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Chapters (75)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise
  3. About the Author
  4. Title Page
  5. Intoroduction
  6. ONE
  7. TWO
  8. THREE
  9. FOUR
  10. FIVE
  11. SIX
  12. SEVEN
  13. EITHT
  14. NINE
  15. TEN
  16. ELEVEN
  17. TWELVE
  18. THIRTEEN
  19. FOURTEEN
  20. FIFTEEN
  21. SIXTEEN
  22. SEVENTEEN
  23. EIGHTEEN
  24. NINETEEN
  25. TWENTY
  26. TWENTY-ONE
  27. TWENTY-TWO
  28. TWENTY-THREE
  29. TWENTY-FOUR
  30. TWENTY-FIVE
  31. TWENTY-SIX
  32. TWENTY-SEVEN
  33. TWENTY-EIGHT
  34. TWENTY-NINE
  35. THIRTY
  36. THIRTY-ONE
  37. THIRTY-TWO
  38. THIRTY-THREE
  39. THIRTY-FOUR
  40. THIRTY-FIVE
  41. THIRTY-SIX
  42. THIRTY-SEVEN
  43. THIRTY-EIGHT
  44. THIRTY-NINE
  45. FORTY
  46. FORTY-ONE
  47. FORTY-TWO
  48. FORTY-THREE
  49. FORTY-FOUR
  50. FORTY-FIVE
  51. FORTY-SIX
  52. FORTY-SEVEN
  53. FORTY-EIGHT
  54. FORTY-NINE
  55. FIFTY
  56. FIFTY-ONE
  57. FIFTY-TWO
  58. FIFTY-THREE
  59. FIFTY-FOUR
  60. FIFTY-FIVE
  61. FIFTY-SIX
  62. FIFTY-SEVEN
  63. FIFTY-EIGHT
  64. FIFTY-NINE
  65. SIXTY
  66. SIXTY-ONE
  67. SIXTY-TWO
  68. SIXTY-THREE
  69. SIXTY-FOUR
  70. SIXTY-FIVE
  71. SIXTY-SIX
  72. SIXTY-SEVEN
  73. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  74. CLIMATE EMERGENCY
  75. Copyright

The Crown is about a fifteen-minute walk, and I set out through the drizzling rain. The wind is picking up again, whipping the droplets into my face despite how tightly the toggles on my hood are drawn. But there’s a well-stoked fire in my stomach, despite Dana’s warnings, fanned by excitement. I don’t feel the cold.

The pub looms up as I turn the last corner. A single bulb, somewhat forlorn, points at the sign that swings in the wind. There’s not much light coming around the thick curtains at the windows either. A pair of orange points glowing in the smokers’ shelter to one side trace patterns in the air – up, glow brighter, down again. It’s 7:52. I’m early, and don’t know what to expect. Nervousness keeps me standing in the covered bus stop across the road for a few minutes more.

The two orange cigarette ends drop to the floor almost in unison. I give it two more minutes, then cross the road.

The function room is accessed around the side of the building, but I hear my name hissed from the main doorway as I walk past. Dana grabs my arm and pulls me back towards the smoking shelter.

‘What are you doing?’ Her hair is wet, plastered to her head.

‘I was… Aren’t you here to—’

‘This is dangerous. Too dangerous. These are not nice people, Josh. I told you that. What are you doing here?’

‘Aren’t you here as well?’ I ask, a little mystified.

‘It’s different for me. I can’t… Look, I don’t have long. You don’t have to be here. You could walk away now. Walk away now, please, Josh. No one will know. I won’t say I saw you.’

‘What do you mean? I thought you were with us?’

‘Us? Who the fuck is us, Josh? Didn’t you hear anything I said on Friday? You’re sounding like them and it’s scary. It’s only been, what, a month? Less? That’s all it took.’

‘All it took for what?’

‘Is that you, Soldier? Hiding from the rain? Afraid you’ll melt?’ It’s Alan’s now familiar voice. ‘Come on, they’re starting.’

I look back at Dana, and even from a few feet away I have trouble making her out where she’s slipped backwards into the shadows. She shakes her head at me, almost imperceptibly.

‘Yeah, coming,’ I say, and follow Alan and Vince through the heavy, wooden door and up a flight of stairs, the red and black carpet almost worn through in the bowed middle of each step.