Tunnels 06 - Terminal

originated from an ancient wood. When the builders were using their JCB to dig out this basement, theyuncovered some very old and very rotten pieces of timber, and the planners had to check that we weren’t destroying anything of archaeological importance.’ David turned to point at the wall directly behind him. ‘You see, in that direction, just across the main road, is the park where they believe the original Bishops Wood was situated.’
    ‘That’s where we were last night,’ Will said to Elliott. ‘So there was an ancient wood there?’ Will asked David.
    He nodded. ‘The person from National Heritage said it was some sort of Druidic site dating way back.’ David pulled a face. ‘And an intersection between two ley lines to boot, if you believe in all that.’
    ‘I think maybe I’m beginning to,’ Will said, eliciting a look from Elliott.
    David rubbed his hands together. ‘Well, I don’t know about you but I’m starting to seize up from the cold. I usually wrap myself in a couple of duvets at night to keep warm, but frequent cups of something hot also take the edge off. Can I interest anyone?’
    When David went off to make them both tea in one of the other rooms, Elliott turned to Will. ‘What’s all that about ley lines ? What are they?’
    ‘My dad thought the theories about them were a load of codswallop. They’re supposed to be where the Earth’s energy is channelled or something,’ Will replied. ‘He had this book that said rituals often took place on them, and also some old monuments like Stonehenge had been built where they ran.’
    Elliott shook her head. ‘I don’t understand. So what are they exactly?’
    Will took a breath. ‘It all sounds pretty flaky, but the book said they marked where Neolithic people thought naturalenergy flows through the Earth. Magical energy, if you want to call it that.’ He smiled. ‘If we came through on the intersection that David mentioned, maybe they were right. Maybe these ley lines are a source of power, from your tower in the centre of the world?’
    David returned balancing three mugs of steaming tea on a tray, and they began to drink them appreciatively. ‘So tell me – I’m dying to know how you came to be here?’ he asked.
    Will quickly told him about the Styx, and the Colony, leaving out anything about the inner world and New Germania because it would have been too much for the man to take on board.
    ‘So you climbed out on the surface a stone’s throw away,’ David said. ‘Given what’s been happening around here, I suppose I’m prepared to believe anything. But where are you heading for next?’
    Will deferred to Elliott with a wave of his hand. ‘Ask her – she’s the one with the plan,’ he said.

 
     
     
    Chapter Fourteen

    T he light was fading rapidly as they stepped out into the garden. Will and Elliott were wearing more of David’s clothes – corduroy trousers and thick trench coats over jumpers – this time taken with his blessing.
    They had waited for nightfall, then said goodbye to him and left the basement through the door in the dining room. The smell of burning laced the crisp air as they stole across the back of the house. Will peered at the lawn underfoot as they went, thinking how strange it was that David was just below, hiding away in his modern-day version of a cave in the hope that everything would somehow return to normal again. Will wondered how many others were doing the same all over the country.
    ‘Just a second,’ Will said, rummaging right down into the bottom of one of the side pockets in his Bergen. He smiled as he found what he’d been looking for and, as though he was about to perform a magic trick, produced a small black box with great flourish.
    ‘Is that what I th—?’ Elliott asked, peering at the box, which was the size of a pack of cards with a wire antenna trailing from it.
    ‘Sure is,’ he interrupted her. ‘I completely forgot I still had any beacons left until I was getting Drake’s lens out.’ Will held up the electronic device. ‘This was a spare in case we needed more of them to mark the route to the inner world.’ He found the tiny micro switch next to the antenna and moved it over. ‘There,’ he said. ‘I’ve activated it.’
    Elliott frowned at the beacon. ‘Is that such a good idea?’
    Will shrugged. ‘Short of slogging all the way up to Parry’s estate in Scotland – which might be a total waste of time because he’s probably never gone back