He bit his lip. The levers had been positioned near the railing. If he could sneak up and hit Zinc where Pooka had injured him, he might be able to knock him over the side. If the fall killed him, Tahki would be a murderer.
He’d reconcile with his conscience later.
He moved from the doorway. The hum of the machine blocked the sound of his boots. When Zinc’s body was in reach, Tahki threw himself forward, aiming his elbow into Zinc’s side. But Zinc turned at the last moment, and instead of shoving the man over the edge, Tahki only managed to make him stumble. Zinc didn’t even cry out. He simply grabbed Tahki’s neck and brought his knee hard into his stomach. Air left Tahki’s body in a great heave, and he curled into a ball on the floor. He gasped and clawed at the marble. His own spit caught in his throat and he gagged.
“I swear,” Zinc said. “When I’m done here, I’m going to burn your fucking body alive.” He turned back to the levers and grasped the third one again. This time, he threw his body into it. His face twisted in pain as the lever jabbed into his wound, but he didn’t stop. Again and again he heaved his body into it, until the lever finally gave way.
Tahki heard thunder inside the castle. He managed to pull himself into a sitting position. The giant golden cylinder moaned and whistled and shook. The hinges rattled, and for a moment he thought the entire thing might explode. Inside the circular room, the conduits bubbled and metal tapped against metal.
And then the golden cylinder roared, filling with steam that would be sent into the basement with deadly pressure. Tahki stared in wonder at this thing he had created. At this monster that shook the ground beneath them. It was frightening, and it was beautiful, and it would be used to slice the world open.
Zinc lifted Tahki off the ground by his hair. Even injured, Zinc was stronger than him.
“Time to burn,” Zinc said between gritted teeth.
He dragged Tahki back into the circular room and dropped him in front of the firebox. Tahki tried to stand, but Zinc kicked him in the face. His head smashed against the wall. Zinc yanked open the iron door to the firebox, where coal burned in a massive flame. The chamber was a good six feet by six feet, and the heat rolling out of it was strong enough to singe his skin.
Terror flooded Tahki as Zinc pulled him up and positioned him in front of the firebox. Zinc grinned, yellow teeth glinting in the light of the fire, eyes moist and unblinking. Tahki’s back burned. Sweat broke out all across his body. He could feel the flames licking the back of his head.
As Zinc heaved his body into the firebox, Tahki’s right hand flew back and held the iron door. The metal burned so badly Tahki could only see white for a moment, but as his right hand prevented his body from falling into the chamber, his left hand reached into his pocket. He gripped his mother’s pencil and swung it as hard as he could into Zinc.
This time, Zinc cried out and stumbled. The pencil dug a good inch into the tender part under his earlobe. Tahki tried to run, but Zinc reached out and snagged his shirt. Tahki tried to free himself, and they struggled and spun in a small circle for a moment, until Tahki’s back was against the wall. He slammed his fist into the pencil by Zinc’s jaw. Zinc released him and fumbled again.
Tahki didn’t hesitate. He brought his legs up and kicked Zinc in the stomach. Zinc’s legs hit the low rim of the firebox, and he fell back into the flames. His screams filled the room as the flames consumed him. Tahki watched Zinc twist and squeal, a sound he’d never forget. The cries finally ceased when Zinc’s body collapsed into the fiery coals.
Tahki panted on the ground and kicked the door closed. His right hand pulsed bright red, and his face felt like he’d lain out in the summer sun for a week. Though the screams had stopped, Tahki still heard them in his mind. With great effort, he managed to drag himself up. He limped out to the levers. The golden cylinder shook and growled.
Tahki stood over the third lever. He needed to shut it off. But after he shut it off, what then? What would prevent someone from turning it back on? Zinc was dead, but Dyraien still had men on his side. Nothing would prevent Dyraien from doing this same thing again. The only way to be sure the Dim stayed closed would be to destroy the castle. Destroy his greatest achievement.
Tahki swallowed. He reached out and touched one of the levers. They felt smooth and cool beneath his burned hand. He remembered designing them so no one would have to manually load coal into the chamber. Dyraien had beamed at this idea and called him brilliant. His conduit system was a part of the castle now, which made the castle a part of him. His creation. His masterpiece. His dream.
He remembered then the words his mother had spoken to him the evening she died, before the fire had started.
“Why do you like inventing so much?” Tahki had asked her. “Wouldn’t you rather be off playing games or swimming in the oasis with the empress?”
His mother had smiled that patient smile she always seemed to have and replied, “The greatest life one can live is the life of a creator. Whether you’re creating a life, a song, or a machine, you are bringing something new into existence. You are helping the world grow.”
With her words in mind, Tahki pulled the lever.
He used his left hand to yank the first lever all the way down, and then he moved the
