about a mile inland. The rupture is at its western edge, moving northward.”
In short order, we came to the shore, spread out over the wide ribbon of sand, and began to fly in a loop from one end of the beach to the other, with our faces to the sea. Behind us, the atmosphere was rent by electrical discharges while, approaching from the west, explosions continued to tear through the water, though they rapidly decreased in number and soon ceased altogether. The Quintessence’s underconveyances had either retreated or been totally destroyed.
There followed a few minutes of tense silence, then, about a quarter of a mile from my position, something rose from the water. Before I could properly get the measure of it, a blinding bolt of energy arced out of it, lashed across the beach, and impacted against the edge of the forest. Wood and foliage erupted into the air with a deafening crack.
More things humped up onto the sand. They were metal machines, each a boxy rhomboid mounted on two very large rimless wheels—comprised of eight spokes ending in curved and studded “feet”—while a third, smaller wheel was affixed to the end of a shaft extending from the back. Twin funnels thrust upward from the rear of the vehicles. These were the first part of the contraptions to break the surface, and as they did so, valves popped open at their ends and thick plumes of steam came screeching out at high pressure, assaulting my ears and casting a veil over the scene for the entire length of the beach. This almost instantaneous pall glowed weirdly, illuminated from within by glowing crystals positioned at the end of short shafts, each protruding from the front of the machines. It was from these gemstones that the bolts of energy were released to terrible effect—the seaward edge of the forest was decimated before the flock could fire a single retaliatory shot.
The scene was deafening and chaotic, the air filled with pounding detonations and blinding flares. Splinters and branches whirled past. For a moment, I was paralysed from the shock of it, then a hand grabbed my arm, bringing me to my senses, and I saw that Gallokomas was at my side.
“They are concentrating their fire on the trees to either side of the river!” he shouted.
I squinted through the roiling vapour and saw that this was indeed the case. “They must be attempting to widen its path through the forest, Gallokomas! It’ll give them a route in. Order our cannoneers to focus on the machines closest to the river’s mouth. Disable them and they’ll block the rest!”
He sent out a mental command and a large number of Zull rapidly gathered directly above the leading Divergent machines. Hovering in pairs, they aimed their cannons. For a few seconds nothing happened, as frequencies were adjusted. Then my ears popped and some of the war vehicles spluttered, jerked, and shuddered to a standstill.
The response was immediate and devastating. The other machines turned their weapons on the Zull, sending bolt after bolt crackling up into the flock—and where we’d restricted ourselves to disabling the enemy, the Divergent showed no such constraint. To my horror, I saw hundreds of Zull killed in the blink of an eye, their charred bodies raining down.
Gallokomas slapped his hands to his head and screamed as the slaughter sent telepathic shock waves through him. I held him by the shoulders, steadied him, and hollered, “For pity’s sake, order them to keep moving!”
He recovered and nodded. Moments later, all the Zull were flying again, dodging through the haze-filled air, and far fewer of them were being hit.
“But we cannot aim our cannons properly!” Gallokomas observed.
“We shall have to do the best we can.”
A final line of war machines exited the water. The Divergent forces were four vehicles deep and crowding toward the river.
I noticed hatches opening in the sides of the disabled contraptions. Mi’aata clambered from them and made for the trees.
Hitting my harness’s control, I sped forward, swooped down, drew my pistol, and fired at the creatures. A mass of Zull pistoleers followed me. The Mi’aata, armed with pikestaffs, turned them upon us and sent shafts of lightning into our midst. More Zull fell.
I hovered for a second and wiped sawdust, sand, and sweat from my eyes. The war machines had started to batter the forest again, and foliage and powdered wood flew around us as they pushed forward. The vehicles were completely careless of the Divergent who were “on foot” and