Chapters (45)
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Contents
- Prologue
- 2046
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- About the Author
‘I hate hugging people,’ she says, hugging him. ‘I would literally only ever hug you or Harry . . . like, no one else ever . . .’
‘Okay,’ Ben says, looking at Harry, who’s still smiling.
‘Well hug me back then, you fucking dick.’
‘Sorry,’ Ben says, bringing his arms round her body.
‘Get off now.’ She pulls back to stare at him then at Harry. ‘Sorted. Right,’ she says, nodding as though a little embarrassed at her show of affection. ‘You’re still a dick though.’
‘Probably,’ Ben says.
‘Stop yacking on. So? Was it Harry beating you up or did we die?’
‘Er . . .’ Ben says. He had wondered how to tell them they had died but then he remembered they were Harry and Safa and tiny things like death didn’t bother them. ‘Both . . . like . . .’
‘Ah now, about that,’ Harry says seriously, pushing a hand through his beard. ‘Didn’t expect you to keep getting back up.’
‘Had it coming,’ Ben says before he can continue.
‘Aye,’ Harry says.
‘Did the doc tell you what happened?’ Ben asks.
‘No . . . but you came back for us,’ she says. ‘On your own? Is that right?’
‘Yeah, but hang on,’ he says. ‘I’ve got something I want to show you. The doc said I wasn’t to get you excited but it’s only next door so . . .’
‘What is?’ Safa asks.
‘Come see. You both okay to walk? I could get wheelchairs and wheel you about if you want . . . ?’
‘Funny,’ Safa says, marching past him to the main door. ‘Which way? Left or right?’
‘Hang on,’ Ben yelps, rushing after her.
‘I’ll try left.’ She heads left as Harry smiles at Ben and makes his way over.
‘Nope,’ Safa says, looking into the room on the left. ‘Must be right then . . .’
‘Will you just slow down a bit,’ Ben says, as she strides past him to the other side.
‘Ah,’ she says, coming to a stop at the next door. ‘Ah yes, yes, that’s really nice. Did you do it?’
‘Um, well . . .’
‘Harry, come and look at this. Ben? Did you do it?’
‘I just—’
‘Isn’t that nice?’ Safa says, cutting across Ben as Harry joins her at the next door down.
‘Aye,’ Harry says, staring inside.
‘So who did it? Did you do it?’ she asks again.
‘Fuck me,’ Ben says, walking down to squeeze past them to get inside the room. ‘Yes, I did it . . .’