‘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?’