Lady Friday(37)

‘Cup of hot water?’ asked Pirkin, interrupting Arthur’s reverie. ‘We haven’t got any tea. Not anymore. We had some on the wharf, but …’ ‘Sure.’ Though Arthur was now quite warm, a cup of hot anything would be welcome. It might help banish the memory of the cold – and would help if he had to go outside, where it was still snowing. ‘Are the other Paper Pushers coming in? They don’t need to do any poling now, do they?’

‘We’re in the up seven-six current now, and the canal is a full twenty fathoms deep,’ said Pirkin. He was quite agreeable now that he had given up trying to prevent Arthur and the others from boarding the raft. ‘But someone has to watch the raft, make sure nothing falls off or sinks, to upset the trim. Besides, they’re not so used to strangers, being as how they’re only ordinary members of the association and not Branch Secretary like I am.’

Arthur gratefully took the steaming enamel cup he was offered.

‘Thanks. So we’re in an up-current? How long will it take to get to the Middle of the Middle? And can we keep going from there to the Top Shelf?’

‘We’ll reach the Lower Sky by morning,’ said Pirkin. ‘Then it depends how long to get through the skylock—’

‘The Lower Sky? Skylock?’ asked Arthur. ‘What do you mean? I thought the Middle House was all one big mountain.’

‘It is and it isn’t,’ said Pirkin. He took a swig of his hot water. ‘Ah, that’s the stuff. Nearly as good as tea, leastways if you haven’t got any tea. Where was I? Oh, the Lower Sky. There’s a sky above the Flat, that’s the Lower Sky. And there’s a sky between the Middle of the Middle and the Top Shelf, that’s the Middle Sky. And then there’s a sky right up top, I suppose. Least there’s clouds and suns and suchlike up above the Top Shelf. Top Sky, that would be.’

‘And the skylock?’

‘Where the canal goes through,’ said Pirkin. ‘Big gate that slides across. Oh, it’s a right pain to open, I tell you. Needs a hundred ordinary members of the association on the windlass and a couple of Branch Secretaries, at least, to do the counting. Risky business too. Long way to fall if you step off the canal side.’

‘So how long will it take to get through?’

‘Depends, don’t it?’ said Pirkin, with a shrug that spilled hot water on himself. He didn’t seem to notice, though it would have badly scalded a human. ‘If there’s enough rafts queued on either side, it might already be open, or we can open it fast-like.’

‘And once we’re in the Middle of the Middle, how long to get through there and on to the Top Shelf?’ asked Arthur.

‘Couple of days,’ said Pirkin. ‘Depends on cargo. Got to stop at Burinberg and pick up. Unless everything’s gone to pieces.’

‘Gone to pieces? How exactly?’

Pirkin looked at Arthur with surprise.

‘Well, you’re part of it, aren’t you? Oddkin’s raft dropped us some letters when he passed … Where are they now?’

He fished around in his pockets, drawing out numerous folded papers, till he found what he was looking for and handed them to Arthur.

‘First one said Lady Friday’s nicked off somewhere and that everyone who wants to should take a holiday and experiencing’s allowed,’ said Pirkin. ‘Second one says Lady Friday’s handed over to Superior Saturday, work must go on as usual, experiencing’s not allowed, obey Saturday’s officers and so on and so forth.’

Arthur quickly scanned the two letters, which had the colourful seals of the relevant Trustee. The first did indeed confirm that Lady Friday was going away, but it did not specifically mention abdication or handing over the Key or her authority in the Middle House.

The second, from Superior Saturday, was much more explicit. Arthur read it in full.

To all Denizens of authority in the Middle House, Greeting

The Lady Friday, Former Trustee of the Architect, has abdicated and resigned from all authority within the Middle House. Her place has been assumed by Lady Saturday, Superior Sorcerer of the Upper House. All Denizens in the Middle House must acknowledge the authority of Superior Saturday and her officers.

You are instructed to follow the orders of any of Superior Saturday’s officers, such orders to take precedence over any standing orders, former orders, traditions, commonplace actions, rituals, regular tasks, or anything else that may conflict with said orders or instructions.

All Denizens of the Middle House will continue with their regular work. The practice known as ‘experiencing’ is forbidden, and the possession of a ‘mortal experience’ is decreed to be a crime, punishable to the utmost degree by any officer of the Upper House.