Tunnels 05 - Spiral

toward one of the briefing rooms just off the Hub. Will was carrying the
Book of Proliferation
rather gingerly in his hand — he didn’t much relish the thought of touching the human skin of the cover.
    “So what’s this about, Will?” Chester asked, leaning his head conspiratorially toward his friend. “And what’s with Drake and the pistol? Doesn’t he trust Eddie?”
    “The gun isn’t for Eddie. It’s for Elliott,” Will replied.
    Chester stopped dead in his tracks as Will continued toward the briefing room.

    The dim half-light of the room seemed highly appropriate as Will recounted what Eddie had told him and Drake. When he’d finished, Will glanced at the somber faces around the table. Nobody spoke — there was only the sound of the steady rush of air coming in through the vents.
    Parry was the only one not looking at him. With a small flashlight, he was examining the
Book of Proliferation
, squinting at the pages through his reading glasses. Then he raised his head to Will. “I don’t know this Eddie chap from Adam, but if this is just some tall tale, it’s a mighty elaborate one. And it does explain why the Styx have become so active; they didn’t have any choice in the matter.”
    One of Sergeant Finch’s many cats leaped up onto the table. Its tail switched from side to side as it strolled regally toward the old man in his mobility scooter. The sight of the animal reminded Will that he had something else to add. “I don’t know how I forgot,” he said sadly, “but there’s one more thing I need to tell you. Bartleby’s dead.”
    Coming on top of the revelations about the Phase, there was no immediate reaction from anyone in the room, until Mrs. Burrows spoke. “Bartleby would never have deserted Colly, not voluntarily,” she said.
    “Eddie told us it was all an accident,” Will said. “Bart surprised one of his Limiters, who reacted on instinct. The man’s been punished.”
    Hunching forward, Chester thumped his elbows on the table. “I hope he bloody well has,” he said angrily.
    Will nodded. “Actually, the Limiter killed himself. Right in front of us, he blew himself apart with one of Sweeney’s grenades.”
    “It was just awful,” Mrs. Rawls whispered.
    Stephanie made an
Erm
noise, and raised her hand as if she was in a classroom. Old Wilkie was about to tell her to be quiet when Parry intervened. “Let the girl talk if she wants,” he said. “We’re all in this together.”
    Stephanie took a breath. “Will, what you’ve told us sounds sort of like something from a horror movie. I totally accept the Styx are real enough and everything, specially as you brought one home with you. But this stuff about eggs and reproduction and these monsters wiping out human beings . . . how do you know it’s true? It seems so — like —
out there
,” she said, raising her hands and wiggling her fingers in mock terror. “Other than what Eddie Styx has told you, and this Monster Booky-wook of Monsters he’s got” — she gestured in Parry’s direction — “you don’t know for certain it’s true. You don’t have any other proof, do you?”
    Will was about to say something, then closed his mouth.
    “So?” Stephanie pushed him.
    Will knew then that he couldn’t avoid opening up about Elliott. While he’d been briefing them all, he’d tried to make as little eye contact with Chester as he could, hoping that his friend wouldn’t work out the implications for her until Will had spoken to him in private.
    Will swallowed. “Elliott,” he said quietly. “Elliott could be the proof.”
    Chester murmured something, but Stephanie was quick to follow up. “Why Elliott?” she demanded.
    “She’s half Styx, isn’t she? And she might be old enough for the Phase to alter her.” Will made himself look at Chester. His friend’s face fell as he realized the significance that Elliott’s mixed parentage could have for her.
    Stephanie had put her hand up again. “But she looks normal — she can have babies like . . . like normal people, can’t she?”
    “Yes,” Will replied.
    Stephanie was shaking her head. “So you’re saying Elliott could still change . . . but wouldn’t she know this might happen? I mean, she
must
have known about all this Phase stuff?”
    “Elliott wasn’t brought up by the Styx, so — no — she didn’t know. It’s a secret they’ve kept completely to themselves. And the Colonists don’t know anything about it,” he replied. “Eddie