Necropolis

gunpowder. But there was nothing beautiful about the explosion. It was just a blinding, burning wheel of fire that seemed to take Richard and hurl him into the air. That was the last thing Matt saw before he hit the water. For a moment everything was panic. The sea was black and freezing. He was still wearing his clothes and sneakers. He was being sucked down. He had to fight with all his strength just to get back to the surface.
    He emerged, gasping for air, into a brilliant, blazing nightmare. It was as if the whole night was on fire.
    Moon Moth was alight. The fire was burning so intensely that the metal plates would surely melt away.
    With no one to steer it, the boat had turned a full circle and was plowing into the police launches that had been too slow to get out of the way. It was right in the middle of them, and Matt could just make out figures in helmets and full riot gear staring at the destruction, knowing that they were too close, that they were part of it. One of their boats was already on fire. The tall man was still howling — but this time in agony. Every part of him was on fire. His suit and the skin beneath it were peeling away. At the very end, his head split open and something began to snake out of it — a second head, not a human one. Then there was a great rush of white flame as more of the fireworks exploded and he was blown out of sight.
    Individual fireworks were going off, one after another, and Matt saw cascades of red, blue, white, green, and yellow as blazing missiles were shot into the air, reflecting in the water below. About fifty rockets screamed out at once, some of them twisting into the sky, others slamming into the police boats. One of them spluttered across the water and plunged down in front of Matt, missing his head by inches. He saw a policeman on fire, jumping into the water to save himself. Another was less lucky. He seemed to be holding a spinning Catherine wheel, unable to let go of it even though it was burning into his chest.

    Fireworks were cracking and buzzing and whining all around him. He didn't make it into the sea. He died where he stood.
    Matt was treading water, forcing himself to breathe. He was so cold that his lungs had shut down. He knew that he couldn't stay out here much longer. Two of the police boats were undamaged. Very soon they would be looking for him. But where was Richard? Where was Jamie? The surface of the water was like a black mirror, reflecting the light, but he couldn't see them anywhere. He wanted to shout out for them but he didn't dare. The policemen would have heard him.
    There was only one thing he could do. The edge of the water was about two hundred feet away. He had to get to dry land and hope to find them there. He took one last look and then turned round and began to swim, slowed down by his clothes. The glow from the flames spread out over his shoulders, helping to light the way, and there were more bangs and fizzes as the last fireworks went off. He heard someone shouting an order in Chinese but doubted that they'd seen him. He was wearing dark clothes. His hair was dark. The currents were carrying him away.
    He reached land without even realizing it. Suddenly there was a slimy concrete slope under his knees.
    He crawled onto it and pulled himself out. He was on a building site. That was what it looked like. It was hard to tell as he squatted in the darkness, shivering, filthy water dripping out of his hair.
    "Richard? Jamie?"
    He didn't dare call too loudly. The whole city — anyone who was awake — must have seen the firework display. The Old Ones knew he was there. They would already be searching.
    "Richard? Jamie?"
    There was no reply.
    He waited ten minutes before he made a decision and set off, moving while he still could. If he stayed in one place much longer, he would freeze.
    It was three o'clock in the morning. He had entered the enemy city. He had no idea where he was going.
    He was dripping wet. He was unarmed.
    And he was alone.
    TWENTY-SEVEN
    Necropolis

    Leaving the water behind him, Matt made for the wall of light that defined the edge of Hong Kong. He came to a main road, empty at this time of the night, with a block of luxury hotels and shopping centers on the far side. The smog was worse than ever. The entire city reeked of it, like a chemical swamp. He had only been there for a few minutes, but he already had a nagging headache and his eyes were killing him.
    Where were Richard and Jamie? He had to find