The Burning Man

3

‘Where is he?’ Fighting to suppress her anxiety, Ruth roamed the circular ticket office, her spear drawn.

‘It was a trap,’ Laura said. ‘That’s why the gate opened so easily.’

‘If that is the case, why were we not all taken the moment we set foot in this place?’ Shavi remained calm. Turning slowly, he tried to read any subtle signals that might reveal Church’s whereabouts.

‘Because we’re not important,’ Laura snapped. ‘It’s always been about Church. He’s the one with the big destiny thing going on. We’re just here for target practice.’

‘Will you shut up.’ Ruth forced herself not to shout at Laura, who managed to irritate her even in stress-free moments.

‘You don’t get the monopoly on worry just because you’ve opened your legs for him,’ Laura replied spitefully.

As Ruth bristled, Shavi stepped between the two women. ‘The Enemy is undoubtedly on the way, perhaps even here already. We do not have the luxury of waiting here to search.’

‘You’re saying we should leave Church?’ Ruth said.

‘I’m with the Ice Princess,’ Laura added. ‘You don’t abandon a friend.’

‘I do not want to leave Church either. But if we allow ourselves to fall here, the price will be paid by all of humanity.’

Ruth considered Shavi’s words, then nodded and headed towards the escalators. ‘Church knows how to look after himself. He’ll find his way back to us.’

Laura watched her coldly before following. ‘You’re such a weakling. I can’t believe you’ve cut him loose.’ Shavi reached out to calm her, but she threw him off.

‘The difference between us,’ Ruth called back, ‘is that I have faith in him.’

They climbed over the ticket barriers and made their way quickly down the unmoving escalators. Dimly, they could hear the carnage above ground echoing through the walls.

As they made their way through the network of tunnels, Laura whispered to Shavi, ‘Don’t take this the wrong way, but I keep getting flashes of us doing the monkey-dance. Yeah, yeah, I know you dream about it every second, but it feels like it really happened.’

‘I do not recall that, but I remember other things that are confusing. I think, perhaps, that our memories of our past time together are coming back. And that can only be a good thing. By all accounts, we achieved great things together. If we come to know each other as well as we did then, we can achieve great things again.’

‘You’re such a sucky optimist, Shavster, you’re like a walking cheese machine,’ she gently mocked.

On the platform, the head of Ruth’s spear glowed gently, bringing out a beauty in her features that Shavi had not noticed before. She was still fighting to contain her worry over Church, and when she saw him looking she turned away.

A distant, insane shrieking brought them up hard. It echoed from the gaping tunnel mouth, and was intermingled with haunting string music. The hairs on Shavi’s neck prickled; the sound was drawing closer.

‘What in the name of Billy Bob Thornton is that?’ Laura said, spooked, trying to hide it.

The shrieking rushed towards them, a raucous counterpoint to the music that grew more beautiful as it neared. The tracks began to sing in tune, and eventually a dim wash of light appeared on the walls in the far depths of the tunnel.

‘There shouldn’t be any trains running at this time of night,’ Ruth said.

‘Better recheck your timetable.’ The apprehension in Laura’s voice suggested they should all run, but they were transfixed by the sounds and the light, and by then it was too late.