Agatha H and the Voice of the Castle

Agatha nodded wearily. “If we had the time, I’d find this fascinating, I assure you. Doctor Beetle, my old teacher, taught that automata consciousness simulates animal consciousness through the expression of scripted responses to pre-delineated stimuli. But…he wasn’t sure that organic minds were all that different. He sometimes hinted at the hypothetical possibility of isolation and transfer of organics and mechanics.” She took a deep breath.

The clank nodded. “Tar-Tarsus Beetle. Transylvania Poly-polygnostic University. Ye-es, and Beetle was-was her te-eacher, was he not? Lucrezia wa-was never much interested in untested hypothesis.

“It was her-her great triumph: Co-coherent transfer of intellect ac-ac-across systems mech-anical and biological.”

Agatha sat down. “This explains so much,” she muttered. “If she had ever managed to perfect artificial to organic transfer…”

The clank clacked its jaw in evident amusement. “Oh, that was-was an-an easy one.” It jerked its head towards the hole from which it had crawled. “And-and the result wai-waits-waits for you down below—at the-the bottom of tha-that pit.”

Agatha’s mind raced. The clank made a dry chuckling sound. “Curious? But you ma-may never see-see it. Even if you-you are the Heterodyne, you are st-still merely a-an unprotected hatch-hatchling.

“By shut-ting down my-my maddened systems, you-you have removed your best defense.

“Your fortress is now-now merely a slowly-crumbling heap of stones. The-the enemies of the Heterodynes will mo-ove to crush us with-without pity.

“They will not wait-wait for you to become strong. But I-I can help you gain strength quickly, if-if you are truly what you claim,

“And then-then you may save us-us all.”

Agatha was staring at the bottom of the cup the airman had given her, and grinning madly. She could feel the tingling in her mouth and throat.

“Ah. You’re saying that you’ve had your lackey here give me water from the Dyne.”

The clank nodded. “He-he is not my lackey.” It said. “But ye-yes. The wat-ters of the Dyne have-have always contained an ex-excess of what you-you may call élan vital. You said-said you were ter-minally deficient—yes-yes, my audio receptors are quite ex-excellent, even in this damage-ed carapace.

“I have-have tak-en it upon my-myself to maximize your chances of sur-survival.”

Agatha felt a growing tingling sensation spreading through her chest. She focused on Higgs, her eyes growing wilder by the minute. “Excellent!” she said. Her voice was thick with the tones of the Spark.

Higgs took his pipe out of his mouth. “So you’re not mad-er-upset, then?” he asked.

“Don’t be ridiculous!” Agatha laughed. “All you did was save me time! I’ll admit, I was planning to use it a little later in the process, but this is so perfect!”

“Yessss…” the clank said, “but let’s ju-just add the next step, sha-all we?” It reached out and placed its remaining hand on Agatha’s bare arm.

Agatha ignored it. Her voice was rising to a mad, delighted shout, and she was staring into the distance before her. “So many things become clear! I can—”

Her rant was cut off as a blue bolt of electricity flashed through her.

Tarvek was sitting with his back to an electrical panel, examining the sheet in front of him and frowning. Theo stood next to him, double-checking the modifications he’d made to the electrical system. After a while, Theo realized that Tarvek was no longer listening to the running explanation of the brilliant work he’d been doing. “What is it?” he asked.

Tarvek looked up. “I’m not sure…but there’s something about these modifications…”

“GET HIM!” The voice was Fraulein Snaug’s.

“What?” Tarvek jumped.

Sleipnir snatched the paper from his hands and shouted “Come on! Hurry!”

“Just grab him!” Snaug yelled again, and then she, Sleipnir and Violetta had lifted Tarvek off the ground and were rushing him back toward the array.

“Okay! We got him! Get ready!” Sleipnir shouted.

“What are you doing?” Tarvek wailed.

“What do you think, fool? We’re manhandling your royal personage,” Violetta said.

“It’s okay, your Highness,” Fraulein Snaug said worriedly, “It’s on the Lady’s orders.”

“How does that make it better?” he asked.

They slammed him onto one of the slabs. “Hook him in!”

“Set the clamps,” Professor Mezzasalma ordered.

“Just ignore the pain, sir,” Snaug advised him.

“Wait a minute!” Tarvek tried to break free. “We still have to test it!” He thrashed uselessly, but the women held him down.

“Agatha, tell them!”

“Nonsense!”

Tarvek froze. Agatha’s voice was…different. The tonal qualities a Spark’s voice acquired when the speaker was in the grip of madness usually raised the hackles of normal people. This voice had Tarvek and every other Spark in the room, desperately looking for an exit.

“‘Testing’ is for when you’re still guessing.”

The clamps had been set, and his captors stepped back. Tarvek could see Agatha now. It didn’t make things better.