That’s my professional opinion.’
‘A gentleman never tells,’ said Frey, with a broad grin that was as good as a confession.
‘I’m very pleased for you,’ said Crake, disapprovingly.
‘How did your new toys work out?’ Frey enquired.
Crake brightened. ‘I think I can do quite a lot with them. A daemonist needs a sanctum, really, but some processes are more portable than others. I won’t be fooling around with anything too dangerous, that’s for sure, but I can still do beginner’s stuff.’
‘What’s beginner’s stuff? Stuff like my cutlass?’
Crake choked in amazement and almost flung down his rag. ‘Your cutlass,’ he said indignantly, ‘is a work of bloody art that took me years of study to accomplish and almost -’
He stopped as he caught the look of wicked amusement on Frey’s face. ‘Oh,’ he said. ‘I see. You caught me. Very droll.’
Frey walked over and slapped him on the shoulder. ‘No, seriously, I’m interested. What can you do?’
‘Well, for example . . .’ He drew out two small silver earcuffs from his pocket. ‘Take one of these and put it on your ear.’
Frey fixed it to his ear. Crake did the same with the other. They looked like any other innocuous ornament. Bess stirred restlessly, her huge bulk rustling and clanking as she moved. Crake patted her humped back.
‘Don’t worry, Bess. We’re not finished yet. I’ll clean the rest in a moment,’ he assured her. The golem, mollified, settled down to wait.
‘Now what?’ asked Frey.
‘Go over there,’ said Crake, pointing. ‘And ask me a question. Just talk normally, don’t raise your voice.’
Frey shrugged and did as he was told. He walked fifty yards and then stopped. Facing away from Crake, he said quietly, ‘So what exactly are you doing on the Ketty Jay?’
‘I gave you my cutlass on the condition that you’d never ask me that,’ Crake replied, close enough to his ear so that Frey jumped and looked around. It was as if the daemonist was standing right next to him.
‘That’s incredible!’ Frey exclaimed. ‘Is that really you? I can hear your voice right in my ear!’
‘The range could be better,’ said Crake modestly. ‘But it’s quite a simple trick to thrall two daemons at the same resonance. They’re the most rudimentary type; stupid things, really. Little sparks of awareness, not even as smart as an animal. But they can be very useful if put to a task.’
‘I’ll say!’
‘I was thinking, if I can whip up some better versions, that you could use them to communicate with your pilots or something. Better than that electroheliograph thing you have.’
‘That’s a damn good idea, Crake,’ he said. ‘Damn good idea.’
‘Anyway, better take it off. These things will tire you out if you wear them too long. Daemons have a way of sucking the energy out of you.’
‘My cutlass doesn’t,’ Frey replied.
He
