From the reams of discarded objects, particular aggregations of trash were separating themselves. Like the Construct Council itself, they were clotted together from the materia of the dump.

The constructs mimicked the form and size of chimpanzees. They clattered and clanged as they moved, with a weird and unsettling sound. Each was unique. Their heads were kettles and lampshades, their hands were vicious-looking claws ripped from scientific instruments and scaffolding joints. They were armoured in great scabs of metal plating torn, roughly welded and riveted to their bodies, which scampered across the wasteland in an unsettling half-simian motion. They were created with an extraordinary sense of found aesthetics.

If they lay still, they would be invisible: nothing but a random accretion of old metal.

Isaac gazed at the chimp-things, swinging and jumping, dripping water and oil, ticking with clockwork.

“I have downloaded into each of their analytical engines,” said the avatar, “as much memory and capacity as they will hold. These of me can obey you, and understand the urgency of doing so. I have given them viral intelligence. They have been programmed with the data to recognize the slake-moths, and to attack them. Each is built with acid or phlogistic agent within its midriff.” Isaac nodded, wondering at the casual ease with which the Council created these murderous machines. “You have worked out the best plan?”

“Well . . .” said Isaac. “We’re going to prepare tonight. Work out some kind of . . . uh . . . gear up, you know, plan with our . . . additional staff. Then tomorrow at sixish we’ll meet Yag here, assuming the stupid bastard hasn’t got himself killed. And then we’re going to get into the Riverskin ghetto, using Lemuel’s expertise.

“Then we go moth-hunting.” Isaac’s voice was hard and staccato. He spat out what he needed to say quickly. “The thing is we’ve got to separate them. We can take one, I think. Otherwise, if there are two or more, then one will always be in front of us, able to flash the wings. So we’re going to scope the place out, see if we can work out where they are. It’s hard to say without seeing it. We’ll take the amplifier and channeller you used on me, as well. It might help us get one interested, get it sniffing. Push a little peak through the background mental noise, or something. Can you attach other helmets to the one engine? D’you have any extras?” The avatar nodded. “You’d better give them to me, and show me the different functions. I’ll get Tansell to adjust them, add some mirrors.