BooksBarbecue
Back The Hollows
Chapters (77)
  1. Front Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Dedication
  5. PART I
  6. 1.
  7. 2.
  8. 3.
  9. 4.
  10. 5.
  11. 6.
  12. 7.
  13. 8.
  14. PART II
  15. 9.
  16. 10.
  17. 11.
  18. 12.
  19. 13.
  20. 14.
  21. 15.
  22. 16.
  23. 17.
  24. 18.
  25. 19.
  26. 20.
  27. 21.
  28. 22.
  29. 23.
  30. 24.
  31. 25.
  32. 26.
  33. 27.
  34. 28.
  35. 29.
  36. 30.
  37. 31.
  38. 32.
  39. 33.
  40. 34.
  41. 35.
  42. 36.
  43. PART III
  44. 37.
  45. 38.
  46. 39.
  47. 40.
  48. 41.
  49. 42.
  50. 43.
  51. 44.
  52. 45.
  53. 46.
  54. 47.
  55. 48.
  56. 49.
  57. 50.
  58. 51.
  59. 52.
  60. 53.
  61. 54.
  62. 55.
  63. 56.
  64. 57.
  65. 58.
  66. 59.
  67. 60.
  68. 61.
  69. 62.
  70. 63.
  71. 64.
  72. 65.
  73. PART IV
  74. 66.
  75. 67.
  76. 68.
  77. Acknowledgements

“Yeah.”

“I remember bits,” said Madeleine. “I was – I dreamt it, I suppose. I was under the hill. With them. Saw where they lived. Where they slept, and – all of that.”

Ellie shifted, uncomfortable. “Like you said, you were dreaming.”

“Yeah. But it mightn’t’ve been just a dream. Felt bloody real, I can tell you.”

“What?” Ellie was suddenly annoyed. “You’re having visions now? That’s where we’re at?”

“Ellie.” Milly frowned. “Just listen. Can’t do any harm, can it?”

Ellie knew what she was going to suggest – that God might be trying to save them, sending visions to His representative on earth to show them the way. It pissed her off, frankly. What next? Sacrifice chickens and read the entrails? Throw animal bones and look for meaning in the patterns? But Milly and Mad were friends. And they’d been worth listening to before. What was there to lose from listening again? “All right,” she said. “Go on, then.”

“There were tunnels,” said Madeleine. “Caves. Full of cobwebs. There were lots of little alcoves there. That’s where they slept, and waited. And way, way down, there was a big cavern. Huge. That was where the Dance was happening. And when it finished, the sleepers woke up.”

“What were they like?”

“Gods and monsters,” said Madeleine. “Wish I could be a bit more specific than that, but… you know how sometimes you can’t remember something properly, because it was that bad your brain blanks it out? I’ve just got bits. Impressions.”

She looked woozy again for a moment. “Ugh. Anyway. Look, what did I say while I was out of it?”

“You were speaking in tongues,” said Milly.

“In tongues?”

“Not in tongues.” At least, Ellie didn’t think so. “Latin.”

“Latin?”

“That’s what Noel reckoned.”

“Where’s Noel now?”

“Fast asleep,” said Milly. “I suppose I could wake him –”

“Let the poor sod kip,” said Ellie. “I can remember it. There were two main bits in Latin.”

“What was the Latin?”

“De profundis, domine,” said Ellie. A copper needed a good memory. “De profundis, domine, and fiat lux.”

Madeleine laughed weakly. “Of course.”

“Wanna share the joke?”

“130th Psalm. De profundis clamavi ad te, Domine: out of the depths I have cried to thee, O Lord.” Madeleine smiled grimly. “It’s a supplication to God for mercy and forgiveness. In Judaism, it’s traditionally recited in times of ‘communal distress’.”

“Well, this would qualify.”

“De profundis: out of the depths. And what was the other one again?”

“Fiat lux,” said Ellie. “Thought you meant your new car for a minute.”