We had another meeting then. Sitting in the middle of the road while they tried to help Caspar. We had to decide what to do about poor Gabby as well. She lost so much blood from her neck she went very white and then went into a coma, and her heart slowed down and in the end she died, so we decided to wrap her up and bring her with us, so that she wouldn’t be eaten. By sickos or by dogs, or another animal. We put her in one trolley. Caspar couldn’t walk so he was put in the other trolley. Einstein said it was lucky we had brought the trolleys and Blue said that if we hadn’t been slowed down by them we would have been at Heathrow a long time ago and wouldn’t have been attacked in the first place. They would never agree. It was stalemate.

Half the people wanted to go straight back to the museum. Einstein spoke for the other half, who wanted to press on. He said that it would all have been a waste to go back, and that Gabby would have died in vain. She was a scientist, she knew the importance of the expedition. If we went home we would only have to come back later and that might be even more dangerous. We had come this far, we should carry on, surely the worst of it was over. Etc.

They argued and argued, but Einstein won. He is very stubborn and won’t listen to other people. So we limped on. It was late now. The trolley with the wonky wheels was even slower with Gabby’s body in it and it started to rain, which made everyone even more miserable. I don’t mind admitting I was really scared now, crying all the time. I liked Gabby. What else might happen to us? It was hard to keep going. It felt like we were pushing a boulder up a mountain. Which is another metaphor. Strangely it was Einstein who kept our spirits up. He changed a bit, he wasn’t so almighty and sarcastic. He encouraged us, he checked we were all right, he urged us on.

Roughly about an hour ago, as the sky grew heavy and dark, we got to a red church in among some trees near Heathrow and managed to break inside. It is dry and not too cold. The walls are thick and we can keep a look-out on the tower, or I should say steeple. I feel safe at last here. It is familiar. I feel safe enough to write these words, with sadness in my heart and a fear of tomorrow and what it might bring.

Chapter 30

30

‘Can’t you get him to shut up?’

‘He’s hurt.’

‘Yeah, that’s pretty obvious.’