air, but Pieta stood without moving as if she had been carved there. Then the friends turned a bend in the river and they were gone.
“The Resisters are in good hands,” Dr. Diamond said. “Now, Owen, tell me more about this place you found.”
Owen drew level and started to describe the tunnel opening, the courtyard, and Gobillard's shop. The doctor questioned him closely about the truck that was sitting in the courtyard. Were its tires punctured? Did it look as if it had been used recently? Were there fresh tire tracks?
Before long they reached the place where the river started to flow through the town. The high walls on either side cut out the light from the moon, but Dr. Diamond wouldn't let them use the magno torches yet.
“There are too many people about,” Dr. Diamond said. “Look.”
A couple leaned over the bridge, looking down at the water. The man said something and the womanlaughed softly. Owen found himself thinking of a photo graph of his parents when they were younger.
Dr. Diamond made them wait until the couple had gone, then they moved forward again. The going was slow and treacherous now. There were pools caused by the tide where there had been none before, and channels gouged in the path by the rising water. Owen heard a splash and Cati muttering a curse as she slipped into the water. The river even smelled different, of seaweed and tidal pools.
“We need some light,” Owen said. “It's hard to see.”
Dr. Diamond looked cautiously around, then let Owen light his magno torch by sliding open a small window in the side. A beam of intense blue light shone out.
Owen scanned the wall above his head until he saw the tunnel a little downriver. It looked dark and gloomy. They moved downstream until they were directly under the opening.
“How do we get up there?” Cati asked.
The doctor didn't answer but took his rucksack off and fished around in it, coming out with a line with a hook on the end and a little motor. Swinging the hook around his head expertly, he threw it upward until it caught on the edge of the opening. He attached the motor to the line and turned it on. Humming quietly, the motor shot to the top of the line and stopped. Then he looped the rope quickly round Owen's waist and gave the line two sharp tugs. Owen felt himself hoisted quickly upward by the little motor.
At the top, Owen unfastened himself and threw down the line. While he was waiting for Dr. Diamond and Cati to ascend, he stared apprehensively into the tunnel. He caught a hint of the smell again, of snow and cold mountain air.
Soon his companions were up there too, and Dr. Diamond packed the hook, line, and motor back into the rucksack. “Useful little thing.” He smiled. “Come on.”
He took the magno torch from Owen and plunged into the darkness. Cati followed him with a shrug. Owen found himself standing on his own, watching the blue light of the torches recede into the dark. Owen started to follow them, then realized he had left without even saying goodbye to his mother!
Suddenly he felt the ground beneath his feet begin to shake again, and looked up. A crack was forming in the ceiling of the tunnel. Half running, half crawling, Owen forced himself to go up the tunnel.
Dr. Diamond grabbed his hand and urged him on. Behind them there was a great crash, and they were flung to the ground. The quake grew momentarily more violent before it went away. The three companions looked behind them. Through the dust they could see that the roof of the tunnel had collapsed.
“There is no way back,” Cati murmured.
“Not this way, anyway,” the doctor said.
Cati picked her way up the tunnel behind him. Owen shut his eyes and saw his mother's face. Then heopened his eyes again, turned heavily, and followed the others.
In the warm darkness of the warehouse Starry, the Raggie girl Silkie awoke. Her head was pounding and she felt breathless and hot. Around her the other children were tossing in their sleep, some
“The Resisters are in good hands,” Dr. Diamond said. “Now, Owen, tell me more about this place you found.”
Owen drew level and started to describe the tunnel opening, the courtyard, and Gobillard's shop. The doctor questioned him closely about the truck that was sitting in the courtyard. Were its tires punctured? Did it look as if it had been used recently? Were there fresh tire tracks?
Before long they reached the place where the river started to flow through the town. The high walls on either side cut out the light from the moon, but Dr. Diamond wouldn't let them use the magno torches yet.
“There are too many people about,” Dr. Diamond said. “Look.”
A couple leaned over the bridge, looking down at the water. The man said something and the womanlaughed softly. Owen found himself thinking of a photo graph of his parents when they were younger.
Dr. Diamond made them wait until the couple had gone, then they moved forward again. The going was slow and treacherous now. There were pools caused by the tide where there had been none before, and channels gouged in the path by the rising water. Owen heard a splash and Cati muttering a curse as she slipped into the water. The river even smelled different, of seaweed and tidal pools.
“We need some light,” Owen said. “It's hard to see.”
Dr. Diamond looked cautiously around, then let Owen light his magno torch by sliding open a small window in the side. A beam of intense blue light shone out.
Owen scanned the wall above his head until he saw the tunnel a little downriver. It looked dark and gloomy. They moved downstream until they were directly under the opening.
“How do we get up there?” Cati asked.
The doctor didn't answer but took his rucksack off and fished around in it, coming out with a line with a hook on the end and a little motor. Swinging the hook around his head expertly, he threw it upward until it caught on the edge of the opening. He attached the motor to the line and turned it on. Humming quietly, the motor shot to the top of the line and stopped. Then he looped the rope quickly round Owen's waist and gave the line two sharp tugs. Owen felt himself hoisted quickly upward by the little motor.
At the top, Owen unfastened himself and threw down the line. While he was waiting for Dr. Diamond and Cati to ascend, he stared apprehensively into the tunnel. He caught a hint of the smell again, of snow and cold mountain air.
Soon his companions were up there too, and Dr. Diamond packed the hook, line, and motor back into the rucksack. “Useful little thing.” He smiled. “Come on.”
He took the magno torch from Owen and plunged into the darkness. Cati followed him with a shrug. Owen found himself standing on his own, watching the blue light of the torches recede into the dark. Owen started to follow them, then realized he had left without even saying goodbye to his mother!
Suddenly he felt the ground beneath his feet begin to shake again, and looked up. A crack was forming in the ceiling of the tunnel. Half running, half crawling, Owen forced himself to go up the tunnel.
Dr. Diamond grabbed his hand and urged him on. Behind them there was a great crash, and they were flung to the ground. The quake grew momentarily more violent before it went away. The three companions looked behind them. Through the dust they could see that the roof of the tunnel had collapsed.
“There is no way back,” Cati murmured.
“Not this way, anyway,” the doctor said.
Cati picked her way up the tunnel behind him. Owen shut his eyes and saw his mother's face. Then heopened his eyes again, turned heavily, and followed the others.
In the warm darkness of the warehouse Starry, the Raggie girl Silkie awoke. Her head was pounding and she felt breathless and hot. Around her the other children were tossing in their sleep, some
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