A chainsaw.

Ravic wasted no time. He pulled a chord, and the chainsaw emitted an industrial-sounding roar. A dozen trapdoors exploded open in every direction around him. The crowd screamed as a Returner scrambled out of each one and flew at Ravic, like starved dogs on a piece of meat.

Ravic stepped forward, swung his weapon—

A head bounced to the floor.

Another Returner reached for him. He waved the chainsaw. Hands flew through the air. More and more of the reanimated, patchwork dead fell on him, gnashing their teeth and raking at him with their nails, and he cut them down, piece by piece. Arms and legs flew, and half-clotted blood sprayed him. He tore through them like a bull. His chainsaw cleaved and chewed. Gore sprayed from it in fountains. To Katya he almost looked like he was dancing, weaving and ducking and spinning, lit by fire and savagery ...

Part of her wanted to cheer. Part of her wanted to retch.

Finally all the Returners flopped in pieces on the ground. Ravic switched off his chainsaw and raised his bloody arms to the crowd. They stood and screamed out their love and awe.

Then, just as suddenly as he had appeared, Ravic vanished. The fires died and the lights flickered back on, stinging everyone’s eyes, and when Katya could stand to look back into the arena, Ravic was no longer there.

Tattooed men began sweeping body parts to the side of the Pit.

“Wow,” she said. “What a showman.”

A touch of jealously entered Jack’s voice. “Oh, yes, he is many things.”

Katya looked at him with new respect. “How long have you worked for him?”

“A long time.”

Below, Vivia strutted back out into the Arena as men broomed aside the last of the body parts. “Now for some more fun,” she said into her microphone. “Let us introduce our lucky contestants.”

Doors opened in the side of the Arena, and gladiators strode out. Katya knew that the rest of the night would involve willing men and women fighting each other and Returners, homunculi or steam-men, to the death (or destruction, in the case of the latter), for money and fame.

“This is horrible,” Katya said. “Why do you people do this?”

“Ask Ravic,” Jack said.

“Ask me what?” said a voice from behind.

Katya whirled. A large, burly figure was materializing out of the crowd. He must have taken some tunnel under the arena. Bodyguards surrounded him, pushing back the throng. Upon seeing him, the people cheered and would have surged forward to greet him were it not for the guards.

Boss Ravic stepped toward Jack and Katya, and she saw that he was older than she’d thought. Gray streaked his hair and beard, and lines crinkled the skin around his eyes. Thick chest hair bristled from every inch of his front, and scars shone through it like knotted worms. Even his chest hair was more gray than not. Still, he was an impressive figure, huge and broad-shouldered. The whole effect was bestial, which, Katya supposed, was the point. This was a man that needed to be feared and respected. If she’d had any doubts, the show he had just put on would have dispelled them.

“Why are you letting those men kill each other?” she demanded, stabbing a finger in the direction of the Pit.

Ravic took her in, then hooked an eyebrow at Jack. “What’s this, a new filly?”

Jack shrugged. “Katya Ivreski. She says she wants a word with you.”

“Does she now?” Ravic stroked his beard. “Interesting.” He regarded her for a moment longer, then returned his attention to Jack. “My men saw you arrive. You have news?” There seemed to be some significance to this statement that was lost on Katya.

Grim, Jack nodded. “I do.”

“Then come.”

Ravic marched off, clearly expecting them to trail in his shadow as if he were some magnet, and like shards of graphite Katya and Jack followed. The army of bodyguards shoved people out of the way as Ravic led them all to one corner of the Pit Room. Katya saw that in each of the corners, except for the one with the furnace, there stood some sort of metal contraption, and a scaffold-like device that ascended to the smoke-wreathed ceiling high above.

“Oh no,” she said, too low for any to hear.

She’d heard of elevators but never thought she’d ride in one, and the sight made her hesitate.

Vivia waited for them at the lift. Beautiful and with high red hair, she slunk over to Ravic and threw her lissome arms about him. She had long legs, an elegant neck, and emerald green eyes. She seemed sleek, tiger-like—half as bestial as Ravic.

“You did brilliantly,” she said.

The Boss encircled her in his arms and lifted her off the ground. She squealed in delight. They kissed, and Katya wanted to gag.

While this was going on, servants held open the elevator door for them. Ravic and Vivia ended their affections, and the big man entered the compartment. Vivia followed, her hand in his, yapping on about his show. Katya tuned her out.

Jack entered next.

On the threshold, Katya paused.

“This is your last chance to back out,” Jack said.

She paused, then looked back at the throng of revelers. Any one of them could be an agent of Sedic.

She stepped over the elevator’s threshold, and the doors slammed shut behind her. The noise seemed very loud.

END OF SAMPLE

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