by Sam Enthoven
ANNA, AFTERWARDS
LONDON HAD STOOD for two thousand years. It had survived the Great Fire, it had survived the Blitz, and being the battleground for two giant monsters didn’t seem to have cramped its style much either. Everything was slowly getting back to normal. London’s sewers crawled with vermin. Pigeons ruled its skies, gleefully marking out their dominion in little grey-white spatters on its remaining buildings. Repairs had begun. People had gone back to work.
Anna Mallahide was sitting on a bench in one of London’s parks.
Anna was alone. She had no mother and, now, no father. She had no other family and, apart from Chris, no friends. Anna knew she would soon have to make some powerful decisions about the next part of her life. But just then she wasn’t particularly interested in making them. At that moment, Anna was amusing herself with the squirrels.
She shook some nuts out from a packet into her hand. She jiggled the snacks in her palm in what she hoped was an inviting manner – and waited patiently.
Presently, overcome with greed, the American grey squirrel took the bait. With a swipe of one claw it snatched a nut. The squirrel was fully intending to jump back to a safe distance to consume its prize in peace but, much to its surprise, it found it couldn’t.
Anna had grabbed it.
She could do things like that now. Among other new skills, Anna was faster than before: she was so fast, in fact, that by the time the squirrel started to react to what Anna was doing, most of it had already happened.
The squirrel had started to change.
Its blood altered in various subtle ways – immunity to the smallpox virus being just one of them. It also shrank slightly and, with a shimmer, its grey fur suddenly turned red.
Anna let go. The squirrel dropped to the tarmac and jumped back, chattering in outrage. When it had reached for Anna’s hand, it had been Sciurus carolinensis. Now it was Sciurus vulgaris. Anna wondered whether the squirrel knew it had just changed species: on balance, Anna thought, probably not. It was probably just annoyed because it had dropped its nut.
Anna sat back. Having made another step in her private effort to redress the imbalance in the squirrel population, she allowed herself a small smile. Then she shook a couple more nuts out of the bag and started waiting for another American grey.
She was her father’s daughter: it seemed she’d inherited his talents.
But Anna was not going to make her father’s mistakes.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
There’s someone I’d like to thank here but sadly can’t: the late and much-missed Maggie Noach. It was Maggie gave me this chance to chase my dreams as a writer, and I’ll never forget her. One of her last e-mails to me concerned a certain portly British politician and the ‘wonderful splatting noise’ she suggested he might make if he happened to get caught in the destruction of the Houses of Parliament. I’d love to have heard what she thought of how this story turned out.
A special, giant, monster thank-you to the following people:
Penny for taking me on, and Gina and Jill and Josie for continuing to look after me so well. Kelly and Ben for their seamlessly brilliant transatlantic tag-team editorial onslaught – hurrah! Publishers’ reps, booksellers and librarians everywhere for the amazing jobs they do. And my brother Jack – once again – for his formidable skills as a test reader (‘A scientist would never use that word,’ was one of his early-draft notes!).
I’d also like to thank Katie the WebSphinx, who is a genius. My mates for keeping me at least intermittently sane. And, as ever, my wonderful girlfriend Laura, with all my heart.
On with the sinister masterplan!
Very best wishes to you,
Sam
9 May 2007
Also by Sam Enthoven:
THE BLACK TATTOO
www.theblacktattoo.com
TIM DEFENDER OF THE EARTH
AN RHCP DIGITAL EBOOK 978 1 407 04930 4
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This ebook edition published 2014
Copyright © Sam Enthoven, 2008
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Corgi Childrens 9780552553599 2008
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