Domain

Each man examined his clothing for tears and his skin for abrasions. There were cuts and plenty of bruises, but no bites.

We were lucky,' Fairbank said.

'Luckier than those poor bastards we left behind,' Jackson remarked angrily and a silence fell over them.

It seemed natural that Dealey should break the silence. We must get away from here. I believe it's still not safe to be out here in the open.'

Each man, soul-weary and afraid of what lay ahead for them, studied the dishevelled Ministry man with quiet,

brooding disdain, as though now holding him solely responsible for the deaths of their colleagues and friends left behind in the Exchange. Kate sensed and shared their contempt, yet oddly felt a tinge of pity for Dealey. He stood among them, a small, balding, middle-aged man, his clothing torn, his face and hands filthy, his shoulders - his whole demeanour -stooped and tremulous, and she knew it was wrong of them to attribute so much blame to him. The grand folly was universal.

She broke the tension, anxious to avoid the confrontation that was looming and which would be so pointless. Will it be possible to get out of London?' she asked, not just of Dealey but of all of them.

Dealey, no fool and aware of their resentment, was grateful for her question. Tes, yes, of course. But there is an easier way than going overland. And there is still a safe place for us here in the city—'

What city, you—' Jackson took a step towards Dealey, but Culver held his arm.

'Easy,' he said. 'I think I know where Dealey means. First, though, we've got a few minor things to take care of. I could do with some food, for one, and I think we need to rest up a little more before making plans. Besides, I've got a rat bite that I need treated before I do any more walking.'

We can't stay here,' Dealey insisted. This very mist may be thick with radiation.'

'I doubt it. The most critical time is over and besides, the long rainfall must have flushed most, if not all, the radiation away. Anyway, we've spent a whole night in the open; if we were going to be poisoned, it'll have happened by now.'

'But there's been no All-clear.'

'Christ, get it into your head, Dealey: there's never going to be an All-clear. There's no one left to give such a signal.'

That's not true. There are other shelters, many of them; the main government shelter under the Embankment will still be intact, I'm sure.'

Then why no communication from them?'

'A breakdown somewhere. EMP, collapse of the cable tunnels - any number of things could have broken our communications with other stations.'

'Let's cut out the crap,' Ellison interrupted. 'Right now we need food and maybe something for self- protection, if we can find anything. I don't like the idea of travelling unarmed.'

Jackson agreed. This looks like as good a place as any to rest up in. At least it's open ground and man, I'm sick of confined spaces.' He turned to Dene who nodded in agreement.

Fairbank just grinned approval and Kate said, You need something on that wound, Steve. It looks clean enough and there's no puffiness around the bite, but you never can tell.'

Culver frowned at Dealey. 'I'd rather we all stayed together, but if you want, you can go your own way. It's up to you.'

After a moment's hesitation, Dealey said, ‘Ill stay.'

Culver hid his relief: the civil servant had too much valuable 'inside' knowledge for them to have let him leave. 'Okay, let's decide on who our scavengers are going to be.'

'I'll be one,' Fairbank promptly volunteered. 'And you won't be the other,' he told Culver. We'll try and find antiseptics, medicines and analgesics along with some food, while you rest that leg. I know the area and where to head for; let's hope we can burrow our way into some of the shops.' He wiped sweat from his face and neck with his hands, then glanced at Jackson and Dene. You two game?'

'Sure, we know the area too,' Jackson said for them both. Dene, a thin, sallow-complexioned man in his early twenties,

appeared less certain, but did not feel inclined to argue.However, he thought of something that the others seemedto have overlooked. 'How we gonna find our way back in thisfog? I mean, the streets won't exactly be the same, will they?'

'Is your wristwatch the type with hands?' Culver asked. The engineer nodded. You can just see the haze of the sun.Got it? Okay, south is midway between the hour hand andtwelve o'clock. It'll give you a rough bearing on where thepark is; once you locate it you'll soon find us. Try and getback within the hour and save us some worry.'

'If you can find anything left to burn, a fire might help us,'Jackson suggested.

We'll manage something. Just be careful and don't takeany chances.'

Fairbank clicked his tongue against his teeth and pointed.The three men set off together, backs to the sun, heading towards the area that had once been High Holbora.

Culver and the others watched the mist swallow them up.It was an eerie and foreboding sight, and the immenseemptiness they left behind had little to do with unoccupiedspace.

Culver shook off the feeling, concentrating on the task in hand. 'Kate, will you help Ellison collect wood

- branches,fencing, anything that hasn't burned to charcoal - and bringit here? Any paper would help too

- search the litter bins.And keep within shouting distance.'

Ellison appeared ready to object, but evidently thought better of it. He walked away, a hand brushing flies from theair before him, and Kate went with him.

Culver slowly turned to face the last man left with him.'Just me and you now, Dealey. I've got one or two questionsand you're going to give me straight answers. If not, I'll breakyour bloody neck.'

Alex Dealey shifted uncomfortably against the tree stump, itsblackened, jagged shape rising above him like an accusingfinger pointed at the night sky. Not far away, the fire thathad been kindled earlier in the day and constantly fed withanything that would burn, hued the mist orange. The blazewas welcome not just for its warmth against the sudden chillof the night air, but because it held the all-prevailing darknessat bay, and with it, its terrors. The others, except Culver andthe girl, who it would appear had found warmth and comfortin each other, stayed close to the protective glow, gazinginto the brightness, conversing in low-murmured voices.Occasionally laughter broke the quiet tones, although neverraucous, always subdued, as if the men were afraid the soundmight carry to hostile ears. Dealey stayed apart from thegroup, his hunched shoulders covered by one of the blankets the three engineers had brought back with them from theirforage into the ruins, for their resentment of him was obvious, unequivocal, and discomforting. Fools. Ungratefulbloody fools.

He pulled the blanket over his head, holding the sidestight under his chin so that he resembled a huddled monk,only his nose and the tip of his chin caught in the fire glow. He smelled of insect repellent and antiseptic ointment, these too salvaged from the ravaged city, and a plaster covered a cut on his forehead, another a larger wound on the back of his hand, both injuries sustained in their escape from the shelter. The three engineers had been gone longer than expected, causing concern among those who had stayed. There had been no need to worry, though, for their delay had been caused by the amount of useful items they had managed to scavenge.

Quite a few of the shops had been destroyed by fire, while others had been completely buried by the debris of office blocks they were housed beneath; some, however, although badly damaged, could be reached by cautious digging. Two cafe-restaurants, a hardware store and a pharmacist had been unearthed, and Jackson had remembered an up-market bedding centre from where they had retrieved sheets and blankets in which they could carry their prizes. The men were ashen-faced when they returned, not even the accumulation of dirt disguising their skin's paleness, and had refused to speak of the harrowing sights they had witnessed, only Fairbank mentioning that piles of bodies had been blasted into corners or against rubble mounds like so much litter by fierce winds. They