Ventus by Karl Schroeder

Karl Schroeder / Ventus / Page 400
of camp someone hailed him.
"Yes?" He waited impatiently as his chief mechanist ran
over. The man was bowlegged and hirsute, and his helmet
perched atop his head like some metallic bird. He bowed
awkwardly, and pointed in the direction of the siege engines.
"General, sir! Someone punctured the water barrels last
night! The supply’s shot--I mean, it’s leaked out! There isn’t
enough left to run the steam cannon."
Lavin hissed. "Sabotage? Is that what you’re saying?"
The mechanist backed away. "Yeah. Yeah, sabotage.
What are we going to do?"
"What about our own rations?"
The man’s eyes widened. "The drinking water?"
Lavin nodded. "Is it safe?"
"Uh... not my department..."
"Find out. We will use it if we have to. Report back to
me in an hour--and tell Hesty about this right away. Now
excuse me."
He rounded the tent in time to see them lower a body
from the scaffold. Two soldiers heaved it up between them and
carried it to a low pile of corpses nearby.
The rope had already been put around Enneas’ neck. The
other end went up over the arm of the scaffold and to the halter
of a bored horse. To hang Enneas, all they would have to do
was walk the horse a few meters.
The thief’s eyes were closed. He seemed to be praying.
But he didn’t beg, and he stayed on his feet, though he tottered.
Lavin was angry about the sabotage. It would cost him
lives if the steam cannon were inoperable. He nearly turned
and marched back his tent. Maybe though, just maybe, this
man could make up for those potential casualties.
Still, he waited until the horse began to walk, just to see