Foundryside (The Founders Trilogy #1) - Robert Jackson Bennett Page 0,86

far outclassed any lorica.”

“What’s a lorica?” asked Sancia.

“It’s a scrived suit of armor,” said Gregor. “But unlike the armor we have here in Tevanne, which is scrived to be both preternaturally light and preternaturally strong, a lorica also augments the movements of the person within it. It amplifies their gravity, in other words, making them faster and stronger than a normal person.”

“I thought scriving gravity was illegal,” said Sancia.

“It is,” said Gregor. “Which is why loricas are only used abroad in the wars, and in limited numbers, at that.” He rubbed his face. “Now. Can we focus on the consequential conclusions, please?”

“Yeah,” said Sancia. “What the hell do we do about this? Can’t you look at that thing and figure out…I don’t know, something?”

Berenice took a breath. “Well. What I believe we saw in there was an advanced version of twinning.”

“What, like the explosive I used at the waterfront? And that plate of yours?” asked Sancia.

“Exactly. But what’s been twinned is a tiny, tiny, tiny needle, in the center of the device. A delicate one that’s somehow terribly sensitive to noise.”

“How is a needle sensitive to noise?” asked Gregor.

“Because sound travels through the air,” said Berenice. “In waves.”

Sancia and Gregor stared at her.

“It does?” said Sancia.

“Like…the ocean?” said Gregor.

“We don’t have time to amend your dogshit educations!” said Orso. “Assume that yes, it does! The sound hits the needle, and it shakes it. The needle vibrates. But it’s twinned, so there’s another needle that vibrates with it—somewhere.”

“And that’s the tricky part,” said Berenice. “What then? This second needle vibrates, and then…”

“Oh, come on, Berenice,” said Orso. “It’s obvious! The second needle scratches its vibrations into a soft surface—tar, or rubber, or wax of some kind. Then that surface hardens…”

Her eyes grew wide. “Then you can run another needle through the surface, through all the scratches…and it’ll duplicate the noise.”

“Right. It’d be a shitty rendition, but it’d be enough to catch words.”

“Wait,” said Gregor, holding up a hand. “Are you really saying someone has come up with a scrived method of capturing sounds out of the air?”

“That’s crazy,” said Sancia. “So you could make the same sound or conversation over and over and over again?”

“You just used some magic-ear bullshit to find that damn thing!” said Orso angrily, pointing at the door. “And a flying man just tried to throw me off the roof! Our idea of ‘crazy’ is obviously in need of some updates!”

“But this is some delicate twinning,” said Berenice.

“How is that significant?” asked Gregor.

“Twinning is a proximal effect,” she said. “Usually the two twinned items don’t have to be too close, since the effects you want to twin often aren’t complicated. Like a detonator—it’s motion, friction, and heat. You can twin those effects over miles. But this…This is much more complicated.”

Orso stopped pacing. “So the second needle has to be very close!” he said. “You’re right, Berenice! The apparatus that writes down the sound, that engraves the vibrations in wax—it has to be somewhere near for it to accurately capture all the sounds!”

“Somewhere on the property, sir,” said Berenice. “Probably somewhere in this very building. That’s the only way to make it work properly.”

“You!” Orso pointed at Sancia. “Do the thing again and find it!”

Sancia froze. That was far, far beyond her talents. Hearing a powerful device in a single room was one thing—but combing an entire building to find a specific rig was quite another. She’d need Clef for that—if he ever spoke again.

To her relief, Gregor cleared his throat. “That will have to wait,” he said.

“What!” said Orso. “Why, damn it?”

Gregor nodded to the window. “Because the sun is rising. People will be coming here soon. And when they do, it would probably be best if they did not find a blood-spattered girl wandering the halls with a blood-spattered hypatus.”

Orso sighed. “Goddamn it. We’re running out of time.”

“What do you mean?” said Gregor.

“I have a Tevanni council meeting tomorrow about the Commons blackouts. Tons of merchant-house officers from all four houses will be there, along with me and Ofelia. I’ll be seen by loads of people.”

“So word’ll get out that you’re not dead,” said Sancia. “Which will tip off whoever sent these assassins.”

“And they’ll come for the captured sounds, to see what happened,” said Berenice.

“Right,” said Orso. “We’ve got to get to it before them.”

“We’ll return as soon as we can,” said Gregor. “But for now, we need a place to clean up.”

Orso thought about it. Then he turned to Berenice and said,