‘I’ll drive,’ Tombstone said with bright fatalism.
Church led the others down the sweeping steps and across the main concourse to the tracks.
‘You’re planning to catch a train?’ Laura said incredulously. ‘You’ve lost it!’
‘We’re going to the Far Lands.’
Veitch prodded Mahalia to keep moving and she glared at him murderously. ‘What are you planning?’ he asked.
At the end of the platform, Church sliced his arm with Caledfwlch and sent blood spraying across the rails. Within moments, the Last Train rumbled into the station in a cloud of steam and smoke. The doors slid open to reveal Ahken, smiling obsequiously, a cruel glint in his eyes.
‘I was expecting you for one last journey,’ he said.
‘Can you take us to the Far Lands?’ Church asked.
‘Of course. That is our next and final destination. We have always been travelling towards this time, towards that place. The end of the journey is near now.’
He stepped aside to let everyone on board. Church, Ruth and Veitch remained in the open doorway as clouds of steam gushed across the platform from the starting engines. They watched as a wave of scurrying black washed down over the platform. Everywhere they looked was black and seething. The city, the world, was being taken apart by the spiders.
The train pulled out of the station slowly, gathering speed.
‘It’s going,’ Ruth said. ‘It’s all going.’
‘The Blue Fire’s still out there,’ Church said. ‘And we’re not beaten. We’re stronger than ever.’
Veitch watched the spiders at work, his deep thoughts unreadable. ‘From now on, it’s war,’ he said, almost to himself.
They let the door close and took their seats with the others. Silence filled the carriage as they all pondered what they were leaving behind, and the weight of the responsibility that now lay on their shoulders.
Then Church drew Caledfwlch and said to Veitch, ‘Draw your sword.’
Puzzled, Veitch took out his blade. As the two great swords were slowly brought together, the black flames and the blue flames jumped towards each other, danced, mingled. Church winced at the touch of the cold as the fire around Caledfwlch grew a shade darker. But Veitch was wide-eyed with wonder as small blue flames shimmered amongst the black fire around his sword for the first time.
‘We’re ready for the fight,’ Church said, and seeing the confidence and hope shining in the faces of his Brothers and Sisters, he knew they all agreed. For the first time in a long while, they were all together, drawing from each other’s strengths. He felt a surge of pride and the belief that anything was possible.
The train moved out from the gathering darkness towards an uncertain future. The old age had passed. A new one lay ahead.