‘Artemis!’ he said, smiling as though the previous night hadn’t happened, as though he didn’t know he’d ordered her to be locked in a box, or that she was now into her thirty-sixth hour without sleep. ‘Are we friends again?’
‘Yes, Papa J,’ said Robin, with what she hoped was adequate humility.
‘Good girl,’ said Wace. ‘One moment. Wait there.’
Robin and Jiang waited while Wace entered the study with the peacock blue walls. Robin heard more loud laughter.
‘Here we are,’ said the smiling Wace, reappearing with Taio. ‘Before you rest, Artemis, it would be a very beautiful act of contrition to reaffirm your commitment to our church by spirit bonding with one who has much to teach you.’
Robin’s heart began pumping so fast she thought she might pass out. There didn’t seem to be enough air in the hall for her lungs to inflate.
‘Yes,’ she heard herself say. ‘All right.’
‘Papa J!’ came a merry voice, and Noli Seymour came lurching out of the sitting room, flushed, no longer wearing a tracksuit but leather trousers and a tight white T-shirt. ‘Oh Lord, sorry,’ she giggled, seeing the group.
‘There’s nothing to apologise for,’ said Wace, extending an arm and drawing Noli to his side. ‘We’re merely arranging a beautiful spirit bonding.’
‘Oooh, lucky you, you get Taio, Rowena?’ said Noli to Robin. ‘If I weren’t spirit married…’
Noli and Wace laughed. Taio allowed his lips to curl in a smirk. Jiang merely looked sulky.
‘Shall we, then?’ said Taio to Robin, taking her firmly by the hand. His was hot and damp.
‘Jiang,’ said Wace, ‘go with them, wait outside and escort Artemis to her dormitory afterwards.’
As Robin and the two Wace brothers walked towards the front door, Robin heard Noli say,
‘Why d’you call her Artemis?’
She missed Wace’s answer in another outburst of laughter from the sitting room.
The night was cool and cloudless, with many stars overhead and a thin, fingernail moon. Taio led Robin towards the pool of the Drowned Prophet and she knelt down between Daiyu’s two brothers.
‘The Drowned Prophet will bless all who worship her.’
‘I need the bathroom,’ Robin said, as she stood up again.
‘No you don’t,’ said Taio, pulling her on.
‘I do,’ said Robin. ‘I just want to pee.’
She was terrified Jiang was going to say ‘You were just in the bathroom.’ Instead, he said, scowling at his brother,
‘Let her bloody pee.’
‘Fine,’ said Taio. ‘Be quick.’
Robin hurried into the dormitory. Most of the women were getting ready for bed.
Robin pushed her way into the bathroom. Marion Huxley was bent over the sink, cleaning her teeth.
In one fluid movement, Robin had stepped up onto the sink beside Marion, and before Marion could shout in surprise, had forced the window open, heaved herself up on the high sill, swung one leg over and then, as Marion screamed, ‘
But she was up in an instant and running – her only advantage over the Wace brothers, given her present hunger and exhaustion, was how well she knew her way to the blind spot in the dark. Through the pounding in her ears she heard distant shouts. She was over the five-bar gate, and now she was sprinting across the wet field, her breath coming fast and ragged – she was wearing blue now, far harder to see in the dark than white – there was a stitch like a sword wound in her chest but she sped up – and now she could hear Taio and Jiang behind her.
She crashed her way into the wood, following the familiar path, leaping over nettles and roots, passing familiar trees –
And in the BMW, Strike saw her coming. Throwing aside the night vision goggles and picking up the foot-long wire cutters, he left the car at a run. He’d got through three strands of barbed wire when Robin screamed,
‘They’re coming, they’re coming, help me—’
He reached over the wall and dragged her with him; her tracksuit bottoms tore on the remaining wire, but she was out onto the road.
Strike could hear the sound of running men.
‘How many?
‘Two – let’s go, please—’
‘Get in,’ he said, pushing her away, ‘just get in the car – GO!’ he bellowed, as Taio Wace came bursting through a thicket of trees and ran for the figure silhouetted ahead.
As Taio launched himself at the detective, Strike swung back the heavy metal wire cutters and smashed them into the side of Taio’s head. Taio crumpled and the figure behind him skidded to a halt. Before either man could return the attack, Strike was heading for the car. Robin had already started the engine; she saw Taio rise again, but Strike was inside the car; he slammed his foot on the accelerator, and in an exhilarating burst of speed they were driving away, Strike having found a glorious release for his days of anxiety, Robin shaking and sobbing in relief.
