Sharon. The wee bird’s name is Sharon. Somebody left something for you at reception, Sharon says to me. Becoming a regular round here, she says to me, and she winks. The peelers turn away. The tourists start talking again. The room starts moving. Something in me wants to say something to her, tell her to get the fuck out while she can. But it would risk everything. So I says to her, when’s your lunch break, love? Another half-hour yet, she says to me. Here, love, I says to her. Here’s a couple of quid. Treat yourself to a pizza pie.

I’m breaking every rule in the book. Except one. Except for the most important one. Rule number one of all rule number ones. Walk in like you own the place. Besides, I says to myself, no one dies. Sharon hands me a letter with my name on it. Xamuel, it says, with an X. My name underlined, twice. I take it to the lift. I want to get the fuck out of reception as soon as possible. The door of the lift closes. I’m in there on my own but the mirrors are making me look like I’m surrounded by endless versions of myself myself myself. Which one of youse is going to do it? I says to myselfs and they says it right back to me. Which one of youse is going to do it? they says. Not one of you cunts will take responsibility, I says to them. Fuck youse, I says to them. I’ll fucking do it myself. Then we’re all in on it. We put the fucking briefcase at our feet. And we all open the letter at the same time. That’s when the explosion went off.

*

Neutrino, The X-Ray Kid and The Anomaly enter The Anti-Matter Universe.

Neutrino activates a second self which stays outside as a safety measure in case they need to beat a retreat.

They pass through a fissure and enter a space and time where everything is inverted.

Backward takes you forward, down is up, thought follows actions, the future gives birth to the past.

They are in search of The Singularity, the creation of a mad demiurge that stands at the centre of The Anti-Matter Universe like a mighty fortress.

They enter The Entropic Garden, a place where their actions give birth to terrifying stresses and strains all around them, causing the stars to bleed, the ground to give way.

They do battle with The Equator, who causes their limbs to be swallowed up by the air.

With every move fleshy wormholes open all around them, suppurating sores on the body of reality itself, which becomes an all-devouring mass that swallows and regurgitates at the same time.

Even Neutrino’s armoured bodysuit is no match for its appetite.

The X-Ray Kid focuses his eyes and sends a beam of light as far ahead as he possibly can.

But there is nothing beyond, nowhere to escape to.

They have walked into a trap.