A Hole in the Sky by Peter F. Hamilton

Author:Peter F. Hamilton [F. Hamilton, Peter]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Watkins Media
Published: 2026-04-15T00:00:00+00:00

(11)

Everyone started talking at once. I sagged against the wall and my knees gave out. I slithered down. “Oh, sweet Captain!” I gulped. The crossbow dropped from my numb fingers. I couldn’t believe what I’d done, the way I’d faced Elijah down.

Alisha crouched down beside me, giving me a hug. “It’s okay,” she said soothingly. “It’s over now. You did good.”

“Good?” Frazer exclaimed. “Oh my dayz, Hazel, that was fantastic! John, did you get the law-enforcement machine things working?”

“I did.”

“Are there any more of them? We could maybe use them to arrest all the Regulators.”

“That will not be possible. They are actually cleaning machines.”

Frazer gave a delighted laugh. “Brilliant.”

Alisha waved him silent. “Take a breath, sweetheart. Come on. Deep breath now.”

I pulled air down into my lungs, as she said. My body spasmed as if I hadn’t tasted air for a week. My vision blurred as water filled my eyes.

“I thought he was going to shoot you!” I blabbed. “I was so scared.”

“You were scared?” Frazer exclaimed.

“What the sweet Captain is wrong with that man?” Rell asked. “He seemed… I don’t know. Obsessed.”

I sucked down another breath. “I told you back at the dance, remember? His brother…”

“Yeah, but – wow.”

“I know.”

“Zawn isn’t so bad,” Frazer said. “Quite nice, actually.”

I gave him an evil look, which he didn’t even notice.

“After what just happened, Elijah is going to be real trouble,” Alisha said. “That is one twisted mind.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Hey.” She kissed my forehead. “It’s not your fault.”

Which wasn’t being entirely honest, but I did appreciate it.

The lift slowed and the doors dinged as they opened. Alisha and Mortos helped me to my feet again.

We came out into some kind of hall. The ceiling was low compared to how long the place was – it must have been over a hundred metres from end to end – and the lighting was strangely blue. There were four big archways in the wall opposite us with signs above them: BLUE LINE FORWARD. RADIAL LOOP NINE SPINWARD. BLUE LINE AFT. RADIAL LOOP NINE ANTISPINWARD. Each arch opened onto a set of broad stairs leading down.

“Where do we go?” I asked John. I couldn’t muster much enthusiasm. In truth, all I wanted to do was stop everything and go home. I wanted Mum and Dad, their hugs and support. An hour ago, we’d all known we’d return to the villages in triumph and repair the Swirl hole. Now I was running for my life.

“Blue Line Forward,” he replied.

“What about everyone else in Tressaco?” Alisha said.

“The lifts are still working,” John said. “They will be able to reach subway stations. If they are quick.”

I wondered if I was the only one who caught the doubt in his tone.

“How many stations does Tressaco have?” I asked, glancing back at the four lifts.

“Eight.”

“Switch these lifts off. We can’t let Elijah follow us down here.”

“Confirmed.”

Rell pushed Frazer’s chair over the grimy hall floor to the Blue Line Forward arch.

“How did Elijah get up to our floor?” I asked. It was starting to bother me.

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