People are dying here. Don't you understand? We thought we could use the Mecrim, but even in suspended animation they have proved stronger than us.

My condition is deteriorating, but not as fast as most. In some people you can see the flesh being eaten away.

Just do two things for me. I don't care about the changing front line or military contraction:

One, declare this world off-limits. I reckon you've got ten days to get a ship here. After that there will be no one to rescue.

Two, declare Project Mecrim a failure. Please. For me. The Head Observer from the inst.i.tute has contracted the disease, but the medical labs have used him as a guinea-pig for some rather dubious cybernetic research. Cured of the plague, it only seems to have made him more insane, more convinced that, had it not been for this 'oversight', Project Mecrim would have been a success.

Overrule him. Do whatever you have to. He's hoping to return to the inst.i.tute soon, leaving the rest of us to rot.

Don't forget me.

Personal File End Marker

FILE ENDS.

Eighteen

As Kaquaan struggled against her a.s.sailant she heard a deep voice in her ear. 'Please be silent and do not move. I am following the Doctor's orders. Any noise or commotion will only draw attention to ourselves.'

Kaquaan turned to see the lumbering form of Defrabax's homunculus. This time she did not scream. In fact, now that she had the opportunity to examine the creature in the full light of day, she realized that its 'costume' was a rather feeble affair. The clay-like substance that covered much of its body was chipped and cracked around many of the joints, and what she had once thought of as parts from other creatures and esoteric symbols were mere jagged marks in its surface.

'You are now the Doctor's . . .' She struggled for the right word, and then remembered what the little shrew had said.

'You are the Doctor's worker.'

'I am programmed to obey the Doctor,' agreed the creature, staring at the three figures as they moved down the street. 'You must stay here. I can move faster and more quietly alone. I have been tracking Zaitabor for some time now.'

'What are they going to do to Cosmae?' asked Kaquaan.

'I do not know. I will try to ensure that he comes to no harm. Please stay here.'

Without waiting for her reply the homunculus strode off in silent pursuit of Zaitabor.

The Doctor stared over Zoe's shoulder, pointing at the digitized face on the screen: a bulky, sour-looking face atop a brief textual profile. 'Now that face looks familiar . . .'

'How can it? The man must have died a very long time ago.'

'I'm not so sure,' said the Doctor. 'Anyway, time to test my theories.' He held up the gun somewhat clumsily. 'It'll be just like an African safari.'

'Have you ever been on one?' asked Zoe.

'No,' said the Doctor. 'But I did once watch a Tarzan film.'

The door finally burst open and two Mecrim leapt into the room. As they came forward they seemed to examine the Doctor and the others in turn, their talons flexing.

'Here goes,' said the Doctor, aiming at the uninjured creature as they scuttled between the desks towards them.

He pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. 'Ah, I appear to have left the safety catch on,' said the Doctor, inspecting the weapon as if he had all the time in the world. 'It's here somewhere.'

'Do hurry,' snapped Raitak, edging down into the shooting gallery.

'Don't fl.u.s.ter me!' shouted the Doctor, fumbling with a rocker switch towards the base of the handle. He returned the gun to his shoulder and squinted through the sights. The creature seemed terribly close through the magnifying lenses. The Doctor brought the cross-hairs into position and pulled the trigger.

There was a loud crack. The creature's shoulder twitched under the impact. 'It should start cloaking the Mecrim's heat pattern with its own about now,' announced the Doctor.

The Mecrim that had lost an arm glanced at its companion. The results were almost instantaneous. It threw itself towards the other, its claws a blur. The creatures tumbled to the floor, raking each other with talons. The Mecrim the Doctor had shot pushed itself on top of the other, instinctively defending itself, and forced its head into the shoulder of the other, severing its arm.

'Quick,' said the Doctor. 'Let's go.'

'Where?' asked Reisaz.

The Doctor smiled. 'Somewhere where there are lots and lots of Mecrim,' he said.

Jamie, Defrabax and the scout stood before the Dugraq leadership. 'You are a very honourable scout,' said the grey-furred Dugraq. 'You have done well.'

'We must arm our people,' said another. 'If the Mecrim emerge they will hunt us first.'

'Yes,' said the leader. 'Arm everyone. Quickly.' He turned to Jamie. 'Will you help defend our people?'

'Of course,' said Jamie.

'And Defrabax?'

'Defrabax is a very old and silly man,' said the mage. 'I have put this entire world beneath our own in jeopardy.'

'I am sure you can help us now,' said a female Dugraq.

'We need to defend our future, not dwell on the past.'

The leader nodded at this wise p.r.o.nouncement. 'And the honourable Taculbain, now reunited with their Queen?'

The two moth-creatures stepped forward. 'After a period of reflection we realized that we had no alternative but to aid in the defence of this kingdom of shadows. We too had a role to play in this disaster. We have made foolish decisions.'

The soldier Taculbain arched its wings. 'We are moving our soldiers into position on the edge of the Rocarby and Dugraq domains.' It paused, receiving communication from its fellows. 'The Mecrim are here!' it announced, taking off into the air.

'Where do you keep your weapons?' asked Jamie.

The scout pointed towards a concrete tunnel set into an artificial hill. Dugraqs were lining up in rows and being handed weapons from within. 'That's our armoury,' he announced. 'A limited collection of projectile-based weapons salvaged from a ruptured bunker.'

There were screams from the edge of the park. Near a metal framework of open boxes shots were being fired, tiny flares in the perpetual darkness. A number of Taculbain were hovering like hawks and then swooping down towards the ground.

The scout had already covered the distance between the leaders' forum and the armoury. Jamie watched him push his way towards the front of the queue and grab two guns.

'Come on, Friend of the Traveller!' he shouted, tossing a revolver towards Jamie.

Jamie caught the gun and followed the Dugraq towards the edge of the park. Five Mecrim had ripped through the railings, silver-grey figures in the darkness. They were already surrounded by tiny corpses. One Dugraq was caught in the vice-like lower arms of a Mecrim. The arm closed, and the b.l.o.o.d.y, split corpse dropped to the ground.

The much larger Taculbain flying about their heads were providing a diversion, the Mecrim jumping into the air whenever one came close. A ring of Dugraqs with guns had surrounded the beasts. Jamie joined them and let off a couple of shots at the creature closest to him.

As more Taculbain swooped into view the Mecrim seemed barely to know that the other creatures were there.

The bullets dug deep but the Mecrim barely moved. They stared at the flapping moth-men over their heads.

Two Taculbain soldiers, their huge open jaws like stags'

antlers, dived down at a Mecrim that had ended up away from the others. One soldier was caught by the vicious claws of the creature, allowing the other to duck down and lunge at the Mecrim's chest. The Mecrim pushed at the head of the Taculbain in its arms until the neck snapped, and then dropped the huge corpse to the ground.

The second soldier had chewed a hole in the Mecrim's chest. Thick blood was oozing out. The Mecrim lashed out at the Taculbain's shoulder, the arm and wing falling to the floor. Another Mecrim had moved into position and now jumped onto the back of the Taculbain, its mouth parts working at the unprotected neck.

Other Taculbain soldiers swooped to attack just as the second of their number fell away, its corpse sticky with green blood.

Jamie aimed a shot at the wound on the Mecrim but missed, impacting instead upon the strong rib-cage. A couple of brash Dugraqs ran forward shooting, but were thrown high into the air like rag dolls.

Jamie did not even look to see where they landed.

Cosmae had a jumble of uncoordinated memories of their descent into the underground world. He was aware of a cave mouth on the chalky hillside, a natural tunnel, a few chambers full of rushing water, and then finally the dark city, stretching out before them like a reminder of h.e.l.l. The roof of stone hung over their heads like the inside of an eggsh.e.l.l, glowing slightly with natural luminescence.

Zaitabor had taken a handful of papers with him from Defrabax's room, and he referred to these often as they crossed the city's streets and walkways.

It was all a blur to Cosmae and, as he stared around him at what appeared to be shops and houses, he was almost thankful for the beating he had already received. It was enough just to concentrate on walking, on breathing. He was glad he would not have to expend too much energy making sense of this benighted place.

'Defrabax's power station,' announced Zaitabor eventually. Before them lay a large building that seemed to have nothing in common with the fire-belching Furnace Cosmae knew from the surface city. 'May this object of contempt bring forth destruction!' Zaitabor handed the city map to Araboam and they walked towards the entrance.

Cosmae shook his head to clear his vision. Zaitabor glanced down at a parchment, and then waved his hands over a black patch on the wall next to the door. The door magically and silently opened.

Araboam pushed Cosmae into the building. Cosmae stood on what felt like seamless animal hide. It stretched for as far as he could see down the various corridors. The walls were absolutely square, the room's proportions perfect. Cosmae had never seen something so defiantly unnatural before.

'Over here,' said Zaitabor, leading the way down the main corridor.

It must have been his injuries, but Cosmae could have sworn that they were being followed.