"That's not how you spell boring, Alex," said Eve.
"It's how I spell it. Why do we never go anywhere or do anything, except when we're stealing some bizarro artefact from a lost civilisation? Why don't we go clubbing or something? We could have some fun!"
"You are free to go clubbing if you wish," said Eve, coldly.
"On my own? And yeah, Gina went clubbing. Look what happened to her."
"Gina had other problems."
"We could go and find some decent food, instead of living off noodles and chips. My skin feels like an oil slick." Alex rubbed her finger up and down her nose to demonstrate.
"Vanity does not suit you," said Eve, "and we are supposed to be keeping a low profile. We can hardly do that by skipping out of restaurants without paying. Besides, Chipper doesn't want to leave his computer."
Chipper was wired into a PC with three screens that he'd cobbled together from equipment around the office. He wore huge headphones which sometimes failed to deaden the sound of staccato gunfire and the screams of the dying.
"That's all he ever does! What's he playing now? Some World War Two thing that goes on forever. He'll be all night on that. What am I supposed to do?"
"You can go out if you want to. You're not a prisoner," Eve pointed out.
"And this office — the chairs are all on wheels, there's no beds to sleep in, the lights are on whether you want them on or not."
"As Sparky pointed out, it has internet and power, it's clean and dry. There's a basic kitchen with a microwave. What more do you want?'
"A bed?" said Alex.
"Sleep is highly overrated," said Eve.
"I don't get it," said Alex. "You're in all this hurry to get hold of the stuff and then we wait. What are we waiting for? Why don't we change the world now? Today?"
"The timing must be perfect. You don't understand."
"You always say that, but you never say when. You're worse than my sodding parents."
"It will be soon, Alex. You must learn patience." Eve glanced up sharply. "What was that?"
"What was what?" said Alex.
Eve looked back along the line of desks in the deserted office space to the doors where the lift lobby was. "Why is there no light in the lift lobby?" she said, her voice acquiring an edge as she rose to her feet. She picked up a stapler and threw it towards Chipper so that it bounced off the monitors.
"What'd you do that for?" said Chipper, tearing off the headphones.
"Trouble," said Eve. "Police?" She picked up the book and stuffed it into the satchel she carried, tucking it in beside other items stashed in the satchel, slipping it over her head and across her body.
She was collecting a long silver arrow from the desk where she'd been reading when Sparky spoke.
"Er, guys?" Sparky stood up slowly, his hands held up and away from his body. As he stood it became apparent there was someone standing close behind him holding a long curved knife to his throat. "Problem here?"
"Fellstamp?" Alex said his name before she could stop herself. She immediately recognised the broad-nosed face rising behind Sparky. "What are you doing…?"
"You know him?" asked Eve, incredulous.
"Kinda," said Alex. "He's one of the people who work with my dad."
"Just everyone relax and no one gets hurt," said Fellstamp. "We're not looking for a fight — just being cautious. If we wanted to hurt you, you'd be dead by now."
"We?" Said Eve. "There's only one of you."
"No, there isn't." A figure appeared near the door to the lift lobby, where seconds before Alex could have sworn there was no one.
"Fionh," said Alex, turning to face her. "You're not taking me back. I won't go!"
"Shut up, Alex. This is not about you," said Fionh. "You," she nodded towards Eve, "put down the arrow, drop the bag and any other weapons, place your hands high where we can see them."
"You know these people?" said Eve, shoving Alex in the chest so that she staggered back against a desk. "You brought them here?"
"No," said Alex. "They must have tracked us here. I didn't tell anyone, honestly."
"In two," said Eve, quietly.
"What?" said Alex. From her position she saw Chipper pretend to lift something from the desk, cradling it to him. Eve paused for just a second. Sparky was gripping the top of the monitor in front of him. There was a faint smell of electrical overheating. A wisp of smoke rose from the back of the monitor. Sparky nodded.
"Don't try anything," said Fellstamp, "Or your friend will grow a new smile."
"Two," said Eve.
There was a blinding white flash from Sparky. In the after image burned into Alex's retina, long trails of jagged lightning forked out all around him. Fellstamp flew backwards, a bright arc lancing into his chest. To Alex, blinking through the green spots floating in front of her eyes, he seemed to float in the air as he sailed backwards, arms out-flung.
Chipper made a gesture that looked to Alex like he was launching a grenade. A great gout of flame erupted in front of Fionh, the pulse of heat throwing Alex forward so she landed across one of the stupid office chairs and toppled sideways onto the floor.
Her ears ringing from the twin detonations, Alex crawled to her knees, coughing at the bitter-tasting smoke that was roiling down around her. A high-pitched alarm was screeching. Emergency lighting flickered into dim illumination.
Alex pulled herself up on the desk in time to see Fionh striding through the smoke towards Eve with a long straight blade held easily, but as she advanced her steps faltered. Fionh glanced down, suddenly unsure of her footing. Even as she hesitated, the floor appeared to ripple and bow underneath her. Carpet tiles up-ended into a dip in the floor which expanded, swallowing everything as it flowed outwards.
Fionh leapt forwards, the ground under her sagging and collapsing, leaving her sprawled across the shifting carpet tiles as they were sucked inexorably into the slowly whirling vortex that had opened up in what had been a solid floor. It rippled like water, and sighed like sand. Fionh crawled forward while the floor slipped backwards into the dark hole that had opened up in the floor.
"Die bitch!" said Eve.
"No!" said Alex. "You mustn't!"
Eve glanced at Alex and then stepped forward and slapped her, flat-handed, across the face. Alex staggered sideways at the force of the blow. Tears welled into her eyes.
"Never!" Eve's eyes blazed with anger. "Never ever tell me what I can and cannot do!"
Alex held her hand to her cheek where her cheek burned. "There are more of them," Alex blurted through the tears. "If you kill them they'll come with more, better armed, better prepared."
"They'll have to find us first," said Eve. "Out!" she called to Sparky and Chipper. "Emergency exit. Now!" She grabbed Alex's hair, lifting it and pulling it back so that Alex's throat was exposed. In her hand, the tip of the silver arrow glinted menacingly.
"Did you bring them here? Did you?" asked Eve.
"No!" Alex gasped. "I swear."
Eve paused, on the cusp of a decision. Alex readied herself, trying to think of something she could do, something she could say.
Eve threw her forwards. "Go! Follow them down. I'll be right behind you."
She pushed Alex towards the emergency exit. Alex stumbled forwards, her footing uncertain. The whole floor was shifting and bucking like it was a living thing. The foulsmelling smoke drifted around her, forming into drifts like ghosts in the still air. She glanced back. Outlined against the dull flicker of the flames, she could dimly see Eve's outline.
It was too late to help anyone now.
It was so rare to see people running in the courts that I couldn't help but follow the commotion down to the source, the room where the Ways converged, under the house.
When I reached the room I couldn't quite believe what I found. Fionh was sprawled on the floor, covered in smears of dark soot, showing livid bruises and singed hair. Garvin was knelt beside her giving her water from a glass. I'd never seen Fionh look anything but crisp and business-like. It was a shock to see her in such disarray.