Waking Hell (9781473203457) by Robertson Al

Author:Robertson, Al
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science Fiction
Publisher: Hachette Book Group USA
Published: 2016-10-13T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 26

The white light died away.

Leila was surrounded by a forest of silver statues, life-sized images of men and women. Each shone with brilliant light, reflected from above. She was dazzled for a moment, until her eyes adjusted to the glare. Looking up, she saw a great glass dome. Vision recalibrated again, showing her the sun, a vast brilliance in deep darkness. Her location sensors pinged information. East had force-jumped her several thousand miles. She was in an entirely real environment, but she was far away from Station. There was just enough weave overlay for her to manifest.

‘Over here,’ shouted the god, her voice echoing back through the statues. ‘There’s a viewing platform. Just follow the pathway.’

‘Where are we?’

‘We’ve come to see Cormac.’

‘You’ve just jumped us away from him,’ grumbled Leila.

‘No I haven’t. The Flurrytown Cormac was about to tell you to fuck off. Quite rightly, I have to say. So I bought you here. To meet my own little version of him. He’ll be happy to answer all your questions.’ She sounded very pleased with herself.

Feeling that she had no choice, Leila started towards where East seemed to be. ‘I don’t trust you,’ she called out.

‘But I’m a god,’ replied East, sounding surprised. ‘And I want to make you a star. Isn’t that enough?’

‘Not these days, no.’ Leila sighed. ‘You of all people should know that. After all, you and Grey stopped Kingdom.’

‘Oh, I’m nothing like Kingdom.’ Her voice echoed round the room. ‘Or the Rose, come to that.’

‘You might still have fallen to Deodatus.’

‘If I had, you wouldn’t be able to do much about it. It took Grey and I thirty years to build the weapon that killed Kingdom. And we’re divine.’

‘Hugo Fist?’ asked Leila.

‘Jack and Hugo. The dynamic duo! But you’re nothing like them. And all this is so different too.’ She clapped her hands delightedly. ‘We’re just making it up as we go along!’ And then, in a more confiding tone: ‘My life is so scripted, Leila. You really wouldn’t believe. So refreshing to go off-piste like this.’

‘People have died,’ Leila called back. ‘And I’m losing my brother. I need to get him back.’

East didn’t reply.

As she walked, Leila examined the sculptures. Most showed people frozen in deep joy. Some looked thoughtful. A very few were almost sad. All gazed up at the dome, staring out into the light. The detail of each was extraordinary. Wrinkles fell like spider webs across shining faces. Individual eyelashes blazed. Folds and wrinkles softened hard, metallic clothes. Every single one was different. The only thing the statues had in common were their bases – round discs, about half a metre across.

‘What is this place?’ shouted Leila. ‘What are all these statues?’

She broke out of the crowd. East and a man she recognised as Cormac Redonda waited on a small platform set against the room’s wall. There was a conference table, surrounded by chairs, and beyond it a window, filled with stars.

‘Hurry up,’ urged East. ‘This is a very important conversation.’

‘Don’t be so harsh,’ chided Redonda.

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