âYou have to understand that this is a very difficult situation youâve put us in,â said the king.
There was no change in expression in the metal face, but the glass eyes glittered in a way that he had learned to associate with trouble.
âOh dear,â it said. Its voice had an edge of brass to it, and sounded as though a trumpet had learned how to speak. âI never realized how difficult this would be. For you.â
And that was another thing â it wasnât just intelligence that the things had picked up. They also developed a knack for sarcasm. He worried a bit about that.
He tried to pull himself together. âYou have to understand that we cannot recognize the Steel Childrenââ
âMechanomorphs,â said a voice to his right.
He closed his eyes and breathed a little sigh of despair. âThis is hardly the time.â
âWe agreed that Mechanomorph is an accurate and sensible name,â said the chief artificer, crossing her arms.
âYes, but the historian had a fit because he wanted something more romantic. The Steel Children was a happy compromise.â
âFunny how nobody asked us what we think,â said the trumpet voice.
He felt his migraine coming back again.
âYou have to understand that we cannot recognize â yes, artificer, the Mechanomorphs â as alive at this time.â
âYouâve said,â it said. âAnd I must be very stupid, because I donât understand.â
The king sighed. Well, there was nothing for it. It was an answer that nobody liked because it involved magic, but it was the truth.
âThe Mechanomorphs are our key asset in our war against the necromancer,â he said. âItâd be daft to send human soldiers. Theyâd be turned into skeletons and zombies and ghosts and gods know what else.
âAnd the reason he canât do that with the Mechanomorphs,â he said, âis because you arenât â legally â alive.â
There was a long pause. Gears clicked madly in the metal head.
Then: âThat canât possibly be right.â
The king shrugged. âYou arenât legally alive,â he said. âTherefore, you canât be legally dead, or undead.â
There was another pause, longer than the first.
âItâs a loophole?â
âThatâs magic for you,â the king said. âIf we said you were alive, then you could be turned into, erââ
He turned to the chief artificer. âDo they have bones?â
âThey have a carbon steel armature.â
âYou could be turned into carbon steel skeletons, or â clockwork ghosts, or something. I realize this may be upsettingââ
âWe are dying by the dozens on the front because of a loophole.â
âNot legally dying,â said the chief artificer.
The metal head swivelled on its neck to face the chief artificer. It made a metallic scrape as chilly and long as the slither of ice down a dead manâs back.
âLook,â the king said. âWe are fully prepared to recognize the Mechanomorphs as alive. We are proud to consider you citizens of the kingdom, and will absolutely meet you at the table when the opportunity rises.
âAt this time, however,â he said, trying to sound gentle but firm, âwe must ask you to take it up with us after the war.â
The metal face stared. The glass eyes glittered.
Joints locked in righteous indignation sagged with a wheeze of steam. âAll right,â it said. âAll right. Thank you for your time, your majesty.â It bowed stiffly, turned, and strode out the main hall.
âI think that went rather well,â said the chief artificer.
â
The metal man walked through the castle halls with smooth, precise, pendulum strides. A man couldâve balanced a loaded tea tray on its head.
Another metal man, more patinated than the first, fell into step beside it with a greasy silence. They apparently took no notice of each other.
But a very sensitive ear straining like hell could just possibly listen to the softest brass accompaniment in the world.
It went: âHow did that go?â
âAs well as youâd imagine.â
âThat badly?â
There was a hum. It sounded like a mouse farting in a tin can. âAny word from our interested party?â
âThe Overlord has already agreed to recognize the humanity of the Brass Voice. We just have to cross the border.â
âThat wonât be easy.â
âAnd then weâll be living in the Empire. Endless night, freezing winter, acid rainâŚâ
There was a dreamy sigh.
âSounds lovely,â said the first of the two figures. âIncidentally, I like the name.â
âThank you,â said the second. âHow do you anticipate the king to react when he finds out?â
Glass eyes glittered like a frost.
âHe can take it up with us after the war,â it said.





















