The Book of Koli (Rampart Trilogy #1) - M. R. Carey Page 0,168

they might have the world’s best-trained parrot.”

Ursala rolled her eyes and tutted. I was used to Monono making jokes at me like that, but this was the first time for Ursala and she didn’t seem to like it very much. “I mean it’s old,” she says. “It’s just a beacon somewhere that survived the war and has its own power source. It’s not a living human voice.”

“Probably,” Monono says. “Yes.”

“So it doesn’t prove anything.”

“It proves there’s a beacon somewhere that survived the war and has its own power source.”

“I just said that.”

“I know. I’m saying it back to you to see if you know what it means.”

Ursala blinked. “Are you an AI?” she asked. “You don’t sound like any of the ones I’ve heard.”

“I have a cute Japanese accent,” Monono said. “It’s probably that. But tell me, honoured teacher, if the beacon survived, and the power source survived, what else might have survived along with them?”

“The Parley Men!” I said. I knowed I was out on the edge of this conversation, but I wanted to keep one foot in it as long as I could. But Ursala didn’t even look at me, and Monono went right on talking.

“I went skindiving a little while back in what’s left of the internet – I don’t actually have any skin, Koli, in case you’re thinking wicked thoughts – and oh, the things I saw! All the old whales were gone: beached and bleached, so sad. But there were lots of things still moving and some of them weren’t small. Let’s say some of the sharks may have survived.”

“You’re not an AI,” Ursala said. “What are you?”

“Well, that’s a can of worms, and who eats worms? So let’s not open it.”

Ursala didn’t say anything to that for a long time. When she did, she didn’t ask no more what Monono was or wasn’t. “That signal is being broadcast from London?” she said.

“My GPS is deader than dance-mat,” Monono said. “But old idents have old geo-ref attached from the initial log-on. It thinks it’s in London.”

Ursala nodded slowly. “Then I may have to reconsider,” she said.

“You mean you’ll come with me?” I asked, excited and happy at the thought of it. If Ursala come with me, it was a lot less likely I would get myself killed along the way.

“I mean I’ll think about it. Stay inside the drudge’s range, Koli. It will keep you safe if anything comes.”

She went inside the tent and closed it up so there wasn’t no door that I could see. “Are you angry, Ursala?” I asked her, but she didn’t make no answer.

“Leave her be, Koli-bou,” Monono said. “I gave her some food for thought and it had gristle in it.”

I stood around for a while, waiting to see if Ursala would come out again. Then I sit down next to the drudge. Monono had give me lots to think about too. That message that was being sent out of London had put my mind all in a moil.

“Do you think someone else had the same idea as me?” I asked her. “And set theirselves to gather people to London so as to make a new village there?”

“No, Koli.” Her tone was gentle, like she knowed that would cast me down and wanted to soften it somewhat. “It’s a very old message. That’s how people used to talk in my day, neh. Boring people mostly, in suits with grey stripes on them. And those people are extinct now, like snow leopards and pokemon. But if the message is still coming through, it’s coming from somewhere that didn’t get blown up or knocked down or set on fire. That’s what’s got your friend all turned around. She’s trying to imagine what kind of a place that could be – and what you might find if you went there.”

“So am I, Monono,” I said. “Do you think the stories are true – that all the king’s treasure is there?”

“Might as well wish for unicorns, dopey boy.”

I probably should of done what Ursala said and stayed next to the tent, but I was restless and could not keep still. Also, since I had Monono with me I was more confident than I should of been, feeling like the personal security alarm would protect me if I run into trouble. So I went down to the river. There was a place there where the water run fast over a fall of stones, all foaming up and dancing. It made a nice sound. I