Mike Shevdon - Sixty-One Nails

"I thought she couldn't be hurt physically."

"I thought so too, but the heat might have hurt her enough to get her attention away from you."

"And did it?"

"It did more than that. Ben told me that if powders get spread into the air at a certain density, they can ignite. Fire spreads though them like a chain reaction, superheating the air and causing a shock wave. Effectively, she exploded."

I tried to take in what she was saying.

"What about Raffmir?"

"There was nothing he could do. He was hurt slightly in the explosion; nothing lethal, unfortunately, but by the time he realised what had happened it was all over. His sister had broken the laws of trial and he knew her life was forfeit. He was forced to accept the outcome and the fate of his sister, though he didn't like it."

"Did he say anything?"

"Very little. He conceded the trial and said he would honour the outcome. Then he said that if the formalities were concluded he would take his leave. He's such a prig. His sister's just been blown to bits and he's discussing formalities."

"So he left."

"Her ashes either drifted away on the water or blew away on the breeze. He just climbed back up onto the gantry and vanished into the dark. I expect he'll have some explaining to do when he returns to his world, but they will have to honour the outcome as he has. It's our way.

"Ben had been thrown into the river by the force of the blast but fortunately for you, he can swim. He climbed up the rungs after you and hauled you up onto the side. He pumped as much water as he could out of your chest and put you into the recovery position. It was all he could do. By that time I'd crossed the river and could take over."

The shadow reached her eyes again.

"What?" I asked her.

"I made him finish the knife, Niall. I want you to know that. I couldn't carry you out of the tunnels alone, but I made him finish the knife before we carried you up together and called an ambulance." Her eyes were dark and haunted by the decision.

The security we had all fought for was dependent on finishing the knife and restoring the ceremony. Without that, every sacrifice would have been meaningless.

"It's OK. I would have done the same. And I'm still here, aren't I? You can't get rid of me that easily."

A little of the haunted look dissolved. There was a hint of a smile and I smiled back. She leaned forward and pressed her warm lips to mine in a long languid kiss. I shifted, sending shooting pains down my back and grunted at the pain. She stopped and drew away; worried she had hurt me.

"Don't stop," I whispered.

She kissed me again, this time warming me in a way that was completely incompatible with my physical state. When she stopped, her eyes were filled with promises. She squeezed my hand.

"I really should let them know you're awake. The policeman let me stay in here on condition that I promised I would let him know as soon as you woke."

"Policeman?"

"We brought you up out of the tunnels, but I couldn't revive you. Your lungs were still waterlogged and I had no idea how long you could hang on for. Your glamour had completely faded and you looked like you did when I first met you. That worried me more than anything else."

I put my hand to my cheek, feeling the stubble where I was unshaved, knowing my face was my own.

"We called an ambulance and Ben told them he'd dragged you out of the Thames from one of the piers. He's a convincing liar when he has to be. The ambulance crew found your wallet and your driving license on the way to the hospital. By the time I'd caught up with you at the hospital, they knew who you were and the police were here waiting for you. There's been an officer on the door ever since."

"Can we slip past them? Get away before they realise I'm awake?"

"Well we could, but I think your daughter might be upset if you did."

"Alex?"

"The police called Katherine and told her you were in hospital. They returned yesterday morning and came to see you while you were still unconscious. Alex was very grown up about it, but you could see she was worried. I don't think you can just vanish without seeing her."

"But what about the police?"

"If you run now, they'll never leave you in peace."

She stood slowly and left me with that thought while she went to tell the officer I was awake and to try and rustle up some food for me. As soon as she'd gone, the officer came into the room, nodded once to me and then stood by the door, looking blank and impersonal.

"Am I under arrest?" I asked him.

"Not at the moment, sir. But the senior officer would like to speak with you regarding our enquiries."

"So I can leave if I want to?"

"I think it would be better if you stayed, sir. There's a doctor coming to check you over and the investigating officer is on his way."

I rested back against the pillow, trying to organise my thoughts ahead of the interview I knew was coming.

The doctor arrived before either Blackbird returned or the police arrived. She was a well-groomed, middle-aged Asian lady who spoke with a light Birmingham accent.

"I'm Dr Agraval. I've looked after you since you were brought here on Sunday. How are you feeling?" She held a torch up to look into my eyes.

"Not bad considering."

She took my hands in hers and turned them over, looking at the palms of my hands which were criss-crossed with a lattice of newly formed scar tissue. "Do you always heal this quickly?"

"Not usually," I answered truthfully.

"Hmm. Any headache or disturbed vision? Do you feel nauseous?"

"If I turn my head too quickly, my head thumps a bit, but apart from that, no."

She felt under my chin and around my neck. "Your glands are swollen."

"Is that bad?"

"Not necessarily. With the amount of water you took in, your immune system has gone into overdrive." She put a temperature probe into my ear and read off the digital display. "Your temperature's within the bounds of normal. Can you open your shirt please?"

She held the metal end of her stethoscope in her hand to warm it while I struggled with the unfamiliar buttons of the pyjamas they had provided for me, just as Blackbird returned with a plate of sandwiches.

"I leave you for a moment and you're taking your clothes off for another woman," she remarked casually. The doctor ignored her. I guess she'd heard it all before. We went through the routine of breathing in and out while the doctor pressed the stethoscope to various parts of my chest and then my back. I eyed the plate of sandwiches, my stomach making alarming noises. "There's nothing wrong with your appetite, then?" she said.

I shook my head.

"You can have those after I've taken your blood pressure. Eating will affect the result."

She slipped the armband up around my arm and began inflating it while Blackbird removed the cling film and put the cheese sandwiches on the table by my bed. After a few moments the doctor released the arm band and declared open season on the sandwiches. They were plain white bread and plastic cheese, but I wolfed them down. They tasted wonderful.

"Anything else bothering you? There are no broken bones, but sometimes a ligament strain can be just as painful."

"I feel a bit bruised," I told her around a mouthful of sandwich.

"Remarkable. I have patients who take months to make this much progress and you've only been here a couple of days."

"I guess I'm just fortunate I didn't take in much water."

"When they brought you in you were unconscious. Your lungs were full of foul muddy water and you were a hair's breadth from dead. We had to drain your lungs and give you oxygen to keep you alive."

"I'm just lucky, I guess." I exchanged a look with Blackbird.

"Beats me," she stood up and tucked the stethoscope into a pocket of her white coat. "Maybe it's something in the water. Maybe we should be bottling it and selling it as a treatment."