Above the Vaulted Sky - Page 86

            ‘Just a young waif we picked up on our travels,’ jokes Elle.

            ‘He’s my best friend,’ I say. Elle places a hand to her chest looking pained.

            ‘But he’s alive?’

            ‘That’s what I wanted to tell you,’ I begin. ‘I think this all connects together. We were following this man. He somehow managed to cross to the afterlife and back again.’

            ‘But he de-stabalised himself and blew up,’ finishes Elle, nodding.

            Yates looks from me to her as if he’s trying to ascertain who’s pulling the big joke.

            ‘But how does this tie in with your friend?’ he asks.

            ‘Graham owns a lot of science equipment and we figured out how to make ourselves visible.’

            ‘Do you think Thacker knew?’ he asks. He strokes the edge of the yellow pages. I wonder does is realises he’s doing it?

            ‘Maybe,’ I say. ‘But this doesn’t change the fact that you can’t lock yourself away like this. If you come with us we can work out what happened to Teague.’

            ‘The exploding man,’ Elle explains.

            ‘Are you guys still there?’ Graham asks, turning round. ‘I’m going to set up the equipment again, I want to try something.’

            ‘Where will you be going?’ asks Yates.

            ‘I’ll tell you when we work it out,’ I say. ‘I’m not even sure what we’re looking for.’

            ‘Teague seemed to just want our help,’ Elle says. ‘Like you said.  He pleaded with us to do it, but I don’t think he’s gone. It wasn’t like we were killing him.’

            ‘But where else is there to go?’ Yates says. ‘Unless he’s gone to the great beyond?’

            ‘What is this great beyond exactly?’ Elle asks. ‘Does the book ever specify?’

            ‘Just a lot of mentions,’ Yates says. ‘It seems like his reason for writing the book was exploring the idea of the afterlife, and where we go next. It always seems like he knew people stay after they die, and can visit the living like your friend.’

            ‘Except Teague was just looking for his wife,’ I say. ‘He was living and he got obsessed with the dead. I suppose that’s what I am with Penny to some extent. I just have no place to start.’

            Elle touches my arm. I’m grateful for the comfort.

            There’s a whir from the other side of the room as Graham starts up the ionizer. He looks directly at us and I know we’re visible again.

            ‘There you are,’ he says. ‘Bring me up to speed.’