‘Weapons systems coming offline. Intruder defence systems also . . . Loading robots going back on hold. Phew! Old Venolia sure knows some dirty words . . .’

Cormac slowly relaxed as the lights ceased their mad flickering and other displays returned to normal.

‘Chaline just called up. Wants to know what the hell is going on. What shall I tell her?’

Cormac glanced at Jane, then turned to the technician. ‘Tell her I had the runcible AI initiated. We need it to decode the submind,’ he said.

The technician shrugged and spoke into his mike. After a moment he turned back. ‘She questioned your parentage, then said something about a submind suppository if the dozers don’t get moving soon.’

‘Tell her—soon.’ He turned to Jane. ‘The AI should be—’

‘Ready,’ said a voice that managed to put all the elements of a bored sophisticate into one word.

‘Ready?’

Samarkand II continued. ‘I have been initiated prematurely. Presumably there is a reason for this. I am therefore ready for your explanation. Please continue. It has been thirty-seven seconds—mark—and I am bored already.’

The comtech said, ‘Chaline again, and the lifter. They’re getting nothing from Hubris. Everything still on hold.’

‘Hubris?’ said Cormac.

‘Hubris, I see,’ said Samarkand II. ‘I seem to have subsumed this starship AI. Separating. Done.’

‘Hubris?’

‘Yes. I am. Hubris.’

‘Dozers moving again. Hold’s off. Main door opening. Isolation unsealing,’ said the comtech.

Cormac breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Hubris, is the submind online?’

‘I cannot locate the submind in cyberspace.’

‘This—you are looking for this? It is not a mind,’ said Samarkand II.

‘—mechan man made solid ground engine parts clanking clanking bleeding oil-soap green bubbling hot—’

‘It is the reason you were initiated,’ Cormac told the AI.

‘It is a submind of my predecessor. It contains information pertaining to the incident here.’

‘You have it? You have the information?’ asked Cormac eagerly.

‘Not yet . . .’

‘—cast aluminium hand shield over green volcanic glass orb head red quartz rods sulphur yellow green sulphur yellow sulphur blue stink aniseed prodestinationactinicablecomlivesurvin—’ The monologue from the submind suddenly became a high-pitched squeal.

Samarkand II said, ‘My predecessor survived the blast for nine-point-two seconds. It discovered a virus-lock on some information in itself. This, along with much else, it transmitted to its subminds, as by then it was no longer on the grid.’

‘—Broken caltrops under lead hooves. Horse-head is a hollow roll of tin with star diamonds for eyes and mussel shells for ears. Jade hands in red moonlight; night green and black over contrast land. Unlogged matter / energy transmission 32562331. Glass dragons in green sky red moon—’

Samarkand II said, ‘Unlogged matter / energy transmission forty-eight solstan days before the incident. Confusion as to the nature of what was transmitted indicates a high probability that it was the entity referred to as “Maker”.’