Cyberabad Days
Chapters (1)
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Cyberabad Days
[River of Gods 02]
Ian McDonald
No copyright
2012 by MadMaxAU eBooks
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contents
Sanjeev and Robotwallah
Kyle Meets the River
The Dust Assassin
An Eligible Boy
The Little Goddess
The Djinn’s Wife
Vishnu at the Cat Circus
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Sanjeev and Robotwallah
Every boy in the class ran at the cry. Robotwar robotwar! The teacher called after them, Come here come here bad wicked things but she was only a Business-English aeai and by the time old Mrs Mawji hobbled in from the juniors only the girls remained, sitting primly on the floor, eyes wide in disdain and hands up to tell tales and name names.
Sanjeev was not a fast runner, the other boys pulled ahead from him as he stopped among the dhal bushes for puff's from his inhalers. He had to fight for position on the ridge that was the village’s high point, popular with chaperoned couples for its views over the river and the water plant at Murad. This day it was the inland view over the dhal fields that held the attention. The men from the fields had been first up to the ridge; they stood, tools in hands, commanding all the best places. Sanjeev pushed between Mahesh and Ayanjit to the front.
‘Where are they what’s happening what’s happening?’
‘Soldiers over there by the trees.’
Sanjeev squinted where Ayanjit was pointing but he could see nothing but yellow dust and heat shiver.
‘Are they coming to Ahraura?’
‘Delhi wouldn’t bother with a piss-hole like Ahraura,’ said another man whose face Sanjeev knew - as he knew every face in Ahraura - if not his name. ‘It’s Murad they’re after. If they take that out, Varanasi will have to make a deal.’
‘Where are the robots? I want to see the robots.’
Then he cursed himself for his stupidity for anyone with eyes could see where the robots were. A great cloud of dust was moving down the north road and over it a flock of birds milled in eerie silence. Through the dust Sanjeev caught sunlight flashes of armour, clawed booted feet lifting, antennae bouncing, insect heads bobbing, weapon pods glinting. Then he and everyone else up on the high place felt the ridge begin to tremble to the march of the robots.