The Burning Man

1

The last leg of the journey through the Kent countryside was illuminated by the silvery light of approaching day, and by the time Mallory drove the stolen rental transit across Canterbury’s city limits, the sun was a pink and gold glow low in the eastern sky.

Sophie sat in the passenger seat, with Jerzy and Caitlin in the back. Now and then, she’d glance at Mallory, confused by emotions shifting deep inside her. Every day at Steelguard, she had watched him move around the office with his cleaning products, wishing she could talk to him, but with no rational explanation for why she would want that. He was always sullen, with a clipped politeness that undercut all his comments with contempt. Some of her colleagues, usually the braying, arrogant ones, were convinced their cleaner was a psychopath waiting to gut them in the lift one night. Sophie had never felt threatened by Mallory, though she had caught him looking at her on more than one occasion.

He was certainly good-looking, but a hardness shadowed his features that suggested his life experiences had not all been good. More troubling was that Sophie’s feelings for him went beyond attraction to something deeper and more nuanced. It made no sense, and that left her frustrated and angry.

‘I keep remembering something really sad, only I can’t remember what it is,’ Caitlin whined from the back in her little girl’s voice.

‘Can’t you shut her up?’ Mallory snapped.

‘Have some compassion,’ Sophie hissed harshly. ‘She’s not well.’

‘Compassion is way down the list at the moment, behind anxiety and fear. I tell you, she’s going to drop us in it big time.’

‘Get a grip. You can deal with it.’

‘I’ll take that as a vote of confidence.’ Mallory glanced at Jerzy in the back. The Mocker’s mask gleamed above a voluminous blanket. ‘All right, tell me now, you little weasel — why Canterbury? I don’t know of any standing stones in this area.’

‘Don’t bully him,’ Sophie said sharply.

‘Get off my back, will you?’

‘The Enemy will be observing the old stones where the Blue Fire is strongest,’ Jerzy replied, ‘but they are not the only places where it can be found. Anywhere with sufficient spiritual power will do if you know the right key to unlock the door. The ground in those places is like a battery, soaking up the energies of worship.’

‘You know what worship gets you?’ Mallory said. ‘Sore knees and a sore throat.’

‘Somebody died.’ Caitlin began to cry quietly. Sophie watched a flicker of pity cross Mallory’s face, but he hid it quickly.

‘She shouldn’t be with us. For her own sake,’ he said firmly.

‘We can’t leave her behind.’ Sophie softened her critical tone. She turned back to comfort Caitlin and was shocked to see that a new flintiness had replaced the little girl’s innocence.

‘I’m going with you. Nobody dumps me,’ she said sharply.

‘It’s like having an acting class in the back,’ Mallory muttered.

‘Who are you now?’ Sophie asked.

‘I’m me — Caitlin, that is.’ She softened. ‘I know it’s difficult for you both, but I’m asking you to make some concessions. I’m not going to let you down-’ She paused. ‘If I do, I’ll make sure it’s only me who pays the price. But I need to do this. I need to make things right.’ She silenced Sophie’s coming question and added, ‘Don’t ask me to explain. Memories are surfacing from a life I don’t wholly remember. Upsetting things …’ She choked back a sob.

‘We all have different faces we put on when needs must,’ Jerzy said. ‘In this, Caitlin is no different-’

‘Who kicked your box?’ Mallory said harshly. ‘Stop acting like you’ve got an opinion worth hearing.’ He pulled the transit into a multi-storey car park and brought it to a halt in the first empty space. ‘Okay, I’m sorry.’ He turned back to Caitlin. ‘We’ve all got our own big bag of rocks on our shoulders. Some are more obvious than others, but that doesn’t give me a right to start mouthing off.’

Caitlin’s touching, relieved smile made Sophie warm to Mallory, reminding her of the qualities that sometimes drew her to him so strongly.

Jerzy clapped his hands together. ‘Oh, the band of heroes shapes before my eyes-’

Mallory jabbed a finger at him. ‘You stay five paces ahead of us at all times. If I wanted a cheerleader I’d choose one who looks good in a skirt.’

Even though the streets were deserted, they kept away from the main thoroughfares as they made their way into the city centre.

‘Everywhere I look I keep thinking I see spiders,’ Sophie said. ‘Is this how it’s going to be? Never feeling at peace again?’

Mallory was distracted by a rack of newspapers outside a newsagent’s. ‘That thing we saw over the West End last night — the thing that shattered the Enemy’s illusion of normalcy? All that fire and destruction?’ He tossed Caitlin a copy of the Daily Mail. ‘Think again.’

The headline read:

TERROR STRIKE ON LONDON

Fifty-Seven Dead in West End Attack

The rest of the front page showed firemen battling to put out a conflagration engulfing an Oxford Street store.

Uncomprehending, Caitlin flipped to the inside report. ‘There’s no truth here at all. It says all the devastation was caused by bombs in Tottenham Court Road and Oxford Street … and … and some kind of gas that made people hallucinate.’

‘Clever,’ Sophie said bitterly.

Mallory tore open a copy of the Mirror. ‘ “CCTV captured the terrorists fleeing from the scene. Photos have now been circulated to police, customs officials and security services.” What’s the betting they’re nice little snapshots of us and the others?’

‘It means we’re not going to get much help from anyone,’ Sophie said.

‘Then come quickly,’ Jerzy said. ‘The Enemy has recruited many foul things and they will be attempting to prevent you from returning to the Far Lands.’

As they moved on, Jerzy drew a blanket over his head and shoulders and lowered his gaze to divert attention from his mask. Soon the cathedral was in sight, its gleaming stone incandescent in the morning sun. All was still around the remnants of the monastic buildings and grand old houses to the north. To the south, they lost themselves in the sprawl of streets and alleys of the medieval town that converged on Christ Church Gate, leading to the lawns surrounding the cathedral. Winged angels looked down at them from the gatehouse.

‘That’s us,’ Caitlin said in her little girl’s voice.

‘That is our destination.’ Jerzy indicated a circular tower on the eastern edge. ‘Known as Becket’s Crown, it is the oldest part of the site. The first church was built there, but before that there was another temple dating to the earliest days of your people. Thousands of years of unbroken worship empowering the ground.’

‘How come you know so much about it?’ Mallory asked.

‘I came here for a while after the Blitz.’ It sounded as though Jerzy was smiling beneath the mask. ‘I was made more than welcome by the local people, despite my appearance. They all helped me with my mission.’

‘What mission, Jerzy?’ Sophie asked.

‘Gathering any and all information that might help with the work that lies ahead. Your work.’

‘You’ve been planning for this since the Second World War?’ Sophie asked in disbelief.

‘Oh, it has been planned for much longer than that.’

Mallory checked his watch. ‘Still more than three hours till this place opens up. Let’s find some breakfast.’

‘Don’t you think we should be staying out of sight?’ Sophie asked.

‘Got to eat.’

‘What happens if our photos are on the morning news?’

‘We fight our way back here.’

‘You really are pig-headed.’

Mallory shrugged. ‘I don’t like hiding. It’s not in my nature. You can stay here if you want. I’ll cover you with branches.’

‘No thanks,’ Sophie replied. ‘I think I’ll come along just to hear whatever creative excuses you come up with when everything goes pear-shaped.’

‘You’re so negative.’ Mallory wandered off, whistling. ‘You need to enjoy life more.’

In the sizzling, hissing confines of a cafe patronised by early-morning workers, they ate their breakfast at a table with a clear view of the dawn-bright street.

‘I don’t understand you,’ Sophie said. ‘You actually seem happy to be doing this.’

‘Whichever way you cut it, it’s better than the life I had before. I suppose it boils down to slavery and freedom.’ He sipped his tea thoughtfully. ‘You can be a slave to all sorts of things — fear, guilt, self-loathing. You can be a slave by trying to keep yourself from feeling anything, trapped in a little world where you know all the boundaries. You throw yourself into everything the world has to offer without any fear, yeah, you suffer. You encounter a lot of bad things. But it’s exhilarating.’ He chose his words carefully. ‘We were all made to experience. Good or bad. It’s about learning. And by giving yourself up to that you become free.’

‘A philosopher, too.’ Sophie had intended the comment to be faintly sarcastic, but it came out tinged with admiration.

‘I’ve experienced so many bad things.’ Caitlin stared into Mallory’s face as if he had given her some great revelation. ‘My husband and son died, in that other life. That almost destroyed me. I want some of those other experiences. The good ones.’

Her words touched Mallory. ‘We’ll make sure you get some.’

‘I think we should move from here soon.’ Jerzy had been intently watching the street throughout the meal.

‘You’ve seen something?’ Sophie asked.

Jerzy lifted the edge of the blanket so that his mask caught the light. ‘I think I see shapes … people … but they fade like the mist.’

‘What’s up with you, then?’ A burly man with grey hair coiffured like a fifties movie star leaned across his fry-up to peer at Jerzy. ‘You in a play or something?’

‘That’s right, mate.’ Jerzy slipped into fluent cockney. ‘Have to keep the image up when I’m off the stage.’

The burly man nodded. ‘Your mask — it’s the one that old music hall star used to wear, ain’t it?’

‘That’s right. Max Masque.’ A note of warm surprise was clear in Jerzy’s voice.

‘My old man loved him. Saw him up in the Smoke when he was a kid. He still remembers some of the old routines. Wears a bit thin when you’ve heard ’em a hundred times, but keeps him happy.’

‘You can’t beat the old stuff,’ Jerzy said proudly.

Caitlin pointed past him through the window. ‘Foxes!’

Ten russet forms darted across the street, investigating one shop, then another, and another, drawing closer all the time. The burly man and the other diners were drawn by the spectacle.

‘Oh, that’s beautiful,’ Caitlin said.

‘And weird,’ Sophie added, frowning.

As the foxes crossed the street, they stepped into direct sunlight and disappeared. Sophie caught her breath. The animals reappeared in the shade on the other side of the road. ‘Yes, definitely weird. Let’s get out of here.’

The foxes’ purposeful movement turned from mesmerising to unsettling. They shimmered as they ran and often appeared mistily insubstantial. Mallory’s hand went instinctively to his side, reaching for a sword that wasn’t there.

‘Foxes,’ Caitlin said distantly. The wonder faded from her face, and her eyes narrowed. She palmed a knife from the table.

‘That won’t do much good against a …’ Mallory paused. ‘What do you call a group of foxes?’

‘Dead.’ Caitlin was still and cold.

‘You see what you get for banning hunting,’ the burly man said. ‘Bloody Labour.’

As the foxes neared the cafe, their eyes began to glow with emerald fire. They ran purposefully, their prey identified.

‘Oh dear,’ Jerzy said.

The foxes leaped as one towards the window, but instead of shattering the glass they passed through it, becoming smoke, fluidly changing shape again inside the cafe on the graceful downward arc of their leap. When they landed at the front of the cafe, they were foxes no more. Ten slim, strong, oriental men balanced athletically on their toes, poised to throw themselves forward. They wore loose-fitting brown silk, but their faces had a vulpine cast, their eyes still glowing green.

The one at the front scanned the cafe’s occupants. When his gaze fell on Mallory, Sophie, Caitlin and Jerzy, he smiled slyly.

‘Greeting,’ he said with a heavy Chinese accent, ‘from the Hu Hsien.’

To the surprise of the others, it was Jerzy who stepped forward. ‘You serve the Devourer of All Things. Like all the foulest things in Existence, you have crawled over to its side.’

The leader’s nostrils flared. ‘You dishonour us with your tone. We demand respect.’

‘Demand away,’ Mallory said.

‘Our master, the King of Foxes, received a request for aid. It was delivered with utmost respect to our Great Dominion, and so we have responded.’ He gave a small bow. ‘We know of your power and prestige in this world. We hold a great funeral once you are gone.’

‘You’re not going to stop us,’ Caitlin said.

‘Sadly, not true. You cannot be allowed to cross the boundary to the Far Lands. Your time has passed.’ His left hand snaked out from his side and touched the chest of the bemused burly man, continued through his shirt, his flesh, his bone. When the leader withdrew it, he clutched the still-beating heart. The burly man stared at it in dopey bemusement before emitting a small whimper and keeling over.

Jerzy gave an anguished cry. A sales rep with a garish yellow tie lurched desperately towards the exit. The features of the shapeshifter closest to him fluidly transformed into those of a fox, though the body remained human. Lunging with snapping jaws, it tore the face clean off the sales rep. A shake of its snout and the flesh was swallowed, blood spraying from its whiskers. The leader gave a smile that was mockingly contrite, and then the Hu Hsien advanced as one, those at the rear eliminating the now-screaming diners with efficient brutality.

Sophie was only shaken from her shock when a kitchen knife flashed past her ear and embedded itself in the shoulder of one of the Hu Hsien. His expression registered disbelief, and before that thought had left his mind, Caitlin, who had thrown the knife, was upon him with a second knife. She rammed the blade upwards through his jaw and into his brain.

Sophie was astonished at the transformation that had come over her new friend. Caitlin moved with balletic grace and strength, her face now a warrior’s, hard and focused. She had already slain another of the Hu Hsien before Jerzy’s cry alerted them from the rear of the cafe. He had found the back door through which the kitchen staff had bolted. Mallory propelled Sophie towards it, and then grabbed Caitlin’s arm as she prepared to confront the remaining snarling, now-wary Hu Hsien.

Out on the street, they ran for the cathedral as a wild barking rose up. The Hu Hsien gave pursuit, now fox, now human, now something of both.

‘I seriously need a sword, like Church’s,’ Mallory snarled.

As they threw themselves inside the newly opened cathedral, blue sparks crackled from their feet.

‘We’re not going to outrun them,’ Sophie gasped.

Jerzy stood in their path, arms outstretched. ‘Wait, friends. We are safe. The Blue Fire in the ground, here in your own Great Dominion, makes this a place of sanctuary. Those loathsome things will not be able to set foot in here.’

Sophie saw that Jerzy was right. The Hu Hsien hovered along the cathedral’s boundary in human form, their eyes glittering with malice.

‘Next time there will be a reckoning,’ the leader said. The group moved back, their bodies folding into fox-form, then shimmering into nothingness as they slipped into the morning sunlight.

‘What were they?’ Mallory leaned against the cool stone to catch his breath.

‘There are many secrets in the vast spread of Existence,’ Jerzy began hesitantly. ‘Each of the races populating this wondrous place only sees a small fragment of all there is. None have the great view of the complete tapestry.’

‘And you know more?’ Mallory said suspiciously. ‘What makes you so well informed?’

Jerzy’s breath caught in his throat. He chewed a knuckle, unsure whether he had already said too much.

‘Leave him, Mallory,’ Sophie said.

‘The Golden Ones — the Tuatha De Danann — believe they are the centre of Existence,’ Jerzy continued hastily. ‘They are not. There are many races of power, each overseeing their own Great Dominion, in this world and the Otherworld. And there were many greater powers before, and above, and beyond. The Hu Hsien serve the King of Foxes in the Great Dominion to the east. Most of these powers still slumber as they have done for an age, waiting to be awakened. Why the Hu Hsien are active, I do not know.’

‘They were determined to stop us crossing to the Far Lands,’ Caitlin noted, ‘which suggests to me that we’re doing the right thing.’

‘What happened to you back there?’ Sophie said. ‘You were scary.’

Caitlin looked haunted. ‘I just reacted. It was instinct.’ Massaging her temples, she struggled to recall fleeting memories. ‘Things I learned … that the person I used to be learned … Sorry, I’m not making any sense.’

‘If you can do that again, I’ll have you in the thick of it any time,’ Mallory said.

Caitlin smiled with honest gratitude at the praise. Curiously, Sophie noted a faint, uncomfortable expression cross Mallory’s face.

Jerzy urged them through the vast, ringing silence of the cathedral and behind the altar to a little chapel built in the memory of Thomas a Becket. Inside, the air was suffused with so much energy it felt like a storm was brewing.

‘Wow,’ Sophie said dreamily.

‘What now?’ Mallory ranged around the chapel, apparently oblivious to the euphoric atmosphere.

‘Can’t you see it?’ Caitlin dropped to her knees to indicate a near-invisible filigree of Blue Fire running in a spiral pattern on the stone floor.

‘Your true sight is returning,’ Jerzy said. ‘You are becoming who you were always meant to be.’

‘Here, I think.’ Caitlin traced the spiral to its nexus. She looked round at the others, hesitantly raised her hand, then plunged it into the focal point. There was a flash of the pure blue of a summer sky, and then the room was empty.