Limit (148 page)

‘Okay, you lot can wait.’ Chuck jumped up and hurried to the stairs. ‘I’m going down there!’

* * *

‘Where’s Sophie?’

‘
Mister
Kokoschka!’ Dana glared at him. ‘How about being contactable for a change?’

Kokoschka flinched. He rubbed his big paws on his jacket and glanced around the control centre.

‘Sorry. I know we’re supposed to be meeting in the Mama Quilla—’

‘Get used to carrying your phone around with you. The question comes back to you. Where is Sophie?’

‘Sophie?’ Kokoschka started poking around in his left ear. ‘I thought she was here. Don’t know. Shall I start on the dinner? I’ve got to—’ He hesitated. The note seemed to be burning a hole in his jacket pocket. ‘You wouldn’t happen to know where Tim Orley is?’

‘What is this?’ A wrinkle appeared between Dana’s eyebrows. ‘A quiz show? Are we playing hide-and-seek?’

‘I’m just asking.’

‘Tim Orley should be in the bar. He went up there a few minutes ago.’

‘Okay, then—’ Kokoschka took a step back.

‘Stay where you are,’ Dana said severely. ‘Tell me again exactly where you looked this afternoon. Did you check the sauna too?’

‘Yep.’ He fidgeted around in the doorway, suddenly very worried about Sophie. What was going on?

‘Calm down,’ said Dana. ‘We’ll go up there together in a few minutes.’

* * *

The bar was filling up. Karla Kramp and Eva Borelius appeared on the stairs, followed by the Nairs and Finn, and blocked Chuck’s way as he came charging down as if pursued by the four horsemen of the Apocalypse.

‘Do you know anything?’ He flashed his eyes at them.

‘No more than you do, I should think.’ Eva shrugged. ‘They want to tell us something.’

‘I hope it’s nothing bad,’ said Sushma anxiously.

‘It’ll be more than the time of day, I can promise you that,’ blustered Donoghue. ‘Something’s happened.’

‘You think?’

‘Friends, why all this speculation?’ Nair smiled. ‘In a few minutes we will know more.’

‘In a few minutes we’ll hear a load of prepared blarney,’ Chuck bellowed. ‘I could tell by looking at Lynn and all those plaster saints. You can’t fool Chucky.’

‘Who says they’re trying to fool you?’ asked Finn.

‘My experience,’ snapped Donoghue. ‘My prostate!’

‘Have you had the golden finger?’

‘Now listen, young man—’

‘What are you getting worked up about? That they’re hiding something from us? They aren’t, you know.’

‘They aren’t?’ Chuck narrowed his eyes. ‘And how do you know that?’

‘
My
prostate!’ Finn grinned. ‘Claptrap, Chucky. If they wanted to keep something from us, they’d hardly have called a meeting.’

‘But I don’t want to know what just
anyone
gets to hear.’ Chuck struck his chest with his fist. ‘I want the
whole
truth, you understand?’ He pushed past them. ‘And first, I’m telling you now, I’m not letting that stupid skank of a hotel manager go up there, just so as you know!’

‘Tsk, tsk.’ Karla watched after him. ‘For a hotelier, he really sounds like a grumpy guest.’

* * *

‘We’ve got to get up there,’ said Heidrun.

She was half lying on top of Ögi, half beside him, with his hairy arm under her back. As if infected by the virus of infidelity, she had forced him to make love, to receive the antidote to her own lust, and it was at the sound of Dana’s voice that she had experienced an exorbitant neuronal firework, as if it had been sparked by the hotel manager’s monotonous voice. Whatever the reason for the disturbance, Heidrun was so furious with Dana that she chose to ignore the announcement, and proceeded to do just that for a whole six minutes, with Ögi’s fingers stroking the back of her neck.

‘What time is it?’ he asked.

She rolled reluctantly onto her back and glanced at the digital display above the door.

‘Four minutes before half past eight. We
could
still try to be on time.’

‘What, are you crazy?’

‘It’s what people generally expect of the Swiss.’

‘Time to demolish some clichés, perhaps?’ Ögi picked up a strand of her hair. Unpigmented keratin, but in it he saw white moonlight melting between his fingers. ‘Okay, maybe you’re right, we shouldn’t dawdle. People will be getting worried.’

‘About Ganymede?’

‘About whatever. It isn’t very comforting to be invited to this kind of meeting.’

‘Motormouth told us not to worry.’

‘And you couldn’t really say we had, could you?’ He grinned and sat up. ‘Come on,
mein Schatz
. Let’s get into social contract mode.’

* * *

With silent, sweating Kokoschka by her side, Dana was going up. The lift stopped at the fifteenth floor. Lynn joined them. She looked dreadful, as if she’d aged several years, hardly able to focus, her eyes darting unsteadily around. A curiously distant, sly-looking smile played around the corners of her mouth.

‘What’s all this?’ she said to Dana without looking at her. She ignored Kokoschka completely.

‘What’s all what?’

‘What’s the meeting for?’

The lift doors closed.

‘We’re evacuating,’ Dana said bluntly. ‘Where have you been, Lynn? Have you seen Sophie?’

‘Sophie?’ Lynn looked at her as if she’d never heard the name before but thought it was very interesting.

‘Yes. You remember Sophie Thiel.’

‘We can’t evacuate,’ Lynn said, almost cheerfully. ‘Julian wouldn’t want that.’

‘Your father isn’t here.’

‘Call it off.’

‘Excuse me, but I think it’s exactly what he would want.’

‘No! No, no, no, no, no.’

‘Yes, Lynn.’

‘You’re messing up the whole trip.’

Kokoschka hunched his shoulders and stuck his hand in his pocket. Dana noticed and gave a start. Was he holding something in his hand?

‘You stupid bitch,’ Lynn said brightly, and the lift doors opened again.

Chuck Donoghue was waiting in the neck. He was quivering with rage. Aileen came hurrying down the stairs wearing a concerned expression. Dana came out of the lift, with Lynn and Kokoschka hot on her heels.

‘What can I do for you, Chuck?’

‘You’re taking us for idiots, aren’t you?’

‘I’m here to inform you about the state of developments.’ Dana faked a smile. ‘So could we go upstairs, please?’

‘No, we couldn’t.’

‘Please, Chucky.’ Aileen fiddled with Donoghue’s sleeve. The lift doors slid shut. ‘Listen to what she has to say.’

‘I’ll listen to it
here
.’

‘There’s nothing to say,’ Lynn twittered. ‘Everything’s hunky-dory. Shall we go and eat?’

‘I want to know what’s going on right now!’ snapped Donoghue. He came
closer, entered her personal space. ‘Where’s Julian? Where are the others? You’ve known what’s happening for ages, why can’t we talk to anybody? You’ve known all along.’

‘Are you threatening me, Chuck?’

‘Come on. Say it.’

Dana Lawrence didn’t budge from the spot. She stared calmly into the big man’s eyes. To do so, she had to throw her head back, but inside it was as if she was looking down at Donoghue.

‘
When
I’ve told you, shall we go up?’

Donoghue clearly hadn’t expected her to give in so easily. He took a step back.

‘Of course,’ Aileen hurried to reassure her in his place.

‘Yes, of course,’ Donoghue repeated lamely.

‘No!’ screamed Lynn.

* * *

Tim heard her in the Mama Quilla Club, even though the Chang’e, the Selene and the Luna Bar were in between. He heard her fear, her rage, her madness. All at once he leapt to his feet and dived down the stairs taking four at a time. Dana’s authoritarian alto joined in, counterpointed by arpeggios of high, frightened, Aileen wails, over Donoghue’s rumbling bass. He plunged down into Gaia’s throat.

Strange. His sister had pulled one of the oxygen candles from its mounting and was swinging the steel cylinder like a club, while Dana, Chuck, Aileen and Kokoschka circled her like a pack of wolves.

Tim pushed his way between the Donoghues, saw Lynn stepping back and roared, ‘What’s going on? What are you doing to her?’

‘Why don’t you ask
her
what she’s doing to us,’ growled Chuck.

‘Lynn—’

‘Leave me alone! Don’t get too close!’

Tim held his hand out to her. She recoiled still further, raised the candle and stared at him, eyes darting from side to side.

‘Tell me what’s going on.’

‘She wants to evacuate Gaia,’ Lynn panted. ‘That’s what’s going on. The bitch wants to evacuate Gaia.’

* * *

Kokoschka was so confused that he didn’t even try to understand what was going on. Clearly the business manager of Orley Travel was going mad. His thoughts had turned entirely to Tim and the end of his personal odyssey. He drew Sophie’s note from his pocket. ‘Mr Orley, I’ve got—’

Tim ignored him. ‘Lynn, come to your senses.’

‘She wants to evacuate the hotel.’ The woman’s voice was reduced to a whisper. ‘But I won’t let her, under any circumstances.’

‘Of course, we’ve got to talk about it. But first give me the candle.’

‘Evacuate?’ Chuck echoed, eyes rolling.

‘You should listen to your brother.’ Dana pointed at Lynn’s makeshift club. ‘You’re putting us all in danger.’

Tim knew what she meant. The cylinder contained large quantities of compressed oxygen, and Lynn’s fingers were dangerously close to the detonator. As soon as she set the exothermic reaction in motion, the contents would spread slowly into the environment, a pointless waste, along with the danger that the partial pressure of the oxygen would exceed permitted levels. The cartridges were meant for emergencies, when breathable air was in short supply.

‘Mr Orley!’ Kokoschka was waving a piece of paper.

‘
What do you mean, evacuate?
’ Donoghue snapped.

‘Dana’s right,’ said Tim. ‘Please, Lynn. Give me the candle.’

‘Julian doesn’t want us to evacuate,’ Lynn explained dreamily to an imaginary audience. For a second she seemed completely absent. Then her gaze settled on her brother. ‘You know that, don’t you? We mustn’t frighten Daddy’s guests, so we’ll all stay here like good boys and girls.’

‘That would suit you, wouldn’t it?’ Dana snorted.

Lynn’s dreamy expression made way for seething fury. She swung the cartridge again.

‘Tim, tell her to shut up!’

‘Oh, so I’m supposed to shut up, am I?’ Dana took a step forward. ‘What about, Lynn? Everybody here has known for ages.’

Tim looked at her in confusion. ‘What are you talking about?’

‘About how your sister manipulated the tapes. That she’s been used by Hanna. That she’s losing her marbles. Isn’t that true, Miss Orley?’

Lynn ducked down. A sly spark appeared in her eyes, then she suddenly jumped forwards and swung a blow at Dana, who effortlessly dodged it.

‘
You
were the one who let Hanna take his trip on the Lunar Express. Why, Lynn? Was he supposed to bring something back? To us in the hotel?’

‘Stop!’

‘You blocked the satellites. You’re paranoid, Lynn. You’re in cahoots with a criminal.’

‘
What do you mean, evacuate?
’ roared Chuck. He gripped Dana roughly by the shoulder. ‘
I said, what do you mean, evacuate?
’

The manager whirled around and knocked his hand away.

‘You shut your mouth!’

Donoghue’s massive head turned crimson. ‘You – you jumped-up chambermaid, I’ll—’

‘Chuck, no!’ pleaded Aileen.

‘
Miss Orley—
’ Dana repeated.

With a tormented expression on her face, Lynn shook her head. Tears were collecting on her eyelids.

‘What have you done with Sophie Thiel, Lynn?’ Dana insisted. ‘
You
were in the control centre not long ago.’

‘That’s not true. I’ve been—’

‘Of course you were there!’

‘Dana, that’s enough,’ hissed Tim.

‘You bet.’ Dana glared at him. ‘
I’ve
had enough. I’ve had enough of this circus. Give up, Lynn. Tell us the truth about this bomb.’

‘
Bomb?
’ roared Chuck. He charged forwards like a water buffalo, pushed Lynn against the wall, stretched out his big hands and pulled the cartridge from her fingers. ‘Has everybody here gone mad?’

Lynn’s fingers bent into claws. She lashed out, drawing a bloody trail across Donoghue’s cheek. Before Chuck could recover from his amazement, she was at the stairs, jumped down and disappeared into the floor below.

* * *

‘Lynn!’ cried Tim.

‘No, wait! Please wait!’

Kokoschka watched in horror as young Orley dashed after his crazed sister. Stay here, he thought. Not again, I’ve got to give you—

‘Sophie told me to give you …’

Too late. Run after him? But the general madness required its tribute, so that he had to look on helplessly as Chuck raged at the hotel manager and stormed after her, holding the oxygen candle menacingly aloft. Storms raged inside his head, down-draughts, plunging temperatures, tornadoes, accumulated fear. Something terrible would happen. His thoughts danced around like faded leaves, blown in all directions by gusts of confusion. Every time he tried to catch them, they whirled away, while he impotently turned and turned. What was he to do? At last he caught one of those leaves, it flapped and fluttered, trying desperately to escape: that whatever Sophie had written on that piece of paper would explain the escalation that was going on in front of his eyes, that the piece of paper would tell him what he needed to do, that perhaps, seeing as how he hadn’t managed to carry out his mission, he ought to read it.

Fingers trembling, he unfolded the piece of paper.

* * *

At that moment, Dana sensed the change. Her whole body reacted. All the hairs on her forearms registered the disaster. Voices reached her from the restaurant. The tumult must have reached the upper floors, and some people were coming down to see what had happened, while Axel’s statue-like face sent out waves of disbelief and fury.

Dana slowly turned her head towards him.

The chef stared at her, a piece of paper in his left hand. His right hand slowly rose, an index finger raised in accusation. Dana took the paper from him and glanced at the words scribbled on it.