Engines & Demons - The Undestined

Chapter 9ii

From the mass of dead foliage in one of the carts, a small creature made of nothing but red tentacles emerged and dropped to the floor. Then it rose up, tilted forward and began to roll, its tentacles at the rear pushing off the ground to becoming soft and sinuous as they folded over the creature's top, before reaching forward and becoming rigid once again. It made surprisingly fast progress across the terrace, passing between two of the round hatches, and then into the shady cave beneath the water tower. It entered the pool and swam sinuously to the Pit-master, then climbed up its bulbous lower body. When it reached the first furrow at its mid-section, it merged with the mass of red feelers there, and Maddock wondered if all those red tentacles were just more of the same creatures or if the creature was just a part of the Pit-master.

After only a few seconds the creature, or at least one looking identical, emerged, sliding over the Pit-master's bulging skin to splash into the pond. As it pulled itself out of the pool's far side, a second red tentacled creature emerged from another of the waiting Growers' baskets to make its way across the terrace. As they passed each other they stopped briefly and entwined tentacles, so it looked like they had suddenly become one writhing creature, before they disentangled themselves and went on their ways. Meanwhile, the Pit-master suddenly moved. It extended one long jointed arm, seized the handle of one of the round hatches in its claw like fingers, and pulled it open.

Sofree rose slowly to its feet.

"We go now," said the Mowmok. "We come back. Pits one and two. Wait there."

Maddock picked up the handles of his cart, but continued to watch the scene around the bridge. The Grower from whose cart the first creature had emerged took up its handles and hooked them over its wide shoulders, but it did not move until Sofree had arrived back at the group. The red creature clambered fluidly up one of its thick legs, and then to its head, where it entwined itself in the fine feelers along its front. Sofree then raised its thicker feelers and began its tapping and clicking conversation, and the mowmok began whistling in its own high pitched tongue. A second mowmok, in a strange guttural snorting voice, addressed the short squat Grower that stood ready with its cart. The Grower lumbered forward towards the hatch the Pit-master had opened.

Meanwhile, another tentacled creature emerged from the Pit-master's pool, and another hatch was pulled open.

"How are you settling in at the Enclosures?" said a voice from somewhere above Maddock's shoulder.

Maddock jumped and looked up into the dark thin face of Micreech the Grower Envoy, who was standing silently behind him.

"Okay," said Maddock. "How did you know..?"

"News travels quickly in the Gardens. How are your brothers?"

Maddock had always found talking to the old Grower odd. He seemed to flit from one topic to another like a jumping jaik in a patch of flower grass.

"They're still with the army. In the North."

"Yes. Such a shame. And a waste. Will you give Yohef my regards when you see him?"

"Of course..."

"And remind him there is still a position among the Growers if he wants it."

Maddock frowned. His eldest brother had never said anything about being offered a place with the Growers.

"I'll tell him."

"Good."

It was also hard to tell, either from the tone of Micreech's voice, or by looking into the deep skull like sockets of his eyes, what emotions were going on behind his rough creviced face.