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

“Ha.” Madeleine rolled her eyes; Ellie was afraid she was going to collapse again, but it was just an expression of annoyance. “Fiat lux. Well, that one’s easy too. It’s from Genesis. ‘In the beginning, God created the Heaven and the Earth. And the Earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved on the face of the waters.’ And then, Verse Three: ‘And God said, let there be light.’ That’s what fiat lux means: let there be light. Out of the depths, and let there be light. What about the other stuff I was saying?”

“I only made out bits,” Ellie said. “Something about old gods. And old night – ancient night. ‘The old deep dark’, you kept saying. And stuff about the Abyss. The Chasm. Something called the Yawning.”

“You said the sun would die,” said Milly. “There’d be a night that’d go on forever. The earth and sea, they’d die too.”

“The poem,” said Jess. “From the Family Bible. Remember it?” She recited:

“And on that day, the last of all,

Old night will forever fall,

The sleepers rise to rule once more

And those who’ve kept the faith restored.”

“The Chasm,” Madeleine said at last. “The Abyss. They’re all names for the primal chaos. What existed before God said fiat lux. A lot of pre-Christian legends talk about the world being created by a war with the chaos gods. Usually sea-gods or chthonic deities –”

“Usually what?”

“Chthonic. Underground, subterranean. They had to be defeated before the world could come into existence.”

“So that’s what the ‘old night’ bit means?” said Jess.

Madeleine nodded.

“Right then.” Jess nodded too, her small pale face set. “Know what we’ve gotta do then, right?”

“Do we?” Ellie was buggered if she did.

“They’re sleeping under the hill, yeah? Underground? That’s right, isn’t it? C-thonk-ic or whatever you call ’em?”

“Chthonic,” said Madeleine.

“Whatevs.” Jess pulled a face. “Point is, they’re underground, and those things are gonna wake ’em up. And when they do, the sun goes out, right? Cos what do we know they hate?”

“Light,” said Milly. “Just – light.”

“Right,” said Jess. “So? Out of the depths. Let there be light. That’s what it’s gotta mean. We go down there and we turn the lights on. Start a fire or something. Let there be light. They can’t do the Dance if they’re dead, can they?” She looked from one of them to the other, face eager, eyes button-bright. “Put the knockers on it all, then and there.”

None of them spoke for a few seconds. Jess’ smile began to fade – afraid she’d got it wrong, made a fool of herself. But finally, Madeleine smiled.

“And a little child shall lead them,” she said.

55.

55.