Part 15 (1/2)

'Right. And don't talk, just think. Think the words.' Rose gritted her teeth and concentrated on forming the words in her head. 'All right.'

'Good. I know what the connection between Bronwyn and the boy is.'

'Yeah. He's her son. And you were right, his name's Jimmy.'

'I'm having a chat with him now. At least, I'm with something that looks like him, something that has his memories, but it probably has a good part of something else too.'

'Hang about. . . You're with him? But they sent him away. He got adopted. It nearly finished her. Ended her marriage. It was when he was small, but that was years ago. She doesn't even know if he's still alive.'

'Yeah, well, this one is still about six.'

'OK, this is getting seriously creepy.'

She realised that she had said this out loud when Ali gave her a puzzled look. Smiling embarra.s.sedly, she forced herself to concentrate on her thoughts again. 'She blames herself. Says she was a bad mother. That she's been keeping something secret all these years, in her head. I think that's what's made her a bit, you know. . . odd.'

'Yes, well, she's got a fair chunk of an alien lodged in her brain, and not a nice one either. Must have been affecting her for years.'

'You what?'

'Doesn't matter. All you need to know is that she's got something the Cynrog don't know about. Let's keep it that way. Will she take you to the lighthouse?'

'Yeah. She's just sorting out a lifejacket for Ali.'151.

'Right. You're gonna have to hurry, 'cause things are going to start prowling again shortly. And there's a bit of a change with what I want you to do. Still got the sonic screwdriver?'

'Of course.'

'OK, then listen carefully.'

The eyes of the creature in the library flickered open. This time they weren't dead and unseeing, but blazed with angry life. It examined its surroundings, straining at the energy field that held it suspended in the charged air.

The energy waves that rolled across its skin had faded now and the flesh of the creature was solid and real. Hard, chitinous plates covered its back and arms, studded with wickedly barbed spines. Its back was hunched and muscular, the thick neck wreathed with writhing tentacles. Its head was flat and elongated, the brain protected by a hard, bony plate flaring out to an armoured frill, like a dinosaur. The black eyes blazed from beneath a heavy brow and row upon row of curving teeth gnashed in the wide mouth. Six powerful insect-like legs flexed under its abdomen, the claws at their tips gleaming and sharpened, and curling over its back was a segmented, scorpion-like tail, poison dripping from the spines that studded its length. The creature gave a bellow of anger at its confinement, las.h.i.+ng out with a clawed hand. Cynrog equipment shattered under the blow, tendrils of energy arcing angrily across the library. Enraged by the lightning, the creature started to lash out blindly, tearing the cables from the walls, sending books and consoles cras.h.i.+ng to the ground. With a huge shower of sparks, the Cynrog machinery exploded, energy dancing wildly across the room, spitting flames in its wake. The creature crashed to the floor, released from the energy field. Its claws took huge gouges from the polished floorboards as it spread its arms wide and let out a shattering roar.

Peyne looked up as the roar reverberated around the house.

'Balor,' she whispered.152.

The Cynrog technicians had stopped their work at the consoles, looking at each other in excitement. The ward was filled with reptilian hissing.

'Back to your stations!' barked Peyne. 'Priest Technician Hadron, with me!'

The two Cynrog marched from the room, throwing open the doors to the hallway. From upstairs came another mighty roar, coupled with the dull crump of explosions. Smoke was starting to fill the house, billowing across the once ornate ceilings.

Peyne frowned. 'Something is not right.'

As they raced up the stairs, lithe and lizard-like, Peyne's heart was pounding. To fail when they were this close. . . They skidded to a halt outside the library, staring in shock at the devastation that faced them. The heavy wooden doors had burst from their hinges, leaving huge, jagged splinters scattered across the floor. Chunks of plaster had been torn from the walls and ceiling and thick black smoke billowed out into the corridor. Another explosion shot gouts of flame through the open doorway, sending the Cynrog diving for cover.

Through the flames Peyne could see something moving. Something huge and dark. Hadron fumbled with the disrupter at his belt. Peyne hissed angrily at him, 'Fool! You think we've come this far just for you to shoot him down? Conduct yourself as befits a Priest Technician of the Cynrog.'

Hadron bowed his head. 'My apologies, Priest Commander.'

Peyne flicked her tongue in displeasure and smoothed down the creases in her battle fatigues. She would have preferred full ceremonial regalia for this moment, the end of so many years of waiting. Head held high, she entered the library, Hadron at her side.

'Lord Balor, we of the Cynrog rejoice at your coming. Lead us once more to the victory. . . '

The words died in her throat as the creature turned slowly to face her. She felt her skin p.r.i.c.kle, the spines across her scalp stiffening in fear. Her hands were shaking; the creature was using its power on them.153.

'My Lord Balor?'

Peyne stared up into the face of the towering monster, into the blazing eyes that were fixed on her, and at that moment she knew that something had gone terribly, horribly wrong. Instinctively she realised that the creature in front of her was incomplete. Somehow, something was missing. Somehow, she had missed something, and the thing that she had created was a savage, indiscriminate, uncontrolled animal. The soul that inhabited it had only one thought: destruction. The creature opened its wide mouth and let out a growl of hatred.

'Commander. . . ' Hadron had dropped to his knees, his body shaking uncontrollably. The monster lifted a huge claw.

'No!'

Peyne threw herself backwards as the claw slashed down, swiping Hadron into the air. She could hear the screams of the technician as the huge jaws closed around his torso, the wet crunch as the creature devoured him.

Balor gave another deafening roar and raised himself to his full height. Wooden beams strained and splintered, and plaster shattered like gla.s.s as the monster burst up through the roof of the rectory. Cold air swept in, fanning the flames that leapt from the devastated equipment and now raged across the ancient bookcases. Masonry tumbled into the room as a chimneys tack was torn apart by the struggling monster.

Peyne scrambled to her feet and ran for her life. Rose struggled up the wet rocks to the base of the lighthouse with Ali lolling in her arms. She had to keep shaking the little girl to keep her awake.

'Come on, Ali. Come on! We're nearly there. Two more minutes and this will all be over. Two more minutes.'

'I'm so tired, Rose.' Ali rubbed at her eyes.

'I know, honey, I know, but I need you. Try to keep going just a bit longer, please. For me.'

Ali nodded weakly.154.

Rose turned to see where Bronwyn had got to. The old woman was picking her way painfully up the slope. The ride across to the island had been terrifying. The monsters had started to emerge again, in ones and twos at first, but then things had started to flash through the water around the little boat and Rose hadn't been sure if they would ever get here in one piece.

When Ali had started to flag, at first Rose thought it was just due to the rigours of the day, but now it seemed certain that she was falling victim to the Cynrog machines once more.

'Bronwyn, I've got to get Ali to the lamp room. Are you OK?'

'Got to rest. Got to sit.' Her words came between rasping breaths.

'So tired.'

'Not you too!'

Rose groaned. She couldn't keep both of them awake for ever, but at least the cold rain was helping. She looked up at the lighthouse. The glow from the lamp room above them was lighting up the storm clouds. She pushed open the metal door, ushering Bronwyn inside.

'OK. You stay here. I'll be as quick as I can.'

'You go on, dear.' Bronwyn waved a weary hand at Rose. 'I'm getting too old for all this running about.' She lowered herself on to the bottom step of the winding staircase. 'I'll just sit here for a while.'

With a last worried look at the slumped old lady at her feet, Rose hefted Ali in her arms and started up the stairs, her legs protesting at every step.