It took an hour to clear the camp and set up further covert defences. Aiden and Cento acted as guards, since they needed no sleep.

* * *

‘We’ll need to take out that turret gun. When he finds out you’re not amongst the dead, he’ll know it was just a probe. There won’t be a trap next time,’ said Corlackis.

‘Of course,’ said Pelter, his eyes still glued to the screen stuck to the framework of the missile launcher.

‘So really it’s just that and the two Golem.’

Pelter glanced aside and waved to Svent to take them down. Svent nodded, and fiddled with the old guide-ball control of the transporter. Slowly it started to drop down into the trees. In the shadow the thick photoactive paint on it slowly changed from a deep red to greenish black. Corlackis tapped at the controls on the miniconsole he was holding, then dropped it into his pocket.

‘What about those two lizard men?’ asked Dusache.

‘Don’t concern yourself,’ said Pelter. ‘You’ll be on this platform operating the launcher. You take out the carrier. Myself, Mr. Crane, Mennecken and Corlackis will be going in on the ground.’

‘Crane will be able to handle the Golem?’ Corlackis asked.

‘He will handle them,’ said Pelter. ‘Remember that arrogant bitch on Huma? No, we go in and we flatten them. Of course none of you hits Cormac—not even by accident. He is mine.’

Branches broke and flicked round the transporter, and large leaves spiralled down with it. Svent landed it by the private AGC that was already on the ground.

‘When do we hit them?’ Mennecken asked.

‘Not yet,’ said Pelter, then looked up as four objects settled through the trees. In the dim light they were difficult to see until very close. When visible, they had the appearance of small birds of transparent film stretched over black bones. They came in to land in a neat row on the launcher, where they closed their wings and became featureless ovoids. Corlackis took up a metal box from the deck and carefully placed each of the surveillance drones in its respective compartment. As an afterthought he took the miniconsole from his pocket and placed it in its compartment as well.

* * *

The sky was a kind of muddy-brown just before sunrise. Cormac would not have seen it, as he had been deeply asleep. But Aiden shook him awake.

‘Another AGC coming directly here. Cento is rousing the others.’

Cormac rubbed sleep from his eyes. ‘What’s going on, they relocated the AGC park?’

‘Pardon?’

‘Never mind.’