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The girl…her name was Monica…was both lovely and pliant。 She met his gaze only coyly at first； but that was all part of the game； and it contented him to play it for a while； as a diversion from the ing tragedy。 Coy as she was； she didn't reject him when he suggested they take a stroll around the fields of demolished buildings at the back of Shiverick Square； though she made some remark about wanting him to treat her carefully。 So he did。 They walked together in the darkness until they found a spot where the undergrowth thinned and made a kind of grove。 The sky was clear overhead； and she had a fine； swooning sight of the meteor shower。
〃It always makes me feel a little bit afraid；〃 she told him in a charmless Cockney。 〃Looking at the stars； I mean。〃
〃Why's that？〃
〃Well。。。 we're so small； aren't we？〃
He'd asked her earlier to tell him about her life； and she'd volunteered scraps of biography； first about a boy called Trevor； who'd said he loved her but had gone off with her best friend； then about her mother's collection of china frogs； and how much she'd like to live in Spain； because everybody was so much happier there。 But now； without prompting； she told him she didn't care about Spain or Trevor or the china frogs。 She was happy； she said； and the sight of the stars； which usually scared her； tonight made her want to fly； to which he said that they could indeed fly； together； if she just said the word。
At this she looked away from the sky； with a resigned sigh。
〃I know what you want；〃 she said。 〃You're all the same。 Flying。 Is that your fancy word for it then？〃
He said she'd misunderstood him pletely。 He hadn't brought her here to fumble and fuss with her。 That was beneath them both。
〃What then？〃 she said。
He answered her with his hand； too swiftly to be contradicted。 The second primal act； after the one she'd thought he'd brought her here to perform。 Her struggles were almost as resigned as her sigh； and she was dead on the ground in less than a minute。 Overhead； the stars continued to fall in an abundance he remembered from this time two hundred years before。 An unseasonal rain of heavenly bodies； to presage the business of tomorrow night。
He dismembered and disemboweled her with the greatest care and laid the pieces around the grove in time…honored fashion。 There was no need to hurry。 This working was better pleted in the bleak moments before dawn； and they were still some hours away。 When they came； and the working was performed； he had high hopes for it。 Godolphin's body had been cold when he'd used it； and its owner scarcely an innocent。 The creatures he'd tempted from the In Ovo with such unappetizing bait had therefore been primitive。 Monica； on the other hand； was warm and had not lived long enough to be much soiled。 Her death would open a deeper crack in the In Ovo than Godolphin's； and through it he hoped to draw a particular species of Oviate uniquely suited for the work tomorrow would bring： a sleek； bitter…throated kind； that would help him prove； by tomorrow night； what a child born to destruction could do。
17
AFTER ALL THAT MONDAY HAD SAID about the state of the city； Jude had expected to find it pletely deserted； but this proved not to be the case。 In the time between his returning from the South Bank and their setting out for the estate； the streets of London； which were as devoid of romancing tourists and partiers as Monday had claimed； had bee the territory of a third and altogether stranger tribe： that of men and women who had simply got up out of their beds and gone wandering。 Almost all of them were alone； as though whatever unease had driven them out into the night was too painful to share with their loved ones。 Some were dressed for a day at the office： suits and ties； skirts and sensible shoes。 Others were wearing the minimum for decency： many barefoot； many more bare…chested。 All wandered with the same languid gait； their eyes turned up to scan the sky。
As far as Jude could see； the heavens had nothing untoward to show them。 She caught sight of a few shooting stars； but that wasn't so unusual on a clear summer night。 She could only assume that these people had in their heads the idea that revelation would e from on high and； having woken with the irrational suspicion that such revelation was imminent； had gone out to look for it。
The scene was not so different when they reached the suburbs： ordinary men and women in their nightclothes； standing at street corners or on their front lawns； watching the sky。 The phenomenon petered out the farther from the center of London…from Clerkenwell； perhaps…they traveled； only to reappear when they reached the outskirts of the village of Yoke； where； just a few days before； she and Gentle had stood soaked in the post office。 Passing down the lanes they'd trudged in the rain reminded her of the naive ambition she'd returned into the Fifth bearing： the possibility of some reunion between Gentle and herself。 Now she was retracing her route with all such hopes dashed； carrying a child that belonged to his enemy。 Her two…hundred…year courtship with Gentle was finally； and irredeemably； over。
The undergrowth around the estate had swelled monstrously； and it took more than the switch Estabrook had wielded to clear a way to the gates。 Despite the fact that it was flourishing； the greenery smelled rank； as if it was decaying as quickly as it was growing； and its buds would not be blossoms but rot。 Thrashing to left and right with his knife； Monday led the way to the gates and through the corrugated iron into the parkland beyond。 Though it was an hour for moths and owls； the park was swarming with all manner of daylight life。 Birds circled the air as though misdirected by a change in the poles and blind to their nests。 Gnats； bees； dragonflies； and all the mazing species of a summer's day flitted in desperate confusion through the moonlit grass。 Like the sky gazers in the streets they'd passed through； Nature sensed imminence and could not rest。
Jude's own sense of direction served her well； however。 Though the copses scattered ahead of them looked much the same in the blue…gray light； she fixed upon the Retreat； and they trudged towards it； slowed by the muddy ground and the thickness of the grass。 Monday whistled as he went； with that same blissful indifference to melody that Clem had remarked upon a few hours before。
〃Do you know what's going to happen tomorrow？〃 Jude asked him； almost envious of his strange serenity。
〃Yeah； sort of；〃 he said。 〃There's these heavens； see？ And the boss is going to let us go there。 It's going to be amazin。〃
〃Aren't you afraid？〃 she said。
〃What of？〃
〃Everything's going to change。〃
〃Good；〃 he said。 〃I'm fucked off with the way things are。〃
Then he picked up the thread of his whistle again and headed on through the grass for another hundred yards； until a sound more insistent than his din silenced him。
〃Listen to that。〃
The activity in the air and the grass had steadily increased as they approached the copse； but with the wind blowing in the opposite direction the din of such an assembly as was gathered there had not been audible until now。
〃Birds and bees；〃 Monday remarked。 〃And a fuck of a lot of 'em。〃
As they continued their advance； the scale of the parliament ahead steadily became more apparent。 Though the moonlight did not pierce the foliage very deeply； it was clear that every branch of every tree around the Retreat； to the tiniest twiglet； was occupied with birds。 The smell of their massing pricked their nostrils； its din； their ears。
〃We're going to get our heads right royally shat on；〃 Monday said。 〃Either that or we'll get stung to death。〃
The insects were by now a living veil between them and the copse； so thick that they gave up attempting to flail it aside after a few strides and bore the deaths on their brows and cheeks； and the countless flutterings in their hair； in order to pick up speed and dash for their destination。 There were birds in the grass now； moners among the parliament； denied a seat on the branches。 They rose in a squawking cloud before the runners； and their alarm caused consternation in the trees。 A thunderous ascent