The searing heat from the explosion still tore at his face and hands, a hundred scorpions striking one after the other. Josiah could see only the afterglow, nothing else was real. But even before he fully realised what was happening, Josiah had drawn his gun and was diving for cover. A soft-drinks dispenser now served as a barricade. Someone was shouting orders but Josiah couldn’t tell who it was. As his eyes began to clear, colour returned in stark contrasts. Stuttering flashes drove spears of light across the hall. What the hell was going on?
Somehow, Lovecraft materialised beside him, hands nervously twitching as they held a sleek pistol. He popped his head around the machine, fired twice and darted back.
“Where’s Amber? Where’re the others?” Josiah asked, fighting to concentrate.
“I do not know,” Lovecraft replied jerkily, “I lost them.”
Flashes of light burst across his eyes. Josiah felt the machine behind him shudder with sudden impacts. His hands were shaking and he looked at them curiously. He was holding a gun. What should he be doing? He had to do something. The noise was too loud. Bursting volcanoes of sound. Bones quaked, teeth shook. What should he do? What could he do? More flashes of light, gut-tearing eruptions. He had to get out of here. Where was the exit? There had to be a door, a window, a way out. He shouldn’t be here. He had to get out!
“Breathe slower,” Lovecraft said evenly, not looking at him. “We can get out of here if you concentrate. Pick up your gun, then wait for a lull. Shoot the people shooting us.”
For a moment Josiah did not comprehend the words. It was all noise on top of noise. His pulse beat strong and fast in his ears, throbbing. Breaths were short and shallow. But when he became aware of this Josiah could fight for control. Lovecraft was right. He tried to slow his breath and waited for a pause. Without letting himself think, he was shooting across the platform. One shot, two shots. He hardly registered the recoil before ducking back into cover. Two more. Back into cover. They came more easily now. A fifth.
Then he caught sight of Amber, crouching behind a stack of metal barrels in the ditch that had once held the railway lines. A weight lifted from his chest - at least she was okay. And beside her was Theano, pale but seemingly uninjured.
Josiah slipped back into cover a moment before the return fire slammed into the wall behind him - for a moment the air was full of dust and shards of concrete. When it cleared, he peeked out from behind the drinks machine, searching for a target.
The smoke from the explosion obscured everything, all the overhead lights had gone out as well, Only the flickering glow of flames and the flashes of gunfire lit the room. The sound of shots filled Josiah’s head from ear to ear until it became nothing but background noise. Between the staccato sounds he heard someone barking orders.
“MOVE WIDE!” someone shouted but Josiah could not tell who it was.
There! He could see one of the Nightmares behind a metal crate. Carefully, Josiah took aim.
Cold metal pressed against his neck.
“Drop your gun,” the voice hissed, “your friend as well.”
* * *
The Elegant Head was almost deserted when they arrived. One alcove was soundproofed off with a thick velvet curtain, so at least someone was in, but no one sat in the myriad chairs. It seemed that there had been an attempt to organise and order the books but with very little success. Their friends were nowhere to be seen.
“What do you think?” asked Josiah.
“At a guess, they’re probably either working or sleeping,” Amber replied. Then after a moment’s pause she added “but probably working.”
“Well, shall we find Theano first?”
“Sounds like a plan.”
Amber lead the way, snaking through the chairs and stacks of books. They made for the East exit, and reached ‘Math Fields’, as it was known in the Square - a series of winding passages that housed the most eminent Mathematicians and Numerologists. Deep into the ground they walked, past various wooden doors, most of which were sealed off from prying eyes. Not a word passed between them. The silence felt slightly awkward - Josiah did not yet feel so comfortable around Amber for such quiet. It made his thoughts turn inwards in uncomfortable circles. What if he reached out with his right arm, caught her by the waist and pressed his lips against hers? Would she pull away? He could almost feel her soft touch.
Amber stopped and knocked loudly on the door.
“Who is it?” came Thee’s voice.
“Amber and Merlin, can we come in?”
“Sure, the door’s open…”
They pushed open the door, came inside, while Theano continued obliviously: “…but I can only apologise about the mess and everything but I really wasn’t expecting to have any visitors at this time of night, you know, it really is difficult…”
“Thee,” smiled Amber, “it’s already morning.”
Theano looked up sharply in surprise - her monologue paused for a moment.
The lab was a mass of papers, each covered in eldritch marks and placed haphazardly on the stout desk or pinned up on the walls. Every square centimetre was filled with pieces of paper, numbers and diagrams. Various sections were highlighted in some arcane coding scheme and linked together by strands of variously coloured cotton thread held up by drawing pins. It was like an insane spider had tried to make its web across all the walls at once.
“I do so tend to lose track of time down here, once I’m working on my project, I find the whole thing so absorbing that I simply don’t notice the passing of time at all.” Theano smoothed down both sides of her bedraggled hair with her right hand, her left hanging limply by her side in the white glove she always wore. “So, what can I do for you? I assume that this is not just a social call, though social calls are always welcome - I enjoy chatting, don’t you?”
“Fancy a trip to King’s Cross?” asked Josiah, knowing by now not to get too fixed on Thee’s questions.
“Is that a trick question, because, to be honest, I’ve never much been one for going to the Cross, I mean, I’ve heard people say that it used to be…”
“We need your help,” soothed Amber, “a delicate matter. Every hand would be much appreciated.”
Once Josiah had explained the situation, Theano was immediately willing to help, though she suggested that she really ought to have a coffee before she did anything else, as she was really rather tired now she came to think about it. They left her to it and agreed to meet in the Elegant Head.
“Now Duke,” said Josiah.
The two of them returned to the winding staircase and headed down a few more steps before turning right into a long, white corridor. They had passed out of Math Fields and had entered the realm of the Chemists. It was completely spotless - not even a shadow marred its perfection - Duke had to be nearby. Knocking gently on the far door they were greeted by a muffled “Hmm?” that could only have come from Duke.
Pushing the door open, Amber stepped inside gingerly, wiping her feet on the doormat as she did so. It was the cleanest chemistry laboratory Josiah had ever seen. The white walls were lined with shelf after shelf of vials, test-tubes and bottles, labelled neatly and clearly, arranged in perfect order. The fluorescent lights made the room almost unbearably bright. In one corner of the room was Deucalion, wearing a white apron, goggles and a face mask - resembling nothing less than the proverbial white elephant - holding a test tube of a bubbling silver fluid over a bunsen burner. For a minute or two he did not even register their presence. Then he put the test tube down gently, turned off the bunsen burner, took a step backwards and took off his face mask.
“Bugger!” he exclaimed loudly. “Two weeks work down the drain!”
He took off his goggles and apron.
“Sorry we disturbed you…” began Josiah.
“Oh it wasn’t you - imperfections in the test tube. I’ll have to clean it better next time. So, what brings you to my humble laboratory?”
They explained and Duke chuckled to himself. “Sounds like fun! I’ll get the gear and meet you in the lounge.”
“Two down, one to go,” said Josiah once Duke had stomped away.
“Let’s find Lovecraft - we’d better take the elevator.”
“Why do we need the elevator?” Josiah had never been invited into Lovecraft’s lab, and had never sought it out himself. Maybe it was the mechanical eyes.
“Lovecraft’s room is above city floor,” Amber said, striding off down the corridor.
“I didn’t know there were any rooms above city floor.”
“We have a few, reserved for astronomers, usually.”
“Amazing. How many other surprises are there?”
“Can’t reveal everything,” she said, paused, faced him, and half-smiled, “at least, not on a first date.”
Amber turned and walked off. Josiah shook his head and followed.
After walking through more identical corridors they found the elevator and pressed the ‘Call’ button. A red light came on reassuringly, and the sound of grinding gears echoed down the shaft. An iron cage descended and stopped in front of them. Soon they were riding up back to street level and beyond, though Josiah noticed that the lift only stopped at even numbered floors.
They were both silent. Josiah looked at Amber - her hair fell across her shoulders and framed her face. He moved closer and thought about touching her arm, her hair. He could kiss her right now. Hadn’t she been flirting with him? He thought that she liked him. He could reach out, wrap his arms around her waist…
The elevator began to slow. It ground to a halt and the iron doors slid open. He should have done something, said something. Well, it was too late now.
There was only one door on this small landing and Amber knocked on it hesitantly. There was no response.
“He might be asleep,” suggested Josiah.
Amber tried the door handle - it wasn’t locked. She opened the door and stepped inside.
The small, circular room beyond was illuminated by a stream of light pouring through a glass panel in the ceiling - the dust glowed brightly as it drifted into the golden haze. Around the walls were a number of computer screens, each reeling off a gush of green figures, images of nebulae and pictures of stars. And in the corner - was that a potted plant? Dominating the centre of the room was something that looked halfway between a chair and a bed, made of black syn-leather. Lying face-up upon this contraption was Lovecraft, staring at the ceiling.
“I am busy,” he said, “is it urgent?”
Amber began explaining but Lovecraft did not stir; his eyes were fixed on the window in the roof. Josiah was fairly sure that he would not come with them. Amber, seemed to like having him around, though why that should be he wasn’t sure. Lovecraft spoke rarely and never seemed to pay that much attention to the conversation.
When Amber had finished, Lovecraft blinked, the first movement he had made since they had entered, and jolted upright, fixing them with his too large eyes.
“Very well, I shall go with you. I have a few things to finish up first.”
Amber smiled “see you in the Head in a few minutes?”
“I will be there.”
As they turned to go, Josiah thought he could see Lovecraft’s eye-implants, iridescent colours whirring, as they returned to normal focus.
Josiah took a deep breath. This was it then, they were going to King’s Cross.
As this chapter is a long one (over 6000 words, I've broken it into 2 parts, the 2nd part can be found here).
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