Above the Vaulted Sky - Page 78

'This is the first time!' I protest.
She narrows her eyes. 'Alright,' she says. 'You win this round. You just have that kind of face.'
'I know you guys are talking,' Graham says, apparently to no one. 'Give me the occasional nudge to let me know you're still there.'
Elle reaches to the side and slaps him on the backside. He shudders violently. 'Or you know, maybe not,' he says as he recovers. 'Can we go somewhere more private? I feel like a crazy person.'
'I have an idea,' I say to Elle. I scribble on the paper. 'If the Starbright Man is following us, then he must be following me as I'm the one who made contact with his handprint in Rome. The last place he'll expect us to go is back to where he last found us.'
'Oh by the way,' Graham says as my note appears out of thin air in front of him. 'You owe me about ten grand for all my stuff.'
Elle snatches the pad. 'Get stuffed, rich boy. Dead folk don't have deep pockets.'
'This must be Elle,' Graham says as the next note greets him. He's forming quite a collection. 'Won't going back to my house be dangerous? We don't know how quickly he can follow us?'
'We'll have to risk it, we need to find out how to stop him quickly, and that's where the trail's fresh,' I write. 'Are you ready?'
'No,' he replies, stretching out his hand. 'Let's go.'
'Take the lead, science boy,' Elle says, taking my other hand, grabbing the black case at the same time.
I screw up my eyes, holding them tightly, concentrating on Graham's basement.
When I open them, I almost gasp at the destruction. To my side, Elle looks vaguely sickly, but now a little more used to travelling. Graham once again falls to the floor, spluttering.
The room is covered with the pages of comics. A sharp pang of regret pulls at my stomach. To a lot of people it sounds silly, but to me, comics are special. They're places I used to go to escape in times I felt lonely. When I was tormented by bullies I'd turn to my favourite superhero, enacting adventures and being strong, brave and humble when I was unable. Seeing them in such a state of destruction is like seeing all my friends in pain.
Over towards the stairs, the pool table lies in half, the balls freed from inside scattered across the room. The flatscreen harbours an enormous crack down its centre, and over by the stairs, most obviously, sits a still-smoking scorch mark on the floor, as though a rocket has just taken off leaving destruction behind it.
'We have to work quickly,' I say, opening the case beside Elle.