CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

PLANNING

 

 

“ME, I KNOW where Them are,” said Ben Gun.

He did not wait for everyone in the command chamber to sit. He blurted out the news without preamble, without thinking. He was smiling wildly and his eyes glistened.

“The Voice, even it does not tell me where Them are,” said Walter Sickert.

Holeman Hunt sat down suddenly. Walter Sickert’s melodic voice still unnerved all of the Hacker Pack, and some of the Zoo Pack. It was compelling. It was as if the Master’s Voice spoke through him.

“Hacker Pack, them have not heard Them,” said Ben Gun. “Hacker Pack, them have not heard Them whistle in the tunnels. Tempelhof Pack, them turned us away. Atticus Flinch, him turned us away. Him claimed to be a Hearer, but him had no fear of Them. Tempelhof Pack, them heard no whistles in the tunnels.”

“Atticus Flinch, him no Hearer,” said Walter Sickert.

“No,” said Ben Gun. “Walter Sickert, him the Hearer.”

Then he continued.

“Rathaus, them heard the whistle. Rathaus, them feared Them. Rathaus, them scrapped outside. Rathaus, them walked all-away around to come here. Rathaus, them knew something.”

“Rathaus Pack, them feral dogs,” said Holeman Hunt. “Rathaus them kill Hacker. Them kill Zoo Pack.”

“Why?” asked Ben Gun.

“Rathaus, them dead,” said Ezra Pound. He was growing impatient. “Why does not matter.”

“Warschauer Pack, them territory Track One,” said Ben Gun.

“Warschauer Pack, them gone,” said Oscar so Wild, “deader and dead.”

“Dammed Pack, them territory Track Seven,” said Ben Gun.

“Dammed Pack, them mad. Them scrapped outside, blind,” said Evelyn War. “Dammed Pack, them deader and dead.”

“Zoo Pack, us territory Track Two,” said Ben Gun.

“Zoo Pack, us got no fiefdom,” said Robert Browning.

“Rathaus, them territory west end Track Two and west end Track Seven,” said Ben Gun, triumphant.

There was silence in the room.

“That is why Rathaus Pack scrap with Hacker Pack,” said Ben Gun. He realised that he was going to have to explain further what was already clear in his mind. “Rathaus Pack, them had a Hearer. Them knew about Them.”

There was sudden uproar in the command chamber. Dorothy Barker stood up to protest, and one or two of the Hacker lieutenants did likewise. They were all talking over each other, challenging the idea that the basest, most feral Aux pack could have a Hearer among them.

“Ben Gun, him is right,” said Walter Sickert. The noise died down, and, gradually, those who were standing began to sit, although none had lost their indignation. “A Hearer is just a Hearer. Any Aux, him can be a Hearer. Atticus Flinch, him was clever. Him had muscles in his head. The Tempelhof, them sophisticated, them superior. Still, them sent us away. Them know nothing.”

Walter Sickert looked at Ben Gun and gestured for him to continue.

“Tempelhof Pack, Atticus Flinch, him turned us away. Tempelhof Pack, them heard no whistles. Them lost no sentries. Tempelhof Pack, them territory Track Six –”

“Hacker Pack fiefdom Track Six,” said Holeman Hunt.

“Rathaus Pack, them were trying to get to Track Six,” said Ben Gun. “Them were trying to run from Them. Rathaus Pack, them had a Hearer. Him knew to run from Track Two. Him knew to run from Track Seven. Him knew Track Six was safe.”

“Rathaus Pack, them could have made an alliance,” said Oscar so Wild.

“Rathaus Pack, them didn’t know how,” said Evelyn War. “Rathaus Pack, them were desperate.”

“The Dammed, them were desperate, too,” said Walter Sickert.

“Us, we know where Them are,” said Ben Gun.

“No,” said Ezra Pound. “Us, we know where Them have been.”

“Us, can we discover where Them will go next?” asked Holeman Hunt. “Us, can we ambush Them?”

For two hours the Hackers and the Zoo Pack in the command chamber pored over the map. The dirt was cleaned off it, but what was underneath was difficult to decipher. The heavy plastic was scuffed and scratched. Although the print appeared to be intact, it was difficult to read through the centuries of wear and tear.

The Aux could only recognise the parts of station names that were familiar to them from regular use of the places they knew well; they did know all the tracks by number. The map itself bore only a passing resemblance to the real tunnels, or to the city of Berlin outside.

“Walter Sickert, you? Doesn’t the Voice tell you anything?” asked Ezra Pound in frustration after he had spent long hours studying the map.

“The Voice, it tells me what I tell you,” said Walter Sickert.

“Track Nine,” said Robert Browning. “Me, I think Them will use Track Nine.”

“Why?” asked Holeman Hunt.

“Me, I don’t know,” said Robert Browning.

“Because Track Six is safe,” said Dorothy Barker.

“Because Them like to be underground,” said Evelyn War.

“You, you trade with Hansa Pack?” asked Ezra Pound, looking thoughtfully into Holeman Hunt’s wounded face. Hunt’s jaw tightened and the scab on his face puckered.

“Track Nine,” said Holeman Hunt. “Track Nine and we make an alliance with Hansa Pack.”