Sir Thursday(29)

‘Oh, no,’ he said, tapping his finger on the paper. ‘That is really bad luck.’

Arthur read the notice. In his weary state it took him several seconds to even focus on the words and they didn’t mean anything to him.

Recruits R Green and F Gold report to Bathroom Attendants in Administration Building Blue at 0600. ‘What’s bad about that?’

Fred looked at him, his eyes wide in disbelief. ‘Bathroom Attendants, Ray. From the Upper House.’

Arthur still looked puzzled.

‘Cleaning between the ears, Ray! They’re here to clean between our ears! Tomorrow morning!’





Ten





LEAF HESITATED IN the corridor, uncertain whether to go back to the fire stairs or explore more of the Lower Ground Three floor. She had no time to think, but through the cracked lenses of her glasses the fire stairs looked ominously red-tinged, so Leaf decided to check out what was on her current level.

Clutching the box with the precious pocket in it, she hobbled off down the corridor, pushing through the swinging doors that led deeper into the hospital.

The nurse might or might not come after her, but if she didn’t, Leaf knew other mind-slaves of the Skinless Boy would. She had to find somewhere to hide and rest and work out what to do next. But that was easier said than done. Particularly since every door she tried along the corridor was locked.

Leaf forced herself to move faster, though it hurt, as her options grew more and more limited. The corridor was turning out to be like the fire stairs: if she couldn’t open any of the doors, she’d be cornered at the end.

She had a moment of relief when she saw a utility door open in the wall, with orange safety cones around it and a sign that said CAUTION WET FLOOR. But when she looked inside it was just a tiny room, not much bigger than a cupboard, with a big red vertical pipe marked FB WET RISER, whatever that was.

Finally, with the end of the corridor in sight, Leaf found a door that opened. She slid through it, then shut and locked it before even looking around. It was a laundry room, a big open area dominated by four huge washing machines on one side and four equally large driers on the other. They were all off, though there was laundry in wheelie baskets in front of them.

There was also a desk with a phone on it. As soon as Leaf saw it, she had an idea. She couldn’t think of what to do next, but she could phone a friend. Or, in this case, her brother, Ed. He was almost never without his mobile phone, and since he’d been recovering from the Sleepy Plague he’d been sitting up there in quarantine messaging his friends.

Leaf picked up the phone and dialed. She could hear her brother’s phone ringing, but he didn’t pick up right away.

‘Come on!’ Leaf urged. She couldn’t believe she was going to get diverted to voice mail.

‘Hello?’

‘Ed, it’s me, Leaf.’

‘Leaf? Where are you? Mum and Dad are going crazy in here!’

‘I’m in the hospital, downstairs. Look, this is going to sound weird, but I’ve been somewhere else … I mean like a whole other planet … with Arthur Penhaligon. It’s complicated, but there’s an enemy of his here and it’s trying to get me and I’ve got to get out –’

‘Leaf! Have you hit your head or something?’

‘Well, yes … but no! I know it sounds strange. Remember the dog-faces we saw?’

‘Yeah …’

‘They’re part of it. And this new bioweapon, the Greyspot thing. That’s part of it too. Oh, and the Arthur that’s here now isn’t the real Arthur. I don’t suppose he … it … will get into the closed quarantine areas, but if it does, don’t let it touch you. Not even a handshake or anything.’

‘Leaf, you’re freaking me out! What do I tell Mum and Dad? They thought you must have been hurt in that water explosion and no one’s found you yet.’

‘What water explosion?’

‘On the fifth floor. Some kind of big pipe called a firefighting riser exploded and flooded a whole bunch of rooms. It was all over the Net until this Greyspot thing.’

‘The Border Sea …’ whispered Leaf. Ed had to be talking about the wave that had carried her and Arthur and his bed out of this Secondary Realm.

‘What?’

‘It doesn’t matter,’ Leaf quickly covered. ‘I need to work out some way of getting out of the hospital. Past the quarantine line.’

‘Leaf! They’ll shoot you! Just … I don’t know … relax. You sound really stressed out.’

‘I am stressed out! Look, can you think of anything or not? I haven’t got much time.’

‘Hang on, Dad wants to talk to you –’