The Inexplicables (The Clockwork Century 4)

Houjin grunted. “You said you were hunting for holes in the wall. ”

“Holes, monsters, same thing. How else would monsters get inside?” he cajoled.

Zeke said, “They’ve had monsters inside for years. They built a wall around ’em, remember?”

“That’s not what I mean, and you know it. I’m talking about the monster that came after me. If nobody ever saw it before, maybe it’s new. People have been talking about something killing the rotters. They’re calling it an inexplicable. That must be what jumped me. It was definitely big enough to kill rotters. ”

Zeke looked at Houjin as if for approval or confirmation. For the space of a moment, Rector quietly loathed them both.

Zeke said, “What does that word even mean?”

“I don’t know. ”

Houjin knew. “It means something you can’t explain. But it’s bad grammar in English. ”

Impatient to get back to the point at hand, Rector asked, “Are you in, or not?”

Zeke replied for both of them. “Where do you want to start?”

Ah, that was more like it. Rector sniffed, folded his arms thoughtfully, and suggested, “Why don’t we get as far from the Station as possible, and work our way back around? Yaozu’s fellows have probably been all over King Street. ”

The Chinese boy nodded approvingly. “Not a bad idea. We can take the underground tracks about halfway to the north end of the wall, then climb up and go by bridge the rest of the way. ”

Rector liked the sound of riding for a ways rather than walking or climbing, so he gave the plan his stamp of approval on the spot. “All right! How about you two show me where we’re going, and I’ll lead the way!”

Zeke flashed a thumbs-up and Houjin sighed.

All three of them exited the Naamah Darling and Houjin sealed it behind them, saying, “Before we go too crazy with this plan, we should stop for more filters. ”

“Filters?”

“For your mask, Rector. I don’t know how long you’ve been wearing that one, but I haven’t seen you change it. There’s a stash in the lean-to, along with some lanterns. Let’s stock up before we rush into trouble. ”

“Sure, we can plan out the day, minute by minute. If you want to suck all the fun right out of it. ”

Houjin said, “Fine. I’ll get extra filters and lights for me and Zeke, and you can have fun without any. ”

“Don’t be a jerk about it. ”

Houjin already had his back to Rector, and was disappearing into the fog. “Don’t be a dead man. ”

Thirteen

Once the boys were ready, they headed back under the city where they were surrounded by faint, fizzing lamps that lit the underground paths like tiny beacons. They held their own lanterns close, but did not spark them yet for fear of wasting fuel. Fuel was the heaviest thing they toted, and you could never have too much—at least, that’s what Zeke said, with all the fervor of a convert.

This time they walked beyond the spot where the strung lamps hung. As full darkness encroached from within the tunnels ahead, Houjin nudged Rector with his elbow. “You’re tallest, so you should light your lamp and carry it up high. It’ll be brighter that way. ”

Rector fumbled with his satchel, readied his lamp, and lit it.

“You just don’t want to carry one yourself,” Zeke said to Houjin.

“One of us has to steer the cart,” Houjin replied. He doesn’t know where he’s going, and you don’t know how to hold us on the track. ”

“I could figure it out. ”

“Maybe. ”

“You old hens quit chattering, and tell me which way we’re heading,” Rector commanded.