Tunnels 04, Closer

and gave him a comforting squeeze. "You shouldn't try to fight it. Do you remember what I told Cal on the island, about how horrible experiences make you tougher, and more able to survive?"
    Will mumbled a 'yes'.
    "It's not really true. Only time makes things better," she admitted.
    As Will became calmer, Elliott lifted her head. She was about to kiss him on the cheek when he edged back from the wall, disengaging himself from her.
    Unaware what she'd been about to do, Will stared at his feet. His voice was strained and hoarse as he tried to express himself. "I used to get so cross with Dad. I was so bloody sure of myself, so absolutely certain that I was right. Silly old man , I used to think to myself. You silly, stupid old fuddy-duddy -- getting everything wrong -- making such a bloody mess of things," Will said, wiping his wet face with his sleeve. "Sometimes I was horrible to him, and now I can't tell him that I was the one who was wrong, and how sorry I am." Will tried to chuckle as he used a thumb to rub the tears from his eyes, but it didn't sound very mirthful. "Well, tell him I was wrong some of the time," he added. He began to sigh again heavily, but it morphed into a hiccup, so loud it made Bartleby's ears prick up.
    "Do you want some water?" Elliott offered. "We can stay here for a while, if you like?"
    "No... I'm okay now," Will said. "Thank you." He moved off into the passage, sniffing every so often as he led the way, still thinking about his father.

    * * * * *

    "We made it!" Will called to Elliott as he burst from the gap in such haste he almost fell onto the concrete platform. With his luminescent orb poised before him, he was just about to turn to the right when Bartleby cannoned through the opening, galloping at full speed.
    "Nooooo!" Will warned with a shout, but it was too late. There was a huge splash as Bartleby shot off the concrete platform and hit the water in the harbor.
    As Elliott arrived, she and Will watched the Hunter. His ears were flattened against his head and he was holding his broad nose stiffly out of the water as he doggy-paddled back toward the side.
    "I had no idea he could swim. And he seems to quite like it -- he's not really a cat at all, is he!" Will said. As Bartleby came close, Will knelt down to give the animal a hand to clamber back onto dry land again. After Bartleby had shaken himself off, splattering both Will and Elliott, Elliott directed her lantern beam into the lagoon of clear water and then at the cavern wall to their left.
    "So this is it?" she said.
    "You haven't seen the half of it yet. We need to get the floodlights on," Will replied, drying his hands on his front. "Come on, it's this way."
    They moved down the platform, climbed over a pile of rubble, and then turned left along the quay. In no time at all they had reached the low building with its dusty windows.
    Will approached the heavy gray-blue door. "It's already open!" he exclaimed.
    Elliott swung her rifle from her shoulder and cocked it.
    "Someone in there?" she asked.
    Will took hold of the circular locking mechanism and pulled the door a few centimeters toward him. "This was definitely shut when we left here," he said. Frowning, he turned to Elliott. "And I know it was locked -- Dad told me to make sure it was locked."
    As she crouched down, Elliott's finger was on the trigger.
    "No, I don't think there's anything to worry about, not in this place. It won't be the Styx," Will said to her. "But what this means is... I suppose... that Chester made it back here, with Martha." He grinned. "So he's okay then." He shook his head. "You know, with everything else, I haven't given him much thought lately. I just sort of assumed he must have got Topsoil again with that kooky woman, and that he's up there on the surface somewhere."
    But as she observed Bartleby, Elliott wasn't so relaxed about their current situation. "The Hunter is sensing something. Keep your voice down," she whispered to Will. "And pull the door further back so I can see inside."
    Will did as she asked, and once she'd checked the interior with her rifle scope, they both entered. Will wasted no time in going over to the panel of switches. "This is the main control panel for the lights. Do I turn them on... is that a good idea?" he said to Elliott, who nodded back at him.
    "I just don't like the way Bartleby's acting," she declared in a low voice. The cat was creeping forward, apparently wary of something.
    Recalling that the first switch