A Song of Spiders

Chapter 14 - The Waterfall

Dex and Karma awoke warm and close under their blankets to the sound of men talking and bustling around outside. Dex shyly pulled on his legs but Karma did not seem to notice. He tried not to stare at her too much. They finished dressing then stepped out and had some breakfast by the fire. Tommy appeared on the platform above them and whistled. A group of around ten men clustered below him. Tommy jumped down the ladder and walked off without a word. The men fell in behind him and headed for the exit tunnel. 

‘Time to go it looks like.’ said Dex. 

Dex and Karma stood up from the fire and followed after them. They headed into the echoing black of the tunnel. Their feet marched in time together. Dex was surprised to see one man appeared to be whispering a prayer to himself. Tommy shushed him. Even that whispered presence of the Chthonic Church chilled Dex. As they walked to the tunnel exit, they heard a wailing from the top platform. The men ignored it. 

Dex asked a man they were passing close to  ‘who's that, what happened?’.

‘Minnie read the tea leaves. She thinks her husband with be lost forever to her today. Damn woman.’ he replied.

Tommy suddenly stopped, turned and roared back. ‘It's the only way Minnie. Shut up your crying.’ 

They heard the sound of multiple voices behind them. It sounded like Minnie was trying to follow them but was being held back by the other women. They hurriedly left.

At the quay instead of Charlie there were two larger metal boats with camouflage patterns on their sides. Tommy and four men got into the first and one stood at the back and steered it out with a long black pole. Another man took up the same position on the second boat while another man sat at the front holding a gas lamp. Dex and Karma sat between them. 

Tommy said ‘it is a bit early yet, give her a few more minutes.’ 

Time passed in silence, in the dark there was no way to know how long they sat. Then gradually they heard a faint splash and humming approaching from behind. They turned and saw Charlie punting towards them. Rachel sat at the stern looking grim and determined in the faint glow of Charlie’s bird. When they were close enough, she jumped onto the quay then onto the boat with Dex and Karma and gave them both a quick hug. The two boats full of the men then started to head off swiftly in the direction of the river Liffey. They gave Charlie a nod and s smile as they left. He tipped his hat and smiled back.

Rachel said ‘OK, here's what I've worked out with Cabot. You're coming along on this, but just for the ride. The only reason you’re coming is I insisted. He thinks it is dangerous, but I said you deserve to be involved. But you are to wait in the boats. Agreed?’ 

Dex and Karma nodded. ‘Have you still got your mobiles?’ she asked. They each took them out. Dex said ‘wakey wakey Jackie.’ The rabbit stretched and yawned. 

‘Is it safe to use these? Can't they locate us with them?’ asked Dex.

Rachel said. ‘When Karma and I joined the resistance we had a trace blocker added to all three of our phones.’ 

Dex looked at her ‘mine too?’ he said.

‘Yes, yours too. We were with you so often Dex it made sense. So we can use these safely, we’ll not be tracked or listened in on.’ 

Then she whispered with a sad frown 'Cabot was not convinced about the Deus Ex Machina. I showed him the proof  on my phone, but he just said that could have been faked. He doesn't have our experience of be-movies and he is a sceptic about the time rewinding technology, still thinks it is all fiction.'

'It is all asparagus to him.' said Dex. Karma smiled, but Rachel didn't get it. 

Rachel said seriously. ‘Still, if this mission succeeds it will show the Chthonic church the people of Ireland are not the sheep they think we are. Neither of you have the training for something like this though. Dex, you're still... susceptible to Faith. So stay back and don’t take any risks, OK?’ Karma took Dex’s hand. They both nodded.