Tunnels 06 - Terminal

watching, and we’re sharing it with the governments of all the other countries throughout the world,’ Bob replied. ‘But there’s been no change to the status. Our drones are showing that the Armagi are still moving out to sea.’
    ‘I’ll see what I can do,’ Parry said.
    ‘What are you doing here?’ Danforth asked Captain Franz suspiciously as the New Germanian appeared by his side, out of breath and looking very nervous. Although he’d have rather been anywhere else but down in the pedestrian subway, Danforth had remained there in case there was anything more he could do to help. Although he couldn’t actually see for himself how events were unfolding outside the cathedral, he was picking up most of what he needed to know on the main channel of the headset. But nobody had warned him that Captain Franz was joining him.
    The New Germanian had caught his breath and was about to answer when Danforth was buzzed by Parry. He listened to what he was being told for a moment, then turned to the New Germanian.
    ‘This is going to be fun,’ he whispered, his expression far from enthusiastic. ‘Because I’m going out there now.’ Danforth pointed at the throng of Armagi they could see at the top of the steps. ‘I’d be very grateful if you’d hang on to these for me, although I don’t know if I’ll be coming back.’ He handed the man his shortwave radio and another device he’d been using.
    He readied himself, then climbed the steps, at the last moment putting on a turn of speed. As he emerged from the subway, he was shouting, ‘Excuse me! Excuse me!’ as if he was trying to get through a crowd in Oxford Street rather than a scrum of fearsome creatures.
    Elliott and Hermione were still locked together, holding each other at bay with their insect limbs.
    ‘Let him through,’ Elliott shouted, as soon as she heard Danforth.
    But Danforth didn’t want to come through and was looking around himself warily. One of the Armagi he’d barged out of the way opened its mouthparts and rattled them together, its inhuman eyes staring at him. ‘Oh, hello,’ Danforth said to it, taking a rapid step back. Then he quickly clambered on top of the railings by the entrance to the subway, so he could see over the heads of all the other Armagi.
    ‘Um … sorry to butt in,’ he said apologetically to Elliott. ‘But Parry wants you to know we’ve only got a couple of minutes before the first missile hits us here.’
    As Danforth ducked from view, Will moaned loudly. He was still lying on the bonnet of the Bentley, but was obviously in the most terrible pain as he gripped his stomach and tried to roll over.
    Hermione laughed. ‘My little darlings are feeding, your boyfriend’s dying, and even if you can do something about allthat, there’s no way you can stop us spreading. I’ve sent the Armagi out, and it seems you’re about to be vaporised by your American friends.’ She laughed again, high and clear. ‘There’ll be no one left to recall the Armagi swarm. You’re too late.’
    ‘You’re wrong about that,’ Elliott said.
    Still holding Hermione off, Elliott slipped out the sceptre from the small of her back that she’d been holding in readiness there.
    ‘What are you doing?’ Hermione asked.
    Gripping the sceptre with both hands, Elliott didn’t answer as, just as she’d done before, she twisted it halfway along the shaft.
    The blue light flickered, then turned red. But that wasn’t all. As Elliott held it out, the sceptre began a transformation, rapidly increasing in length. And at one end, three prongs appeared, all in the same smooth grey material.
    ‘What the hell is that?’ Hermione demanded.
    ‘This,’ Elliott said, holding the trident up, ‘puts a stop to your madness.’
    ‘Elliott, if you’re going to do something, you’ve got to do it now!’ Parry’s voice boomed from the rooftop through a loudhailer.
    ‘Got you!’ she shouted back.
    Still holding Hermione off with her insect limbs, Elliott raised the trident.
    ‘Time we all went home,’ she said.
    She brought the trident down, striking the bottom of the shaft hard on the pavement.
    Red light flooded her vision. It came from inside the cathedral, where the blue hemisphere had changed colour, then burst out through the ruined roof, until the whole skyturned blood red. For several seconds everything was suffused with a rosy glow, as if the sunset of all sunsets had come, but long before the end of day.
    Then, as if an