“They certainly seem to have a keen intelligence,” said Newbury. “I imagine it makes them formidable predators. They probably hunt in packs.”
“I shouldn’t like to find out,” said Veronica, flatly. “I’d rather they’d left them in the Congo, where they belong.”
“Hmmm,” said Newbury. She didn’t know whether that meant mild disagreement, or simply that he was distracted by what was occurring beside the search lamp.
The crowds had thinned to almost nothing now that there was little to see, which afforded her a good view of proceedings. Angelchrist and Bainbridge stood shoulder to shoulder, looking on while the replacement operator-a swarthy-looking chap, dressed in similar overalls to his predecessor-fiddled and toyed with the controls of the lamp, feigning frustration as he tried to get them to work.
It was almost as if Angelchrist had choreographed it: Within moments the man had thrown up his hands in despair, signalling to others elsewhere in the crowd, who swarmed in a few seconds later to form a small circle around the exhibit. There must have been ten of them, at least, each dressed in matching overalls. They exchanged a few words, then began drawing tools out of leather pouches attached to their belts. A moment later they were busily at work loosening bolts to strip the lamp from its housing.
Newbury took a step forward. “What is he waiting for?” he hissed in frustration. “They’ll be away with it in a moment if he doesn’t hurry.”
Veronica searched the crowd for any signs of the Service men. Where were they?
The birds had begun to rap insistently on the glass barrier beside her again. She turned to glower at them. Her head snapped back round, however, at the report of a pistol being fired from somewhere close by.
She caught a glimpse of one of the German agents folding in half and collapsing to the floor, then she was being jostled as confused people pushed past her as they fled the scene.
More pistols fired. Suddenly, everyone was screaming. Throughout the exhibition hall, the crowds erupted into a boiling mass of torsos and limbs as people fled, pushing and shoving, sweeping up their children, shouldering each other out of the way as they rushed for the exit.
Newbury grabbed Veronica’s hand and dragged her towards where Bainbridge and Angelchrist were taking cover close to the fossilised giant. The battle between the Service men and the German agents had swiftly descended into a firefight, and she watched in horror as a young man no more than three feet from where she was standing took a bullet in the face, blood erupting from the back of his skull in a fine, billowing mist. His body jerked in shock and slumped to the ground, sending his weapon skittering across the tiles.
She heard the crack of broken glass from over her shoulder, and looked back to see the panel on the side of the giant bird enclosure splinter around an impact crater caused by a stray shot. The birds squawked and stamped their feet, raising their beaks to the sky and hissing.
“Get down!” cried Newbury, pushing her to the floor as the firefight intensified around them. She saw another of the German agents slump to the ground beside the search lamp. Around him his cohorts were attempting to retreat, returning fire with wild abandon as they fought for their lives. Bullets pinged off the nearby exhibits, ricocheting into the screaming crowd.
Veronica heard the rapping of the birds again, striking the glass with their beaks. She was about to dismiss it as an unnecessary distraction when she heard the glass begin to fracture beneath their ministrations. She twisted around, glancing back in time to see the entire panel shatter in a shower of glittering fragments. The impact of the bullet had clearly weakened the integrity of the panel, and the birds had taken advantage of this opportunity, exploiting the damaged pane. She watched, dumbstruck, as the first of the beasts burst through the makeshift opening, thundering out into the hall and scattering broken glass. It raised its head to the sky and bellowed in triumph before lurching towards the nearest group of fleeing civilians and snapping at them with its powerful jaws.
They scattered, screaming, as they saw it coming, but the creature moved with surprising speed and grace for its size. Its razor-sharp beak closed on the head of a middle-aged man, ripping it clean off in one sudden motion and tossing the body aside with the momentum. Blood sprayed in a wide arc, coating everything in the vicinity, and the bird, emitting a deep gurgling from its throat, thrust its crown back and swallowed the man’s head with a single gulp. Unsatiated, it darted forward, searching for another victim.
Veronica realised that, to the creature, the screaming crowds of people must have looked like a scattering herd of cattle or gazelles. Prey.
“We must stop them!” she shouted to Newbury, who was prone on the floor beside her, his hat long since lost and trampled, his hair mussed, his suit crumpled and out of sorts.
He gave her a pleading look, as if to say Must we? but then, with a single nod of agreement, he climbed to his feet, helping her up beside him. The shooting was now confined to the area immediately around them. With a quick glance to ensure that Bainbridge and Angelchrist had not been harmed, Veronica turned, steeled herself, and then rushed directly into the path of the second bird, which was just emerging from the break in the barrier.
She waved her arms frantically to catch the beast’s attention. It hissed menacingly and pushed itself out through the ragged hole in the glass, shedding vibrantly coloured feathers as they scraped upon the jagged edges.
Veronica, still waving, inched backwards, leading the bird slowly away from the stream of people on the other side of the enclosure.
The beast tracked her movements, its beady eyes intent, narrowed. It opened its immense jaws and screeched at her, a piercing, guttural croak that left her ears ringing and her heart hammering in her breast.
She felt the wash of its warm breath and balked at the ripe stink of rancid meat, gagging back the bile she felt rising in the back of her throat. This close, she could see the creature’s downy feathers were spattered with faeces and spilt blood; viscera, she presumed, from the butchered goat. She swallowed, trying to anticipate its next move.
The bird seemed larger and more terrifying now that there was no glass partition between them, and she fought to suppress the feeling of creeping dread that threatened to overwhelm her. She had no weapon, no way of defending herself if the beast decided to launch an attack. Which, judging by the gleam in its eye and its threatening posture, was a distinct possibility.
Veronica stepped to the left and the bird mirrored her movement, its head dipping. Its splayed talons scratched nervously at the ground and its wings beat furiously. It issued a low, sinister hissing sound. She shifted right and it followed her precisely, as if entranced, never taking its eyes from her. She stepped back and it stepped forward, keeping time, still taut and poised for a sudden strike. As soon as she turned to run it would be upon her, its deadly beak snapping at her, threatening to rip her apart.
She’d lost track of Newbury and she dared not turn around to look for him. Any sudden movement, any attempt to take her eyes off the monster would provide it with the opportunity to attack. She could show no hesitation.
To her left, the crowds were thinning as the civilians bolted for the exit, pursued by the other, squawking bird. She’d managed to distract one, at least, preventing it from feasting on the mass of innocent people, but she had no idea what to do next. She cursed herself for not thinking through her actions. Distracting the creature was one thing; getting herself clear was quite another.
Veronica took another step back, watching the bird creep forward in time with her movements.
“Maurice?” she called, her voice wavering. She didn’t take her eyes off the creature in front of her as she spoke.