Tunnels 03, Freefall

it for a few weeks, and when I tried it again, it was completely dead," he said as he untangled the lead from around the headband to which the flip-down lens was attached.
    "Let me take a look," Drake said, and Will handed it to him before resuming on his rucksack again. He'd just fished out some sprigs of Aniseed Fire when he spotted something in the bottom of his pack. "What an idiot I am!" he cried.
    He plucked his camera out and swiveled to his father. "I totally forgot my camera!"
    Dr. Burrows sluggishly raised his head. "Your what?"
    "My camera! I took some pictures of the Colony and the Deeps, but more importantly... some of them are of the pages from your journal. I finished the last of the roll at Martha's shack, and I'm sure your drawing of the Burrows Stone is on it."
    Dr. Burrows took a second to grasp what Will was saying, then he leapt to his feet. "Will..." He almost couldn't talk, he was so overjoyed. "You really are a genius!" he laughed. "Well, a dimwit for not remembering until now, but a genius all the same."
    "Can we get them developed?" Will asked Drake. "And blown up?"
    "I should think so," Drake replied. "Anything else I can do for you? Want your combats pressed and your shoes shined?" he smirked.
    After Drake had gone, Will made a beeline for the fridge and helped himself to a couple of sandwiches, and swigged milk from one of the cartons. He returned to the sitting room to find his father was ensconced on the sofa, a blanket spread over his legs as he examined the stone tablets in his lap. "I might just make sense of these yet, Will," he said.
    "Good night, then, Dad," Will grumbled, surveying the floor.

    * * * * *

    Will and Dr. Burrows slept well into the next morning, and were woken by Drake's return.
    "Bacon rolls," he said, putting a paper bag and three polystyrene cups on the table.
    "Groovy," Will said, worming his way out of his sleeping bag. As he padded barefoot to the table, he suddenly remembered the reason Drake had gone off the previous evening. "Did you get the phials tested?"
    Drake looked done in as he blew on his tea and Will wondered if he'd got any sleep at all. "No, it'll take a few days," he answered.
    Dr. Burrows appeared beside Will, dipping into the paper bag for a bacon roll, which he immediately began to wolf down. "Any joy with the photographs?" he asked.
    Drake handed him a packet. "Ten by eights -- hope they'll do you?"
    In a mad rush, Dr. Burrows tore the packet open and rifled through the prints, sorting out any that were of his journal. He stopped suddenly, bending his head to study one of them more closely. "Yes," he muttered, sticking his head even closer to it. "Yes!" he said again, holding up the photograph of the Burrows Stone so Will could see it. Without a word of thanks to Drake, he retired to the sofa with the print and the remainder of his bacon roll. "With a magnifying glass, this might just do it," he mumbled.
    "I suppose you want me to go out and buy you one of those too?" Drake asked.
    "Yes, soon as you can," Dr. Burrows replied, completely engrossed in the photograph. "And some pencils and more paper."
    "Your wish is my command," Drake said sarcastically.
    Will began to examine the photographs his father had discarded on the table. The uppermost one had been taken in the Jerome house -- it was of Cal sitting on his bed with a big smile on his face. It was difficult for Will to look at it, and he quickly moved on to the next. It was of the street in the Quarter on that day so long ago when he and Chester had first gone down the tunnel under his house. Then in the next photograph the entire frame seemed to be filled with a single giant eye. Will chuckled, then stopped himself. "I shouldn't laugh," he said.
    "What's so funny?" Drake asked, leaning forward so he could see the print.
    "The Second Officer. I used the camera flash to blind him when I got Chester out of the Hold."
    "No, I really do need a magnifying glass," Dr. Burrows suddenly piped up from the sofa. "And what day is today?" he demanded.
    "Friday," Drake replied.
    "Will Celia be at work?"
    "Yes," Drake answered.
    "Then I'm going to see her tomorrow when she's home, and you're not going to get in my way this time," he announced defiantly.
    "I wouldn't dream of it, Doc," Drake said. "But I thought you might want to go this evening?"
    "No, tomorrow will be fine," Dr. Burrows replied, whistling through his teeth and already beginning to make some noises as he glanced from the photograph