"I am in a position to make such a guarantee," Levi replied.
"Secondly, that all ecological matters within the southwest region of what was once known as the United States of America will be ceded to the Gene Bank and its administration for all time."
The man’s lips twitched downward. It was something he had hoped not to hear, but he nodded. "On that I can place a guarantee as well."
Hammerhand nodded his agreement, but the Prophet looked more dubious.
"If you will forgive my curiosity…" He let his voice trail off until Nina2 nodded to encourage him to speak. "Thank you. I would only ask why the Gene Bank administration would consider supporting us at all. Even with these parameters in place, it would seem you and your guard would be capable of putting up your own defenses and making your own guarantees without our help."
Nina2 looked down for a moment, then at him again. "I have reasons—two of them. One is practical. Allowing you passage is not a passive act that FEMA City would forgive. To grant you passage is to cast our lot in with you. If you march at all, it must be with us. As Mr. Stone has stated, a siege would be to our disadvantage and could lead to the death of the people in my charge. This I will not tolerate."
She took a deep breath before she continued and spoke quickly in her monotone. "The second reason is more personal. I have seen what Lady Hoot and her owl-faced cretins have done while given free rein in this area. She is monstrous and dangerous, a condition that compels one to put her down as one would a rabid dog. I would add, furthermore, that whoever knew this woman before she became the animal we now know and before she was equipped with such a unique weapon has failed the world in a terrible way."
Hammerhand couldn't tell if the woman was speaking to him. Her voice and lack of any expression made it difficult to pinpoint if she knew that he and Athena had once been partners or not. The fact that she didn't look at him once while she spoke indicated that wasn't the case.
Even so, she wasn't wrong, and he couldn't help shifting uncomfortably in his seat.
Chapter Fifty-Seven
Hammerhand had never been the best at waiting for people to talk their way into some sense. True, that was the aim—for people to talk instead of fight—but he wouldn’t pretend it was his strength.
And he could tell that the lord captain was more of a fighter than a talker as well. The man looked as bored as he felt and yawned and stretched his arms over his head while Levi and Nina2 did most of the negotiating. Levi had brought a map they marked to show which points the Gene Guard administration would have control over. He intended to make sure there was no room for erroneous or creative interpretation in the guarantees he would give on behalf of the New York Western Railroad Company.
All in all, it seemed that Levi was only a middleman and would transfer all the information to his employers at the company. He said on more than one occasion that he had been sent and granted the power to accede to certain demands as long as they did not contrast too harshly with the ideals of his employers. From that point forward, there was little else to say other than semantics.
According to Tinker, this was how people did business back in the day. The Cities-That-Were had once used paper to enact certain deals and contracts and the like, which created all kinds of issues not only with its manufacture but also with ways to store the documents. Hammerhand could only be happy that this was a small taste of that particular way of life.
After a few hours of discussion, Levi finally stood, shook Nina2's hand, and gestured for the others to do the same. That somehow led to everyone shaking hands and Levi plastered on a greasy smile that wouldn't go away before they began the routine journey to their mechs. The Gene Guard now appeared to be a little more relaxed, and even Gustav15 seemed a good deal less incensed than when the debate had started.
Nina2 still looked her regular, immovable self and chatted to the lord captain while the other three men made their way to where their mechs waited for them.
"I would have a word with you in private if you don't mind," the Prophet said suddenly once they were out of earshot of the Gene Bankers.
Hammerhand turned, expecting the man to have spoken to Levi, but realized he had, in fact, addressed him. He indicated for the NYWRC man to walk on toward his transport, which was a dune buggy similar to what some of the Desert Warriors used but without the spikes and other accouterments.
"What do you have in mind?" he asked and raised an eyebrow at the man who strolled slowly beside him.
"How do you feel about our new allies, the Gene Bankers?"
"Let me guess, you don't trust them either?"
The Prophet shrugged but kept his hands clasped behind his back. His long black hair whipped in the winds that gusted around them. "I cannot say that I do. They are fiercely independent, yes, but I think they would likely make an alliance with the City as readily as they did with us if they achieved that which they desire."
"Why would they agree to treat with us, if that was the case?"
"Well, they hold a higher position. Should we move our troops through their territory, their two companies could find our troops quite vulnerable during that stretch of the march. They know their tunnels and are quite well-armed. Should they choose to support the FEMA City instead of us, they could prove the fatal thorn in our side. I feel the chance that they could double-cross us cannot be ignored given
