The Drowned Vault Read Online Free PDF Page A

trident tips.
    “Gilgamesh of Uruk,” Rupert said. “Stand down. You are in violation of your treaty with the Order of Brendan.”
    “Violation?” Gilgamesh spun around, ribs heaving beneath his turquoise shirt. “The Order is nothing. Less than nothing.” His fists clenched, and his huge shoulders flexed. “I should break your neck, Avengel.”
    “Gil, please,” Arachne said.
    “Fair warning, Gil,” said Rupert quietly. “Stand down or I will bring you down. This will be your third violation. If the Order uses force on you now, you will be eligible for Burial.” Rupert’s eyes darted to Cyrus’s, and his head twitched slightly to the side.
    Cyrus grabbed Antigone and slid toward the window.
    Still in the doorway, Arachne looked stunned. “Burial?” Her voice wavered. “Mr. Greeves, you wouldn’t.”
    Gil began to laugh. “Of course he wouldn’t. This place would be torn down around his ears first. I could hand him a sack of Smithling corpses, and he still wouldn’t dare Bury me!”
    “I can,” Rupert said. “If needed, I will.”
    In a flash, the huge man lunged for Jeb. One six-fingered hand snatched the spear gun, and the other slammed Jeb against the wall.
    Cyrus jerked in surprise as Antigone swallowed back a scream. Gil was much too quick for his size. While Jeb sank to the floor, Gil grinned, pointing the crackling spear gun at the ceiling. Rupert’s was trained on Gil’s chest. When Gil spoke, his voice was low.
    “Do not threaten me, Rupert Greeves. I am harming no one. And neither are you. See?” Swinging his gun around toward the window, Gil fired. The electrical trident snapped a crackling web of blue through the air and blasted out through the glass as Cyrus and Antigone dropped to the floor.
    Gil let his gun clatter down beside his tremendous feet. Rupert, still tense, nodded at the door. Arachne backed out into the hall.
    “The Order will make this right, Rupert Greeves,” Gil said, and he ducked out the door and disappeared down the hall.
    “I won’t play football again!” Gil shouted. “I won’t!”
    Arachne leaned back into the room. “Rupe?”
    “Keep eyes on him.” Rupert sighed. He flipped his gun off and let it dangle by his side. “Please.” He was sweating.
    Arachne nodded and reached into a canvas satchel slung over her shoulder. Three long-legged brown spiders climbed out of the bag onto her arm. She lowered them to the floor. Cyrus watched them race away after Gil.
    Arachne straightened. “If there’s anything else …”
    “There is,” said Rupert. “But we’ll speak about it later.”
    Arachne nodded and hurried away.
    Jeb was trying to stand. Instead, he sank groaning back down the floor, clutching his ribs.
    “I’m sorry,” he mumbled. “Rupe, I’m—”
    Rupert shook his head. “Forget it. Stay still. Nurse!” He turned to Cyrus and Antigone. “We need to talk. Right now. Both of you Smiths come with me.”
    He picked up Jeb’s empty gun and turned toward the door. “Nurse!”
    “Coming, coming!” Two women bustled over to Jeb as Rupert strode out of the room. Cyrus and Antigone looked at their mother, then hurried after their Keeper.
    When the nurses had taken Jeb away, only the red-winged blackbird remained in the room. After a moment, she dropped off the sill, fluttered toward the bed,and perched on the back of Antigone’s chair. Cocking her head, she eyed the sleeper in the bed. Then she let out a low musical call—the kind heard all summer in the cattails beside ten thousand ponds.
    Katie Smith’s eyes fluttered. But only for a moment. And then they were still.

three
THE POLYGONERS
    C YRUS AND A NTIGONE TURNED sideways to squeeze through an oncoming group of men. All of them were in safari boots and shorts; all of them were fit and hard with sun-browned skin. Cyrus had never seen any of them before—they’d either been on an extended trek, or they were from another of the O of B’s Estates. The men were talking seriously,