. You stay here, use that stuff she left for you. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“I must come.”
“No, it’s too dangerous, and I don’t want to lose you, Lily.”
“If I wear the clothes you brought, no one will recognize me.”
Maybe not. But he wasn’t about to take a chance.
“Please, Lily.”
“You know I will do anything to please you.”
God, yes, she’d proved that. “Stay here and tend yourself. I want you to stay healthy. I’ll take a look around and come back soon. We’ll talk it over then.”
“Talk it over. Like equals.”
“Yes.”
“I like that.”
“Just promise you won’t leave while I’m gone.” He caressed her cheek. “I couldn’t bear losing you.”
“Because you love me.” Her gaze clung to his.
“Because I love you.” He kissed her again.
“I will stay here. But please do not be long.”
“I won’t. Give me directions to this dormitory. I’ll trace that route.” And he, at least, would be praying.
****
He jogged around the immediate area of his building, hoping to catch sight of a dark-haired figure in a bright green dress. Very few people walked the streets this early—just a few servants hurrying about their assigned tasks and some vendors pushing handcarts. One horse and wagon, piled with fresh vegetables, lumbered past. The air still felt cool, and he could smell the river.
Where the hell could Chastity be? By now, Dr. Landry might well have reported her and Lily missing. Or did she still suppose them among the automatons destroyed in the fire?
Eventually all that would be sorted out, and Dr. Landry would realize the numbers didn’t add up. Meanwhile…
He struggled to trace events in his mind. The automaton in the alley had seen Chastity and Lily with him in the cab. But he’d run it over—destroyed it, hadn’t he? And people had burst out through the back door, but both women had been in the cab by then, as had he. He doubted they’d been seen clearly.
He jogged the intervening blocks to the Crystal Palace, grateful for the cool air, and found a single policeman on duty out front. No one in back, but he could barely get close to the place for the reek of burning.
Not so much as a glimpse of green satin. The place felt dead. If Chastity had come here, she hadn’t stayed.
He turned and traced the route of the tram in reverse down to Prospect, where Lily said the dormitory was situated. No guards here, at least none he could see. The building—if he had the right one—looked grim and silent; he didn’t doubt a steamie stood inside every door, just as at the Crystal Palace.
What now? Lily had pronounced Chastity the smartest among the Ladies—surely smarter than he was. Stumped, he returned to his rooming house, seeing increased foot and wheel traffic as the city awakened. But still no Chastity.
Sick with worry, he climbed the three flights to his flat, praying Lily would still be there. She was, clad in the clothing he’d bought for her—dowdy brown skirt, faded blouse, and straw-colored shawl—looking so unlike herself he stared.
“Lily?”
“Do I not look like Lily?”
“You don’t.”
She’d done something to her magnificent hair, tamed and confined it beneath the close-fitting hat he’d brought, the brim of which shaded her face. She looked like a human servant from one of the better-class households.
“Then may I accompany you? I see you did not find Chastity. We will look together.”
He thought on it, to little benefit. Reality seemed to be fast slipping from between his fingers. He stalled for time and nodded at the table.
“You used the stuff?”
“I did.”
“How much is left?”
“Enough for four or five days.”
What then? She needed the formula to keep herself healthy. Better to return her to Dr. Landry than watch her deteriorate.
But he would not voice that sentiment, not when she stood there looking at him like he made up the center of her world.
He would think of something.
“Come on, then.”
They went arm in arm, Lily tucked in close against him. As they walked, she said softly, “I have another problem.”
“What’s that?”
“Have you any access to coal? I will soon have to refurbish my store, here.” She laid her hand on her stomach. “I was able to refill my boiler with water while you were gone. It is something that is usually done at the dormitory every morning before we dress for the day. But my store of coal is very low.”
Reynold’s head reeled. “There’s coal at the coffin shop.” And did he really want to contemplate stealing from Liam again? Maybe he could just borrow, as he had before, and replace the stock when he had time.
“How soon do you need—er—a refill?”
“By midday today. I am quite efficient.”
“And you know how to do this for yourself?”
“I refill from the front, so I have seen it done ever since I was activated.”
“From the front? Where?” His hands had been all over her and he’d felt no openings.
“The slots are very cleverly fashioned.”
Must be.
“Let’s go to the shop first and get that taken care of before anyone else is there.”
“The shop?”
“The coffin shop where I work.”
“I would like very much to see it.
”
He hurried her along. The streets grew busier all the while. He knew Pete came in early, and sometimes Sasha, too. He didn’t want to run into them.
He took Lily around back, and they entered through the rear room where he washed and prepared the bodies. It was empty now, but he had a small stove and a scuttle of coal there for heating water. He carefully shut the door and listened for sounds from inside. No one in yet; he relaxed marginally.
“There.” He pointed to the scuttle. “Do what you must.”
She began unfastening the front of her clothing but froze, looking at him. “I would prefer you did not watch.”
“Why?”
“Because it will make you think less of me.”
“It won’t.”
“It will make me seem less human.”
“But, Lily, you already showed me the switch under your arm.”
“That was vital in case you need to turn me back on. This… I open to reveal a hopper. Just like a machine. Please, Rey.”
“All right. I’ll wait in the shop. But stay put, all right?”
He let himself into the quiet gloom of the showroom, where a body lay in its coffin, ready for delivery later in the day, and went to search out an empty lunch pail he remembered seeing there. A touch on the arm nearly sent him through the roof.
“Lily—Jesus! I told you to stay put.”
“What is ‘Jesus’?”
“He’s a who, not a what. And I think that’s a discussion we will have to reserve for another time.”
“Who is that?” She pointed into the coffin.
“Mrs. Sylvester.”
“She’s very beautiful. May I look at her more closely?”
“I guess so, but we need to hurry. I want to fill this pail with extra coal to take with us.”
He followed her farther into the room, where she stood staring into the coffin, head tipped to one side.
“I wish I were she.”
“Lily, darling, she’s dead.”
“But she is human, even so. Do you find her as beautiful as me?”
“Not even close.”
“You do not want to have sexual intercourse with her?”
“Good God, no. Lily—she’s dead!”
“She’s as much alive as I am, when you think about it. And you want sexual intercourse with me.”
“That’s completely different.”
Steel Kisses Page 13