Eternity Engine by Struan Murray

Author:Struan Murray [Murray, Struan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780241535615
Publisher: Penguin Random House Children's UK
Published: 2022-03-17T00:00:00+00:00

The Lancaster Wall

Anna staggered to the workshop door, her whole body still trembling.

‘Anna?’ came Viola’s voice from outside. ‘Are you in there?’

Anna rolled the door aside and found Viola and Molworth in the street, their mouths dropping open as they saw the state of the workshop: the smashed oyster-catcher by the door, the puddle of seawater, the harpoon on the floor.

‘What happened in here?’ said Viola.

Molworth’s face paled as he picked up a clump of ginger hair. ‘Your beautiful hair!’ he cried, dashing over and pressing it to Anna’s scalp, like he was trying to reattach it. He noticed the scratches on her arms. ‘Are you okay?’

‘I’m fine,’ said Anna, gently shoving Molworth away. ‘But listen, that … person we thought was Ellie? It’s not her.’

‘What?’ said Molworth.

‘It’s the Enemy,’ said Anna. ‘It’s been running about, looking like Ellie and tricking us all.’

‘What?’ said Viola. ‘But why … why would the Enemy look like Ellie? Wait … are the Inquisitors right? Is Ellie … is she the Enemy’s Vessel?’

Anna’s lips twitched. ‘Yes.’

Viola’s eyes bulged and she clapped her hands to her mouth. Molworth sank to his knees.

‘But the Vessel isn’t evil, only the Enemy is,’ said Anna fiercely. ‘And Ellie’s been doing everything she can to fight it. To beat it. She isn’t dangerous. Only now the Enemy’s somehow made a body of its own that looks like her.’

‘But …’ Viola swallowed. ‘Does that mean …?’

‘No, Ellie’s alive,’ said Anna, and Molworth yelped in relief.

‘I … I can’t believe she was the Vessel. All this time,’ said Viola, slumping against a workbench. Molworth looked like he might be sick.

‘Hey, listen to me!’ Anna yelled. ‘Do you trust me?’

They both gave stiff nods.

‘Ellie isn’t dangerous, all right? She’s the best, smartest person you’ll ever know. But that thing is dangerous, and it’s been building something for weeks now. With our help.’

‘So wait,’ said Viola. ‘All that weird stuff we’ve been collecting for Ellie … We’ve actually been helping the Enemy build something?’

Anna nodded slowly. Molworth walked in tight circles, clutching his hair.

‘I don’t understand,’ said Viola. ‘We were with her –’ she winced – ‘with it for weeks and weeks. Why didn’t it just slit our throats while we slept?’

‘Because it needed us. It couldn’t go out and get the things itself, not looking like Ellie – everyone here wants to kill her.’

‘We need to go down into the sewers,’ said Viola, kneeling to tighten her shoelaces. ‘We have to find whatever it’s building and destroy it.’

Molworth punched his fist into his palm. ‘Yes! I’m ready – let’s go!’

‘Not you, you’re too young,’ said Anna.

‘I’m only a year younger than you!’ said Molworth. ‘And ten years older in mental age. I’ll carry the harpoon gun. Wait, what’s that sound? It’s that bell again!’

Anna stared at the rafters, feeling the tolling of the great bell of the Inquisitorial Keep vibrate in the floorboards beneath her feet.

‘What does it mean?’ said Viola.

Anna chewed her lip. ‘I think it means that the Queen’s army has arrived.

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