The Borribles: Across the Dark Metropolis by Michael de Larrabeiti Page A

corridors and passages formed a labyrinth where Sussworth deliberately took the prisoners back and forth, just to confuse them.
    On every landing were tunnels leading off in all directions and from those tunnels they saw other tunnels and polished doors without number, each with a notice on it which they could read as they passed: CIGS, M15, M16, Admiralty, Home Office, Foreign Affairs Committee, Cabinet Room, Squash Court, Security, PM, Swimming Pool, Ministry of Defence. Some of the doors were open and the prisoners caught glimpses of carpeted suites with tables covered in green baize surrounded by comfortable chairs. Many of the rooms had been laid out for relaxation with large sofas, cocktail cabinets and bookcases; and there were some with beds and divans too, all made up with freshly ironed pillowslips in readiness for the great day of Armageddon.
    But at last the prisoners, stumbling now from weariness as well as dejection, were brought out into a wide and bare corridor that seemed to form the very base of the underground citadel, and here were more doors, solid steel this time with bolts top and bottom and peepholes for jailers to look through. Sussworth gave his orders and three of the cells with thrown open.
    ‘You’ll like this,’ said the inspector, ‘freezing cold they are.’
    ‘What about some food?’ said one of the clowns. ‘We must eat.’
    ‘I’m not so sure you must,’ said Sussworth, ‘certainly not until tomorrow. You’ll be a lot more helpful after a couple of days without sustenance. Most people are.’ He waved his hand and his policemen shoved the clowns into a couple of the cells and the doors were bolted behind them.
    ‘Ah, Hanks,’ said Sussworth, addressing his sergeant who was just
bringing up the rearguard, ‘I want you to bring those Borrible acrobats along for interrogation; just uncuff them from the others.’
    Sergeant Hanks took a key from his pocket and did as he was ordered. ‘Wonderful, sir,’ he gloated. ‘Nothing like a bit of interrogation to sharpen the appetite. I’m quite looking forward to it.’
    The acrobats did their best to fight against the power of the policemen but they could not escape their fate. Ninch swore and punched and kicked like a savage, Scooter and Matzo did very much the same, but the rest completely lost their nerve and rolled on the ground, screaming in terror. None of it helped; laughing and jeering the huge, ham-handed policemen dragged the captives away by the feet, bumping their heads along the hard corridors until their cries grew fainter and fainter and were heard no more.
    ‘There,’ said Hanks as he prodded the Adventurers into their cell. ‘When you see your little chums tomorrow with their ears all bloody and jagged you’ll turn as good as gold, you will; tell us all we want to know, you’ll see.’ The sergeant slammed the metal door and the clang of it echoed along the corridors. Then he shot the bolts and pressed an eye against the peephole. ‘There you are,’ he said, ‘all nice and safely off the streets. We’ll have some fun tomorrow, I promise you. A bit of slap and tickle, you won’t get bored for a second.’ Hanks chuckled loudly to himself and then went away, his flat feet stamping into the distance.
    ‘We’re in it now,’ said Twilight, ‘right in it.’
    ‘Yes man,’ said Orococco, ‘right in it is right, and we’ve never been deeper in it than this.’
     
    In the most comfortable sitting room of that government command post the DAC poured himself a large gin and tonic, lowered his elegant body into a soft armchair and dangled his leg over the arm of it, swinging his foot gently back and forth. He tilted his glass in celebration. ‘Have a drink, Sussworth, old boy,’ he said. ‘My God you deserve it. You’ve exceeded the PM’s wildest expectations.’
    ‘No, thank you, sir,’ said Sussworth, fidgeting with his tie. ‘I don’t drink, sir, ever sir. Certainly not whilst on duty.’
    ‘Whilst,