The act of killing, this time seen from the outside. To Danny, a blur of movement. To Valkyrie, a struggle that is going on forever.

Danny lunges forward to help, but the blurred images are no longer there. There’s a screech behind him and he whirls. Valkyrie lies on the edge of the platform, clutching Jeremiah’s hand as he dangles over the sea of liquid fire.

“Help me!” Jeremiah screams.

But his weight, plus all the sweat, prove too much, and he slips from Valkyrie’s grip and disappears, screaming, into the flames below.

Valkyrie stays where she is for a moment, then gets up. She wipes her hand on her trousers.

“No!”

They both look round at the scream. Cadaverous Gant stands on a higher platform, a hanging chain in his hand.

“Danny,” says Valkyrie. “We have to go—”

She doesn’t even get the chance to say “now”. Gant leaps into a deep swing. At its apex he lets go, and for a moment Danny thinks he’s going to miss the hut, but he slams into it, scrabbling for purchase before he slips. His fingers dig in. He climbs on to the hut’s roof, then drops on to the walkway, and strides to the platform.

“The first chance you get,” Valkyrie whispers to Danny, “you get out of here.”

Danny shakes his head. “I’m not leaving you.”

“Get out of here and get help,” Valkyrie says, and walks towards Gant, her hands glowing.

She fires that lightning and Gant just walks through it like it’s nothing. He hits her and she goes spinning.

“I’m going to rip your heart out,” says Gant.

108

Gant picks her up only to slam her down again. Then he kicks her and Valkyrie goes rolling across the platform, gasping.

“I’ve known that boy since before either of you were born,” he says, his voice little more than a guttural snarl. “I practically raised him. He had his flaws, of course he did, but he was a good boy, and he worked hard, and all he ever wanted to do was make me happy. And you … you come to my home and you …” Gant grabs her by the collar, lifts her off her feet. “What gives you the right? What gives you the right to kill that poor boy?”

Valkyrie struggles to breathe. “How many … people has he … killed?”

“They don’t count!” Gant screams. “They don’t count!” He headbutts her and lets her drop, and Valkyrie staggers and stumbles away from him, blood running down her face.

“They’re cattle!” he continues to scream. “They’re practice! Their lives meant nothing!”

Danny sees his chance. The walkway is clear. But he hesitates, his feet stuck.

Valkyrie glances at him, waves. “Go,” she says, spitting blood. “Go.”