wouldn’t see her tears.
She ignored Roshanne, who scowled angrily but made no move to stop her as she went to the door. But as India stepped over Clench, he reached out and grasped the leg of her trousers.
‘You won’t get far . . .’ he croaked. ‘You’ll come crying back to me before you’ve gone ten miles.’ Then he flopped backwards on to the floor, gasping for breath.
India stopped and kneeled down beside him. You’d better not be here when I get back,’ she hissed into his ear. ‘Because I’m going to fetch my dad.’
She stared at him contemptuously for a moment, then stood and hefted the bag on to her shoulder. ‘Come on,’ she said to Verity. ‘We’re done here.’
She hitched up the window in the hallway and threw her leg over the sill in a practised move. After helping Verity, she led her swiftly through a thin line of trees down to the shoreline.
They waded as silently as they could towards the upturned bike and turned it over. It was caked with thick mud and the sidecar was partially filled with water. Verity cleared the mud from the
exhaust pipe and swung her leg over the saddle as India kept an anxious eye on the crowd at the front of the house.
‘Get in, quickly!’ said Verity. ‘They’ll hear us as soon as I start her up.’ India threw in her bag and clambered into the watery sidecar as Verity applied her
weight to the kick-starter. The bike turned over noisily but didn’t fire. She tried again without success. By now they had attracted the attention of the crowd and fresh shouting broke out. A
group of men ran towards them, led by Mehmet. There was a loud pop and an angry insect snicked past India’s ear.
‘India, get your head down, they’re shooting at us!’ Verity kicked the starter again and this time the engine roared to life. She twisted the throttle and the bike accelerated
through the shallow waters, scattering the villagers like a flock of birds. As they gunned up the hill, Calculus seized the opportunity to jump on the back of the bike and they swept past the mob
and into the surrounding darkness.
‘Nice to see you, Calc,’ shouted Verity. ‘Did you miss me?’
‘I’m glad you could get here, Mrs Brown,’ he said.
Verity leaned over the sidecar and shouted to India. ‘You still in one piece, kid?’
India swallowed hard and nodded. ‘I think so. Is everyone all right – back there, I mean?’
‘Some broken bones and superficial injuries,’ said Calculus. ‘Nothing major, but I suspect your neighbours will not welcome us back any time soon.’
India sat back in the damp seat and waited for her heart to stop thumping as the bike slithered down the mud track, away from the village. That was true, she thought, that was very true.
CHAPTER 5
THE AURORA QUEEN
Verity drove like a woman possessed, and the motorcycle slithered and fishtailed along muddy tracks, barely slowing for bends. India got the impression that Verity had not been
riding a motorcycle for very long and she had to throw her own weight around in the sidecar to stop them from overturning. Calculus had climbed off the bike and was running alongside them, easily
keeping pace no matter how fast they went.
They drove for an hour through the broken streets of the dead city until the shattered buildings gradually gave way to open fields and muddy tracks. India longed to stretch her legs and she was
glad when they finally pulled to a halt beside a broad estuary. They looked out over a sheet of oily, black water and stinking, tidal mud. Verity checked her watch.
‘They’re late,’ she muttered. ‘The
Aurora Queen
is supposed to be here by now.’
‘The
Aurora Queen
?’ said India. ‘Is that a boat?’
‘Better than that,’ said Verity, scanning the skies. ‘A plane, the fastest way to the cold country – and so it should be for what I pay the Smiley Brothers.’
Verity inspected the bike and kicked at the front wheel, which had gone flat.
‘Damn! I’m going to have to
She ignored Roshanne, who scowled angrily but made no move to stop her as she went to the door. But as India stepped over Clench, he reached out and grasped the leg of her trousers.
‘You won’t get far . . .’ he croaked. ‘You’ll come crying back to me before you’ve gone ten miles.’ Then he flopped backwards on to the floor, gasping for breath.
India stopped and kneeled down beside him. You’d better not be here when I get back,’ she hissed into his ear. ‘Because I’m going to fetch my dad.’
She stared at him contemptuously for a moment, then stood and hefted the bag on to her shoulder. ‘Come on,’ she said to Verity. ‘We’re done here.’
She hitched up the window in the hallway and threw her leg over the sill in a practised move. After helping Verity, she led her swiftly through a thin line of trees down to the shoreline.
They waded as silently as they could towards the upturned bike and turned it over. It was caked with thick mud and the sidecar was partially filled with water. Verity cleared the mud from the
exhaust pipe and swung her leg over the saddle as India kept an anxious eye on the crowd at the front of the house.
‘Get in, quickly!’ said Verity. ‘They’ll hear us as soon as I start her up.’ India threw in her bag and clambered into the watery sidecar as Verity applied her
weight to the kick-starter. The bike turned over noisily but didn’t fire. She tried again without success. By now they had attracted the attention of the crowd and fresh shouting broke out. A
group of men ran towards them, led by Mehmet. There was a loud pop and an angry insect snicked past India’s ear.
‘India, get your head down, they’re shooting at us!’ Verity kicked the starter again and this time the engine roared to life. She twisted the throttle and the bike accelerated
through the shallow waters, scattering the villagers like a flock of birds. As they gunned up the hill, Calculus seized the opportunity to jump on the back of the bike and they swept past the mob
and into the surrounding darkness.
‘Nice to see you, Calc,’ shouted Verity. ‘Did you miss me?’
‘I’m glad you could get here, Mrs Brown,’ he said.
Verity leaned over the sidecar and shouted to India. ‘You still in one piece, kid?’
India swallowed hard and nodded. ‘I think so. Is everyone all right – back there, I mean?’
‘Some broken bones and superficial injuries,’ said Calculus. ‘Nothing major, but I suspect your neighbours will not welcome us back any time soon.’
India sat back in the damp seat and waited for her heart to stop thumping as the bike slithered down the mud track, away from the village. That was true, she thought, that was very true.
CHAPTER 5
THE AURORA QUEEN
Verity drove like a woman possessed, and the motorcycle slithered and fishtailed along muddy tracks, barely slowing for bends. India got the impression that Verity had not been
riding a motorcycle for very long and she had to throw her own weight around in the sidecar to stop them from overturning. Calculus had climbed off the bike and was running alongside them, easily
keeping pace no matter how fast they went.
They drove for an hour through the broken streets of the dead city until the shattered buildings gradually gave way to open fields and muddy tracks. India longed to stretch her legs and she was
glad when they finally pulled to a halt beside a broad estuary. They looked out over a sheet of oily, black water and stinking, tidal mud. Verity checked her watch.
‘They’re late,’ she muttered. ‘The
Aurora Queen
is supposed to be here by now.’
‘The
Aurora Queen
?’ said India. ‘Is that a boat?’
‘Better than that,’ said Verity, scanning the skies. ‘A plane, the fastest way to the cold country – and so it should be for what I pay the Smiley Brothers.’
Verity inspected the bike and kicked at the front wheel, which had gone flat.
‘Damn! I’m going to have to
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