Above the Vaulted Sky - Page 216

              ‘We can only guess,’ Upson says. I can’t help but think that the crowd have parted to form a sort of arena. Is it one they’ll watch us die in? Like I’m back in Rome at the Colosseum again. ‘A lot of us think it’s a simple matter of will. We want to be by Yates’s side so we’ll find him there. We just have to be careful. There’s no knowing what we’ll find on the other side.’ He turns to Tarquin. ‘Give us half an hour,’ he says. ‘If we’re still not back, sing and hopefully we’ll be able to follow the waves here.’

                ‘Good plan,’ I congratulate Upson.

                Upson smiles. ‘It’s what I’m trained to do. I’ve been getting itchy feet sitting around here.’

                My eyes settle on Tarquin. He looks angrier than I’ve seen him. We’re challenging his way of life and he’s powerless to stop us. I hope he understands what we’re doing. I didn’t want to come here and upset the only real peace I’ve seen in a while, but peace can sometimes come at a price, and I’m personally not willing to pay it with my friend.