“But there’s a big problem. This place functions by means of some kind of huge power source. It’s way down deep underground in the cellars.
“The Castle says it isn’t sure exactly what’s wrong, but the central core is no longer generating power.
“Apparently, this place has been running on stored energy since the Other’s attack, and, after all this time, and with the extra energy we’ve been using since we came in, it’s running low.
“That’s enough to maintain sentience and minor systems, but something like this—” Agatha patted the lightning generator. “This needs a lot more than the system can supply all at once.”
She tapped a fingernail against the device strapped to Gil’s chest. “These units will keep your systems linked and the Si Vales connection intact while we make our way down there.
“We may be able to fix the generator, or at least tap directly into one of the storage devices.”
Tarvek looked like he was in the midst of a terrible dream. “Um—that could kill us.”
Gil gave him a disgusted look. “Really? Deader than a Si Vales Valeo decay? Or deader than Hogfarb’s Immolation?”
Tarvek’s expression did not change. “I like fixing generators,” he told them.
“Good,” said Agatha. “Now I’m going to calibrate the stimulators. This is kind of delicate.” She fiddled with a handheld meter and stared at its dials. “Try to act lively, but not too lively, okay?”
“Lively?” Tarvek asked Gil in a weak voice. “I’m amazed we’re standing.”
“No kidding.” Gil poked him. “Just, I don’t know, flap your hands or something.”
“You first.”
“Nuh-uh. You first.”
Violetta walked up and shoved a bundle at Tarvek. “All right, you buffoon—I dug around in the back room and found you some old clothes, so get dressed!
“She may be too busy saving your worthless life to notice, but you’re not going to walk around in front of my lady without pants!”
Gil and Tarvek stopped arguing and looked down in horror.
“Oh, now, that’s way too lively.” Agatha told them, frowning at the meter she held. All that shouting was making the readings jump all over the dials.
Finally, Agatha was satisfied that the stimulators were working properly. Gil and Tarvek sat side-by-side as she bustled about, collecting tools and discussing with the Castle the best route through its basements.
They sipped at scrounged beakers full of what von Zinzer called “Best Not Ask.”
Tarvek shook his head. “The Castle’s power source! Amazing! Our spies never could find it.”
“So Tiktoffen wasn’t just holding out on us,” Gil said. “From what I heard earlier, I thought maybe—”
Tarvek was surprised. “Wait—Hristo Tiktoffen? But he was our inside man.”
“Oh really?” Gil thought about this. “I see. That explains a few things. But didn’t you wonder if…er…if someone else had spies here?”
Tarvek took another sip. “Sure. We knew about all kinds of spies. According to Tiktoffen, there were agents and observers from all sorts of organizations, but he could never identify the Baron’s insider. Fancy that.”
Gil took a sip. “So he wasn’t telling your side everything either?”
The Castle began to chuckle. It sounded as though a third person was sitting with them.
“Ah, the light dawns!” the Castle mocked.
Tarvek made a wry face. “Huh. It sounds like he’s on nobody’s side except his own.”
The Castle practically crowed: “Actually, the professor is on my side! Heh, heh, heh.”
Tarvek frowned. “Your side? You have a side?”
“Wait—” Gil said. “I can see this. Tiktoffen’s university dissertation was on ‘The Autonomy of Architecture.’”83
“That was him?” Tarvek rolled his eyes. “Sweet Science, he must love this place.”
“And what is not to love?” the Castle said smugly.
Gil and Tarvek remained silent, sipping their drinks. Finally, Gil spoke. “So you’re involved in this whole ‘Storm King’ farce, are you?”
Tarvek looked guilty. “Well, yes, a bit. Did Agatha—”
“No. Your tame Heterodyne girl told me all about it…and she was a bit of a surprise, let me tell you.”
Tarvek clutched his forehead and groaned. “She is not my tame Heterodyne girl. This whole debacle was not my plan. Mine was much better.
“And even though a real Heterodyne girl appeared, they panicked and rushed into it anyway! I swear, those fools couldn’t topple the corrupt government of a sandcastle.”
Gil shrugged. “Well, what with Agatha’s performance in Sturmhalten, I can see how they thought it was now or never.”
“So this girl’s in the Castle, is she? What’s she like? Will she be any danger to Agatha?”
Gil stared at him. “Wait—you don’t know?”
“Well, no. I’ve never met her. I said this wasn’t my plan.”
“Um, well, let’s just say I don’t think much of this Storm King guy’s taste.”
Tarvek was stung. “Oh, really? That’s encouraging, considering the kind of girls you preferred in Paris.”
Gil raised his eyebrows. “True. They didn’t like to play dress-up much at all.”
“That’s because they were hardly ever dressed!” Tarvek sniped.
“Jealous?” Gil answered.
Agatha interrupted them. “It’s time to go. We’d better not leave Professor Tiktoffen and Pinkie here, they’ll have to come with us. Where are they?”
Tarvek was surprised. “They’re here here? Both of them?”
“Yeah. I knocked them out with some Ichor of Somnia.” Gil selected a small jar from a shelf and tossed it to von Zinzer. “Here. Wave this under their noses. It’ll wake them up fast.”
Von Zinzer eyed the jar suspiciously. “What is it?”
“Vitrium of Mustard. It’s harmless enough, just don’t try sniffing it yourself, it’s really pungent.”
He was too late. Von Zinzer had opened the jar and taken a sniff. He shrieked and clapped the lid back on, his eyes watering furiously. Violetta followed him out the door and just managed to keep him from walking himself into a wall. Together, they went to fetch the prisoners.
When they had gone, the Castle made a strange sound. “My lady! There is something moving within my walls. It…it appears to be heading this way, and it seem to be…quite large.”
Agatha looked at the door they had come in. “Seems large? You can’t tell?”
“No. It is…amorphous, I think. I cannot halt, destroy, or contain it…and…and…it tickles!”
“How close is it?”
The wall next to them cracked and a portrait fell to the ground.
“Very close!”
With a rumble, the wall collapsed into fragments, revealing a dark space. Within, something moved. It stepped out into the light. One large, central eye blinked.
“Oh!” Agatha looked down with astonishment. “It’s one of my little clanks.”
Gil and Tarvek bent to examine it. Gil grinned. “Yes! It’s the one our people found at Sturmhalten. I activated it earlier and it actually came to help you, just like I told it to! It’s actually a very smart little—OW!” Gill yelped as the diminutive clank lashed out and punched him in the nose.
Tarvek chortled. “You’re right! It is really smart! So—this is one of the ones she built in Sturmhalten, eh? I helped with some of those, you know—YEEE!”
The clank had found a mallet and brought it down hard on Tarvek’s toes.
“I see it remembers you, too,” Gil said with a smirk.