Part 40 (1/2)

”Not at all.”

”Or with the axe, for that matter, if you have that hidden somewhere about you.”

”As a matter of fact, I lost it.”

”Then if you do not mean to ambush me-and yet you're lying in wait, as if you distrust me-then it must be that you want to talk. You want to know if I will help you turn against Lord Atwood.”

”Thank G.o.d, Mr Vaz. Thank G.o.d. That certainly saves time. Yes. Two against two is better than three against one.”

”I did not say yes. The two of them have rifles, and we have nothing-not even an axe. Do you have a plan?”

”I don't suppose I do. Element of surprise; that's all.”

”And then? Without Atwood, how will we get home?”

”We won't, Mr Vaz. We won't.”

”I see.” Vaz picked up his candle again, and held it up, studying the recesses of the room. Shadows moved from window to window.

”After a while,” he said, ”one ceases to hear the wind. Lord Atwood promised me a s.h.i.+p of my own, you know.”

Arthur patted his pockets. ”I can't even offer you a cigarette, I'm afraid.”

”Let's think. There are four of us at present. Nine when we started; four now. Bad luck all round, old chap. I have counted six of the-the natives. That is half again as many as four, and it would be twice three if Payne joins us, and three times two if he does not.”

”They mean us no harm. It's Atwood they want to stop. But he's dug in-they can't get to him. They need our help. I think perhaps they'll help us, if it comes to it.”

”There is also the small matter of right and wrong, Mr Shaw. What you are proposing is murder.”

”He means to do something dreadful. We-all of us-we are only ... Mr Vaz, I saw Josephine.”

Vaz raised an eyebrow.

”She's alive. I swear to you. She spoke to me. She knows his plans, and she spoke to me.”

”And what did she tell you, Mr Shaw?”

When they returned to the Gallery, Atwood and Payne were waiting by the windows. Payne marched briskly up to them.

”About b.l.o.o.d.y time. Where've you layabouts been hiding? It's now or b.l.o.o.d.y never, so pull yourselves together.”

Payne shoved a rifle into Arthur's hands and seized Vaz roughly by his elbow, as if he were an errant schoolboy. Vaz slapped his arm away and Payne scowled and cuffed Vaz's ear. Arthur hit Payne under his chin with the b.u.t.t of the rifle. He toppled backwards and his head struck the window-sill with an awful crack.

Atwood was already gone. At the first sign of violence he'd turned and fled, throwing himself on his belly down the tunnel that led to his cell.

Arthur crouched by the side of the chute, peering down to see lamplight at the bottom of it.

Atwood's voice called up from below.

”My last trial, then. In the form of you, Mr Shaw, and you, Mr Vaz.”

”Stop talking like that, you b.l.o.o.d.y lunatic.”

”Remember that I have a pistol down here, Shaw. If I see your head coming down that chimney, I will shoot it off.”

Arthur crept over to the window, where Vaz was inspecting Payne's body.

”I think he is probably dead,” Vaz whispered.

Arthur couldn't bring himself to care either way. He doubted anyone back on Earth had ever loved Payne very much.

”Atwood's right,” he whispered. ”He's dug in there, the b.a.s.t.a.r.d.”

”I can hear you both quite clearly,” Atwood said.

Arthur swore, picked up a chunk of stone, and threw it down the tunnel.

Atwood laughed. ”Don't be ridiculous, Shaw. You're not thinking clearly, either of you. But listen. Listen.”

Atwood's voice became friendly, ingratiating. ”You're afraid, I know. You're tired. Good Lord, don't you think I'm tired? The human body, the mind, they're not made for this place. For the things we've seen. I know that you hear the voices of despair, the voices of madness. No wonder. But don't falter now. Shaw-don't falter now! Josephine depends on you. Josephine-”

”She's alive, Atwood. I spoke to her.”

Arthur heard Atwood s.h.i.+fting about in his cell. He crept over to the side of the tunnel. Over by the window, Vaz readied Payne's rifle.

”He's mad, you know, Vaz,” Atwood said. ”Shaw has gone mad.”

There was another long silence, except for footsteps and the sc.r.a.ping of stone below.

”I didn't know,” Atwood said. ”I didn't know that she was alive. I'm very pleased. I never intended what happened to her.”

”Come out. Come out and we can talk this out.”

”That was a nasty-looking blow you struck Payne, Shaw. I didn't know you had it in you. Is he dead?”

Arthur didn't answer.

”Yes,” Vaz said.

”Come out, Atwood. Come out and talk. Tell us what you're planning to do. I think-I think perhaps you've become confused, Atwood.”

There was a noise of sc.r.a.ping stone.