change crept across his face, amused detachment giving way to incomprehension, then a dull, implacable fear.
'I think we need to see this,' Mallory said quietly.
As he replaced his glass on the table, other drinkers were already making their way out on to the street. Mallory pushed his way into the centre of the road with Miller trailing behind him. They were instantly transfixed.
Though it was a dark, moonless night with heavy cloud cover, the sky was filled with light. Flashes of angry fire illuminated the clouds, every now and then bursting through to form pillars of flame that rammed down to the earth. Occasionally, it limned a shape moving with serpentine grace on large batlike wings that beat the air lazily. Mallory thought he glimpsed the shimmer of jewels on its skin, rich sapphires, emeralds and rubies; echoes of another image surfaced from the depths of his subconscious, of fire in the dark. Whatever it was, it was filled with power, but there was something in the way it moved that suggested a terrifying fury: it was hunting.
But that wasn't the worst thing. Behind it, along the horizon but sweeping forwards, Mallory could make out something he could only describe as a presence: a thick white mist was unfurling like cloth, billowing at its central point and folding around at the edges so that it had an unnatural substance and life. It moved quickly across the landscape towards the city. Occasionally, the mist would take on aspects of a face — hollow eyes, a roaring mouth — before some other disturbing shape appeared; Mallory saw something that resembled an animal, another that looked like a bird. Gradually, it coalesced into a smoky horned figure towering over the city, insubstantial but filled with primal fears.
'The Devil,' Miller whispered, terrified, 'and the Serpent.'
The air was infused with a palpable sense of dread. Everyone standing on that chill, dark street could only look up at it and remember years of religious imagery, laid on them since childhood, of damnation and torment. Whatever it was, it had come from the outer dark to the city, and its intent appeared apparent. Those of a Christian bent crossed themselves, and some who had not called themselves Christian for a long time did so, too.
Miller was whimpering quietly, whispering, 'The Devil… the Devil…' until it became a mantra of Evil rippling through the crowd.
Even Mallory, who thought he was numb to most things, felt a crackle of fear as he looked up at the ancient image. He didn't know what it was, or tried to tell himself he didn't, but he knew he could feel the presence of a cold, alien intellect, and the threat it brought with it.
'The Devil's come to town.' Someone laughed, though without humour.
It drifted for a moment in the thermals above the cooling city before breaking up as something dark at its core drove forwards with a monstrous purpose. Screams rang throughout Salisbury, one voice lifting up in terror.
Mallory glanced back in the direction of the cathedral. Miller's sagging expression showed they both shared the same thought: even if they got back to the gates, there was little chance they'd be able to get inside in time.
'Come with us.' The voice at Mallory's shoulder was low, warm and accentless, though insistent. He looked into the face of the woman he'd been admiring, and for the briefest instant he was so dazzled by her large, dark eyes that the threat faded into the background.
'You've got a concrete bunker with ten-foot-thick walls?' he said.
'Something like that.' Her gaze felt as if it was cutting through all his carefully prepared defences and he quickly looked away.
A teenager with dreadlocks bleached a brilliant white appeared beside her. 'Come on, let's move.' His eyes flickered furtively towards the Devil in the sky.
The group Mallory had decided were New Age travellers headed quickly down the street, the woman at the heart of them, pausing only briefly to see if Mallory was following.
'What are we going to do?' Miller asked anxiously.
'Stand here or run.' Mallory didn't wait to see Miller's choice.
They veered away from the cathedral along Crane Street, over the river bridge to Queen Elizabeth Gardens where the tent city sprawled. The cries had become a nerve-jangling chorus, rising up all around as though everyone in the city was aware of what was bearing down on them. The horned shape had dissipated, to be replaced by a rushing wind that had substance and its own inner darkness screaming in at roof-height. Chimney pots crashed down, sending slates showering into the street. The glass of streetlights exploded as if crushed by a malicious hand.
As they ran towards the tents, they were all knocked from their feet by the Shockwave of a powerful blast. Rubble rained down all around, most of it reduced to less than the size of a fist. With ringing ears, Mallory looked back to see part of the shopping quarter on fire, a column of thick black smoke rising up to the serpentine winged creature, now clearly visible.
'A Fabulous Beast.' The woman sat nearby, rubbing at her temple, which was now streaked with brick dust. 'And it's angry?' She threw off her daze and hauled Miller to his feet, urging him to move. Mallory was surprised to feel a twinge of jealousy for the touch of her hand. 'We need to get within the camp,' she said, which Mallory found faintly ridiculous when the only shelter there was a thin covering of canvas or plastic.
The travellers surged into the camp before scuttling beneath trees to avoid the still-raining debris that took out more than one tent. The bursts of fire screaming from the sky were like some hellish vision of a wartime air raid, but the dark presence that fell across everything was far worse; it was as if shadowy fingers were plucking at their souls.
'We can't stay here!' Miller squealed impotently. 'We need to find a hiding place!'
'Chill.' The dreadlocked teen slapped a hand on Miller's shoulder, pressing him down. 'We're safe, if we don't get brained by a flying brick. See — protected.' He pointed to a post hung with strings of crystals, feathers and small animal bones. Similar posts were staked out around the perimeter as far as Mallory could see.
'Kill me now,' he said. 'We're doomed.' He tried to discern the location of what the woman had called the Fabulous Beast, but the glare from numerous torches lighting the camp made it difficult to see. The devil- wind rushed around the boundaries of the camp before delving back into the city.
'Can't you feel it?' Miller rubbed at his skin as if he had scabies. Mallory could: the touch of some intelligence so far beyond him he couldn't begin to categorise it, creeping through the labyrinth of his mind, swinging open locked doors, bringing wild panic into die civilised centres, dark and hateful and very, very old. Despite himself, he shuffled back until he felt the security of a tree trunk.
Gradually, the panic passed. The Fabulous Beast and the dark wind accompanying it had focused on another part of the city.
'It won't come this way. We can't be seen,' the woman said, to reassure him.
'Right. We pretend we're trees. Or do we just cover our eyes really, really tight?' Mallory watched the sky, having decided he'd run for cover under the river bridge when the things came back. 'What's your name?' he asked.
'Sophie Tallent.'
'Mallory. And that person trying to burrow under the soil is Miller. You're the boss?'
'Here? No, of course not.'
'You really believe this…' He nodded to the posts. '… is going to keep you safe?'
'Do you see the Fabulous Beast and that other thing attacking us?'
'And if you wish hard enough the sun might come up tomorrow.' He grabbed Miller roughly by the collar of his jacket and lifted him off the ground. 'Come on — we might still be able to make the compound.'
As they moved towards the perimeter, they were surprised by the insistence in Sophie's voice as she called, 'Don't cross the boundary!' She was right behind them, one imploring arm stretched out. 'You'll be seen. Really. You need to believe-'
Her voice was drowned out by the rushing wind sweeping through the streets at hurricane force. Hidden in the noise was the sound of screaming voices that brought a chill to Mallory's spine. A building collapsed nearby. The force rushed towards the cathedral, dragging what seemed like all hell in its wake. When it reached its destination, there was a sound of thunder and a metallic crashing before it soared high into the air. Screeching, it continued to circle the cathedral compound.
Pale and shaking, Miller made the sign of the cross.
'Let's sit. You can't go out there till things have quietened down,' Sophie said.
