Tunnels 04, Closer

which she spent her days. But although she was returning to her body, much as a hand slips into a glove, she didn't move a single muscle. Instead she listened to the commotion in the hallway where Eliza and her mother were putting their hats and coats on, and fussing over each other.
    "She's all right," Eliza reported brusquely to her mother as she poked her head around the door to check on Mrs. Burrows. Then the two of them bustled from the house, clucking at each other like a pair of old hens.
    It was the appointed hour for vespers -- the religious service which took place without fail each and every evening all over the Colony -- and it wasn't done to be late. That particular night the Second Officer was still at work in the Quarter and so wouldn't be accompanying his mother and sister, instead going to a service at a church closer to the police station. That was if he didn't have some poor wretch in the Hold to watch over.
    As the bell sounded for the seventh and final time, someone with heavy feet ran down the pavement outside, then there was complete silence. Except for the infirm and those who were too ill to be moved, it was obligatory for anyone without official duties to attend vespers. These services provided the people of the Colony with religious instruction from the Book of Catastrophes , and also gave the Styx a perfect opportunity to monitor the congregation. It was said the pairs of Styx stationed at the entrances to all the churches knew exactly who should be present, and kept a particular watch on anyone they considered to be a potential troublemaker.
    When the Second Officer had first brought Mrs. Burrows home, Eliza insisted on doing her duty and wheeling her along to a service in the bath chair. But as Eliza had approached the church, a small crowd of resentful Colonists had been milling around the pavement, doing their damnedest to obstruct her way, ignoring the grumbles of 'Foul Topsoiler' and 'Heathen', Eliza had given up trying to circumvent the human slalom, and moved from the pavement into the road. But when, finally, she reached the entrance, a hastily-formed cordon of Colonists steadfastly refused to let her enter. Looking the other way, the pair of Styx either side of the church doors had done nothing to help.
    Although Mrs. Burrows' brain was still badly scrambled by the Dark Light, she'd been sensitive to the waves of pure hatred emanating from the angry mob. Feeling as though her head was about to explode, she suddenly developed a nosebleed. Not just any nosebleed -- there was so much blood spilling down her face and front it was as if an artery had been nicked.
    As Eliza tried to stem the flow, the delighted mob had chanted 'Bleed, Topsoiler, bleed!' and 'Bleed the pig, bleed the pig!' Abandoning all hopes of attending the service, Eliza had finally pushed Mrs. Burrows right back home again, the cheers of the crowds echoing down the street after her.
    Following that incident, Mrs. Burrows was relieved that Eliza left her unattended in the empty house. And in the days since then, Mrs. Burrows' sensitivity to the emotions of those around her had become even more acute, and she really wasn't sure if she'd be able to stand the herd-like fury of all those ranting Colonists again -- however small -- the game would be up. She'd be back in the Hold in a flash, and in all likelihood the Styx would subject her to further rounds of interrogation with the Dark Light.
    So now, in the empty house, where there was no one around to observe her, Mrs. Burrows flicked her eyes open and sat up. She flung off the towel which had been draped across her chest to catch any trickles of saliva, and rose to her feet. "That's better," she said, stretching her arms wide in her voluminous dress, and yawning as if she had woken from a deep slumber.
    She sank to the floor and did a quick yoga routine to loosen up her stiff limbs, then sprang to her feet again.
    "Colly," she called gently. "Where are you?"
    The Hunter scampered in, and Mrs. Burrows stroked the smooth black skin of her head. "Good girl," she said, then went into the hall, the cat by her side.
    Despite the fact that Mrs. Burrows' sight was still severely impaired, she no longer relied on Colly to act as her guide. During the night hours when the rest of the house was asleep, she'd been honing and experimenting with her peculiar extra sense, testing its increasing limits. And with each new day it definitely seemed to be growing more powerful.
    Mrs.