I’m about a third of the way into the book, and two (interrelated) things bug me about it. The Armada is described as populated by upward of a hundred thousand permanent residents. More than half of those are human/Remade/cactus/khepri and other typically land-dwelling species. They require a lot of fresh water to survive and maintain some degree of hygiene. They also have some agriculture going.
The problem is that they’re floating around the middle of the freaking ocean. Do they have massive, efficient desalination technology? And how did they manage to get sufficient fuel to power their industries and Remade engines and all that? I can’t see piracy and trade being sufficient in this case.
Did I miss something, or is it explained later in the book? Bas-Lag is incredible, and sticking a “Wizard did it” explanation on some aspect of it would be a disappointment.
Piracy and trade certainly can account for the fuel and water, at least IMO. It seems like up to the events towards the end of the book itself, lots of ships were always coming and going - can’t see why some of those couldn’t be dedicated water tankers and fuel tenders. Then there’s rainwater. Plus, I don’t think you can exclude “a wizard did it” - I can see there being thaumatic engines that do nothing but extract elemental water - we are talking about a community that can summon lightning elementals and the Avanc itself using magic, no? Also, until the derrick was stolen, the fleet was probably not that fluch with fuel, as Miéville describes them as being practically drunk with the possibilities now open to them with the new fuel.
But really, it’s a bit of a background nit to pick, isn’t it? I mean, the Gross and Tar in New Crobuzon are described in terms about as appealing as the River Ankh, but you didn’t wonder where that much-larger city gets its fresh water from, do you?
It’s pointed out a couple of times in various books that freshwater Vodyanoi don’t live in the ocean - can’t tolerate it. Plus there’s this little quote from when post-ReRemade Tanner goes into the ocean the first time:
“He tasted salt so totally it became quickly insensible”