Necropolis

together. How are we going to do that?"
    "You may have to follow her there."
    It was the bishop who had spoken, and the other members of the Nexus nodded. But for his part, Matt wasn't so sure. He knew nothing about the city except that some of the toys he'd played with when he was younger had been manufactured there, made in hong kong
    . It had always been a sign that they would probably break five minutes after they came out of the packaging. Certainly, he had no desire to go there. He had flown enough for one week.
    "If I may…" The Chinese man had a soft, very cultivated voice. He hadn't spoken until now. He was small, with heavy, plastic glasses and an off-the-rack suit. Perhaps he adopted this sort of appearance on purpose. It was as if he didn't want to be noticed. "My name is Mr. Lee," he said, bowing his head toward Matt. "If you are thinking of making the journey to Hong Kong, I may be able to help you. I have connections throughout Asia, especially in that area. However, I would like to make one observation if I may."
    He waited for someone to speak against him, as if he was nervous that there might be someone at the table who didn't want to hear what he had to say. When nobody protested, he went on.
    "There is something very strange happening in Hong Kong," he began. "I know the place well. In fact, I was there — passing through —just a week ago. On the face of it, there is nothing I can put my finger on. Life continues as normal. Business is done. Tourists arrive and leave. But there is something in the city that makes no sense. How can I put it? There is an atmosphere there that is not pleasant. Friends of mine who live there, people I have known for many years, seem to be in a hurry to leave, and when I ask them why, they are afraid to say. Those who remain are nervous."
    "The Old Ones are there," Susan Ashwood said, as if she had known all along. She worked as a medium, talking to ghosts. Matt wondered if they had told her.
    "That is what I believe, Miss Ashwood," Mr. Lee agreed. "It is hardly a coincidence. Nightrise is based in Hong Kong. It is quite possible that much of the city is now in the control of the Old Ones. And if that is the case, then the moment this girl, Scarlett Adams, arrives there, it will be as if she is in prison, and none of us will be able to reach her."
    "We have to reach her," Richard said. "If we don't, we might as well all pack up. There have to be five Gatekeepers."
    Mr. Lee nodded. "Then we have to get her out of there — and that means following her. We have failed here in London. Maybe Matthew and Jamie will have more success over there."
    'You want to send the two of them to Hong Kong?"
    "They have certain powers, Mr. Cole, which may be of use to them," Mr. Lee said. "In my opinion, they must find a way to enter the city, but without the Old Ones knowing they are on their way."
    "The two of them traveled here with false names and false ID," Tarrant said. He sounded disapproving.
    "They can use them again."
    "Absolutely." The Australian, Harry Foster, banged a fist on the table. "They could be on the next flight out of here. There must be fifty thousand people a day flying in and out of Hong Kong. Who's going to notice a couple of kids in a crowd like that?"
    "I don't agree." Susan Ashwood shook her head. "If Mr. Lee is correct and the Old Ones are there, it would be complete madness to attempt to go in by air.

    Matt and Jamie would be seized the moment they stepped off the plane — I don't care how many people there are at the airport."
    "I have an office in Hong Kong," Harry Foster said. "I could look in there on my way back to Australia.
    Why don't you let me try to find her? I can explain what's going on and she — and her father, for that matter — can leave with me. I'll take them down to Sydney, and you can pick them up there."
    "I think it's too dangerous," Mr. Lee said.
    "Well, at least I can get a message to her. Let her know the score." The Australian took out a pad and scribbled a note to himself. "A letter to warn her that she's in danger. I can get someone in my Hong Kong office to deliver it by hand."
    "I think we have to be very careful," Susan Ashwood said. "We all know what happened today. The Old Ones were waiting outside her house in Dulwich. They knew Matt was on his way and they were determined to stop him." She glanced at Tarrant. 'You had two men watching Scarlett, and now you say they may have been killed. How many more mistakes do we