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to stand and help Greatgrangran to her feet. “Where is Meilyr?”
    “I don’t know. We got separated when everyone fell to the floor all gasping for breath. Good job I came out with my oxymask. I was going to leave it behind, I haven’t needed it for ages now, but you know what? Something in my bones told me to take it with me.”
    “Goodly good for you Grangran.”
    She squinted in the direction of the stage, where the Praisebees still stood, and tutted loudly. “Foolish zealots. What do they want do you think?”
    I had an inkling from what they said before letting off the gas bomb, but I did not want to disturb Greatgrangran, so I threw her a whopper instead. “Don’t know. Maybe they just want to convert us to the ways of the BabyCheesus.”
    “Oh, I don’t believe in all that holierthanthou stuff. I believe in what I see before me, not in mythical if’s and what’s. I’d sooner pray to the Greenman than a long dead bub from who knows where. Besides, they are not real believers. I’ve not heard of the Praisebees courting violence and advocating the consumption of meat. Plah! They are nothing more than Carnies out to hoodwink.”
    Despite the unpleasant predicament we were in, I could not help but snicker at Grangran’s take on things. She may be an oldie but she was no mushbrainer. The Carnies were about and no mistake. They’d just latched onto a few extremists to gain access into Cityplace. Yep, they were shifty and then some.
    I looked at the recovering folk and searched the room for Santy Breanna. There were too many bods all staggering about for me to see anything clearly. I would have called her name, but there would be no point. What with all the moaning, crying, and the chief Praisebee banging on about this and that, I doubt my voice would have been heard.
    The noisiness ended quite ‘bruptly when the curfew chime sounded. Everyone became still, quiet as a stuffed moocow on display. I looked towards the stage area. One of the Praisbee guards shoved a pointy stick into the sheriff’s back, by way of forcing him to ring said alarm again. When he shook his head, the guard twisted one of his arms so high up his back that I thought it would snap in two. Sheriff Fychan rang the bell. The main Praisbee raised his hands in the air. The others that remained banging their heads, stood and joined him on the stage, blood dripping from their open wounds.
    “Good folk of Cityplace, please, be seated.”
    Like kiddles in class, we did.
    He walked to the front of the platform. “Good citizens, allow me first to apologise for the necessity to use a mild force in order to attain your full attention. The bombs and the substances they contained are harmless irritants only, they will have no lasting damage.”
    He stopped and gestured to a male and fem that were not head damaged. They stepped out from the line of red splattered Praisbees, and stood either side of him. “My name is Daniel. Together with my friends Elijah and Lilith, we come to share our faith. To talk about the dead rising. The last great sign of the end of all things. That and the outing of the Auger.”
    A general murmuring swept around the room. I hunched myself up as best I could in the stiff chair.
    “I am sure that you will have many questions. When you have heard me out, I will be glad indeed to answer them as best I can.”
    Greatgrangran shuffled her feet and tugged my arm. I leant in close to her. She whispered, “Look to the far left of the room.”
    I did and saw Santy Breanna with one of the boarder guards. She was gesticulating to someone at the opposite end of the chamber. I turned my head in the direction she pointed, and there by the back exit, two S.A.N.T.S stood in full battle dress. I hid my grin behind my hand. These Praisebee/Carnies had better be quick with their explanations before the S.A.N.T.S let rip and brought them to their knees. I put my arm around Greatgrangran. She chuckled like a bub with a chocopop.
    “Dear