course there are ghosts!’ Frey turned his attention back to the windglass, trying to will the mist aside. ‘Everyone says.’
‘Two of them are behind us now,’ Crake droned in the background. ‘One ahead, one passing to the side.’
‘Which side?’
‘Does it matter?’
Something swept past the windglass, a stir in the mist. Frey saw the stretched shape of a human form and distorted, ghastly features. He shied back from the windglass with a gasp.
‘What is it?’
‘Didn’t you see it?’
‘I didn’t see anything!’
Frey’s vision was slipping in and out of focus, and refused to stay steady. He burped in his throat, and tasted acid and rotten eggs.
‘Cap’n . . .’ said Crake.
‘I think something’s wrong,’ Frey murmured.
‘Cap’n . . . the second set of numbers . . .’
‘What second set of—’
‘The numbers! They’re counting up from minus twenty towards zero! It’s coming at us from below!’
‘Cap’n! You’re drifting off altitude! You’re diving!’ Jez cried.
Frey saw the altimeter sliding down and grabbed the controls, pulling the Ketty Jay level.
‘It’s still coming!’ Crake shrieked.
‘Move!’ Jez cried, and Frey boosted the engines. The Ketty Jay surged forward, and a split second later there was a deafening explosion outside, slamming against the hull and throwing Crake and Jez across the cabin. The craft heeled hard, swinging to starboard, and Frey fought with the controls as they were propelled blindly into the red murk. The Ketty Jay felt sluggish and wounded. Frey caught a glimpse of the compass on the floor, its needles spinning and switching crazily.
They’re all around us!
Crake started shrieking. ‘Daemons! There are daemons at the windows!’ Frey’s vision blurred and stayed blurred. There seemed to be no strength in his limbs.
‘Cap’n! Above and to starboard!’ Jez shouted.
Frey looked, and saw a round shadow in the mist. Growing, darkening as it approached. A ghost. A great black ghost.
No. A sphere. A metal sphere studded with spikes.
A floating mine.
Jez grabbed the flight stick and wrenched the Ketty Jay to port. Frey fell bonelessly out of his seat. Crake screamed.
There was another explosion. Then blackness, and silence.
Twenty-Eight
