Web of Fire Bind-up by Steve Voake Page A

disc-shaped light hanging from the ceiling above.
    Sam recognised Hekken standing to one side of the table, but found himself unable to take his eyes off the man seated behind it.
    He was wearing a long coat of dark-green leather and his skin was blanched white, stretched taut and paper-thin across the sharp, angular bones of his face. But the face itself was twisted and disfigured, like a wax model that has melted in the heat of the sun. Eyes filled with hate glowed like hot coals, burning their way deep into Sam’s mind.
    Sam bravely tried to stare him out, but it was impossible and he quickly dropped his gaze.
    â€˜Is this him?’ the man said quietly, continuing to stare in Sam’s direction.
    â€˜We think it could be,’ said Hekken uncertainly. He sounded surprisingly nervous.
    Almost imperceptibly, the blue lips tightened. ‘What do you mean, it could be? Is it or isn’t it?’
    Hekken continued to look distinctly uneasy. ‘There was a problem with the transfer. The receiving party had to cover a wider target area than expected and the boy was lost during the crossover from Earth to Aurobon. But we do know for a fact that he must have landed somewhere in the marshes. And we found this one on the train, wearing the target’s clothing.’
    Hekken cleared his throat nervously before continuing. ‘Problem is, he doesn’t fit the description. We’ve carried out a DNA analysis and agents are trying to retrieve samples from the suspect’s bedroom. Hopefully we can get a match that way. But it’s proving difficult to get access: Vahlzian forces have locked the whole area down tight.’
    The man’s white face twitched with barely suppressed anger. But when he spoke again, his tone seemed calm, almost friendly. ‘I expect you’re wondering who I am,’ he said, turning to Sam. ‘Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Odoursin and I’ve been looking forward to meeting you, Sam. Looking forward to it very much.’
    He paused as if half expecting some sort of reaction, but Sam remained silent.
    â€˜I really must apologise,’ he went on, pushing back his chair and standing up for the first time since Sam had entered the room. ‘You must be very confused and frightened by all of this.’
    He was even taller than he had first appeared, toweringover Sam as he approached. The unexpected sympathy and friendliness of his approach took Sam by surprise and he felt his bottom lip begin to quiver. But he bit into it and remained silent, listening to the low rumble of the gathering storm outside.
    â€˜I’m afraid there are some people who have made some serious mistakes,’ he continued. ‘For this, of course, they will be severely punished.’
    He looked at Hekken, who stared hard at the floor.
    â€˜Obviously, however, my biggest concern at the moment is to ensure that you are returned as quickly as possible to your family. Would you like me to arrange that, Sam?’
    Sam squeezed his eyes tightly shut and fought the impulse to cry out and beg to be taken home. But remembering Skipper’s advice about not revealing his identity, he said nothing.
    Slowly, Odoursin moved towards him. ‘Sam,’ he said. ‘Sam, what’s the matter? Don’t you want to go home? I know your mother and father are very worried about you.’
    It was the hardest thing that Sam had ever had to do.
    He took a deep breath and looked straight into Odoursin’s eyes. ‘I think you’ve got me mixed up with someone else,’ he said. ‘My name isn’t Sam. And I haven’t got a mother and father. I’m an orphan.’
    At that moment he saw Odoursin’s expression change, saw beyond the fire in his eyes to a place of terrible, desolate emptiness, and knew for certain that Skipper had been right.
    â€˜There was a storm blowing across the marshes,’ Samwent on, desperately trying to remember