make heroes out of me, you, Ivor and all the rest. I don’t think he’s gonna get very far with that, but I respect the mad old bugger for trying.’
‘I’m sure he’d be delighted to hear that,’ I sneer, getting up to face Rage.
‘You need to accept the doc for what he is, or get the hell out of here,’ Rage says softly. ‘What I liked about you when we first met was that you stood up for your beliefs. You didn’t like the way we were experimenting on the reviveds, so you refused to play ball. If you really don’t trust Dr Oystein, you need todo that again. I hate seeing you mope around. You’re better than that. Stronger than that.’
I stare at Rage, confused. He sounds like he’s genuinely trying to help me. Or maybe he just wants me out of the way because I can see through him, because I know he’s a threat.
‘Listen up,’ Rage says. ‘These are your options. You can come back with me to County Hall, quit moaning and be a good little Angel like the rest of us. Or you can bugger off and look for a home elsewhere. Choose.’
‘Screw you!’ I roar, finding my fiery temper again. ‘I don’t have to do what you tell me!’
Rage grins. ‘Are you gonna tell me I’m not the boss of you?’
I laugh despite myself. ‘Bastard,’ I mutter, shaking my head.
‘B,’ Rage says calmly, ‘I’m saying all this because I think of you as an equal. I wouldn’t bother with most of the others. They’re mindless sheep, like the zom heads were. You need to get with the programme or get lost. If you’re not happy here, go look for happinesssomewhere else. You know the set-up with Dr Oystein. If you can’t buy into it, get out now before you drive yourself mental.’
‘And go where?’ I mumble. ‘Who’ll look out for me apart from the doc and Mr Burke?’
‘That doesn’t matter,’ Rage says. ‘You’re not a child, so don’t act like one.’
‘I’m more of a child than an adult,’ I argue.
‘Nah,’ he says. ‘We’ve all had to grow up since we died. You can look after yourself. You survived on your own before you came to County Hall. You can survive on your own again.’
‘But I don’t want to,’ I whisper.
‘Tough. You’re acting like a sulky little girl. Nobody else will tell you to your face. I don’t know if they’re being diplomatic or if they’re afraid of losing you, given how few of us there are. But you’re not doing anyone any good like this. Be honest with me — does part of you wish you’d cracked your head open when I pushed you off the Eye? Were you tempted to not crawl out of the river, to just let it wash you away and dump you somewhere nobody could ever find you?’
I nod slowly, hating him for knowing me so well, hating myself for it being true.
‘It’s a big world,’ Rage says. ‘I’m sure there’s a place in it, even for a moody cow like you.’
He turns to leave.
‘Will you tell the others I said goodbye?’ I call after him.
‘No,’ he grunts without looking back.
I treat myself to a grim smirk. Then, accepting the decision which Rage has helped me make, I push to my feet and cast one last longing glance in the direction of the London Eye and County Hall. Snorting water from my nose, I turn my back on them both and head off into the wilderness, abandoning the promise of friendship and redemption, becoming just another of the city’s many lost, lonely, godforsaken souls.
ELEVEN
I limp along like a sodden rat, making my way past Waterloo before turning on to the Cut, once home to theatres, pubs and restaurants, now home only to the legions of the damned.
I don’t look up much, just trudge along, head low, spirits even lower, cursing myself for being such a fool. Am I really going to turn my back on Dr Oystein, the Angels, Mr Burke and maybe the only sanctuary in the city that would ever accept someone like me? Can I really be that dumb?
Looks like it.
I make slow progress, hampered by my injuries and lack of direction. With nowhere to
‘I’m sure he’d be delighted to hear that,’ I sneer, getting up to face Rage.
‘You need to accept the doc for what he is, or get the hell out of here,’ Rage says softly. ‘What I liked about you when we first met was that you stood up for your beliefs. You didn’t like the way we were experimenting on the reviveds, so you refused to play ball. If you really don’t trust Dr Oystein, you need todo that again. I hate seeing you mope around. You’re better than that. Stronger than that.’
I stare at Rage, confused. He sounds like he’s genuinely trying to help me. Or maybe he just wants me out of the way because I can see through him, because I know he’s a threat.
‘Listen up,’ Rage says. ‘These are your options. You can come back with me to County Hall, quit moaning and be a good little Angel like the rest of us. Or you can bugger off and look for a home elsewhere. Choose.’
‘Screw you!’ I roar, finding my fiery temper again. ‘I don’t have to do what you tell me!’
Rage grins. ‘Are you gonna tell me I’m not the boss of you?’
I laugh despite myself. ‘Bastard,’ I mutter, shaking my head.
‘B,’ Rage says calmly, ‘I’m saying all this because I think of you as an equal. I wouldn’t bother with most of the others. They’re mindless sheep, like the zom heads were. You need to get with the programme or get lost. If you’re not happy here, go look for happinesssomewhere else. You know the set-up with Dr Oystein. If you can’t buy into it, get out now before you drive yourself mental.’
‘And go where?’ I mumble. ‘Who’ll look out for me apart from the doc and Mr Burke?’
‘That doesn’t matter,’ Rage says. ‘You’re not a child, so don’t act like one.’
‘I’m more of a child than an adult,’ I argue.
‘Nah,’ he says. ‘We’ve all had to grow up since we died. You can look after yourself. You survived on your own before you came to County Hall. You can survive on your own again.’
‘But I don’t want to,’ I whisper.
‘Tough. You’re acting like a sulky little girl. Nobody else will tell you to your face. I don’t know if they’re being diplomatic or if they’re afraid of losing you, given how few of us there are. But you’re not doing anyone any good like this. Be honest with me — does part of you wish you’d cracked your head open when I pushed you off the Eye? Were you tempted to not crawl out of the river, to just let it wash you away and dump you somewhere nobody could ever find you?’
I nod slowly, hating him for knowing me so well, hating myself for it being true.
‘It’s a big world,’ Rage says. ‘I’m sure there’s a place in it, even for a moody cow like you.’
He turns to leave.
‘Will you tell the others I said goodbye?’ I call after him.
‘No,’ he grunts without looking back.
I treat myself to a grim smirk. Then, accepting the decision which Rage has helped me make, I push to my feet and cast one last longing glance in the direction of the London Eye and County Hall. Snorting water from my nose, I turn my back on them both and head off into the wilderness, abandoning the promise of friendship and redemption, becoming just another of the city’s many lost, lonely, godforsaken souls.
ELEVEN
I limp along like a sodden rat, making my way past Waterloo before turning on to the Cut, once home to theatres, pubs and restaurants, now home only to the legions of the damned.
I don’t look up much, just trudge along, head low, spirits even lower, cursing myself for being such a fool. Am I really going to turn my back on Dr Oystein, the Angels, Mr Burke and maybe the only sanctuary in the city that would ever accept someone like me? Can I really be that dumb?
Looks like it.
I make slow progress, hampered by my injuries and lack of direction. With nowhere to
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