The vast majority of zombies are surely in agony. I think the noise will worsen over the coming months, until maybe it’s one solid,
twenty-four-hour-long scream, every single day of the week for the next few thousand years.
‘I don’t know why they stay,’ Barnes says quietly. ‘Surely they’d be better off in the countryside, where they might find the odd wild animal to feast
on.’
‘There are still lots of animals here,’ I tell him. ‘We can smell their brains. But they’re fast, and they hide, and they’re able to adapt. The reviveds are slower
to change. Maybe they never properly will. But as long as the scent of brains lingers, zombies will prowl the streets. They don’t have the sense to move on.’
‘It’s a hell of a world,’ Barnes says bitterly, then heads back inside. I stay on the balcony a few minutes longer, listening to the howls of my brethren, wishing I could
cry or, failing that, cast aside my consciousness and join them. But since I can’t and won’t, I turn my back on the tortured shrieks of the city’s damned souls and follow
Barnes into the pub, where we can shut the door on the night and act for a while as if all is as it was when the world was the domain of the living.
NINETEEN
‘So tell me about Dr Oystein,’ Barnes says.
‘You mean Dr Dowling,’ I correct him.
When Barnes raises an eyebrow, I explain about the folders, how Dr Oystein’s surname is Dowling, how the doc confirmed that he’s Mr Dowling’s brother, that he was the main
figure behind the release of the zombie virus.
I don’t think Barnes is often left speechless, but he can’t say anything for a long time after I finish. He stares at me as if I have two heads. That doesn’t surprise me.
I find it as bizarre as he does.
‘I don’t understand,’ he finally mumbles. ‘Oystein has saved so many people. All of his time is dedicated to trying to eradicate the undead and hand control back to the
living.’
‘That’s what he says,’ I snort. ‘But I think it’s a sham. He’s been looking to get his hands on Schlesinger-10. We thought –’
‘What’s Schlesinger-10?’ Barnes interrupts.
‘A virus he concocted. It can wipe out every living person, leaving the zombies free to rule the world alone. Owl Man stole it from him before he could put it to use, and gave it to Mr
Dowling.’
‘Hold on,’ Barnes stops me. ‘I’m getting confused. Owl Man and Mr Dowling are the villains here, aren’t they?’
‘Well, they’re definitely not the heroes,’ I laugh, then shake my head. ‘It’s complicated. Mr Dowling loves chaos, so he wants to keep things as they are, the
undead pitted against the living, him in the middle, relishing the bloodshed. He’s not good or bad as we see it, just totally bonkers. But at least he wasn’t planning to wipe out
humanity. That much we know for sure, since he could have uncorked his vial of Schlesinger-10 at any time.’
‘OK,’ Barnes nods. ‘Not an ally, but not a direct foe either.’
‘Oh, he’s definitely a foe,’ I disagree. ‘Just not a foe who wants to kill all of the living.’
‘What about Owl Man?’ Barnes asks.
I purse my lips. ‘He’s more difficult to pin down. I’ve no idea what his motives are. He was involved in the spread of the zombie virus – his name was all over the files
– but at the same time he didn’t release the sample of Schlesinger-10 when it was in his possession, so I guess he’s not trying to annihilate every living human
either.’
Barnes frowns. ‘So you’re saying Oystein is the only one who wants to use this virus to kill us all?’
‘It looks that way,’ I shrug.
‘Then why didn’t he simply recreate it after the first batch had been stolen?’ Barnes asks.
I make a small humming noise as I think about that. ‘Maybe he couldn’t. Mr Dowling was his partner before they fell out with one another, and Owl Man was their assistant. Maybe one of those two was instrumental in
twenty-four-hour-long scream, every single day of the week for the next few thousand years.
‘I don’t know why they stay,’ Barnes says quietly. ‘Surely they’d be better off in the countryside, where they might find the odd wild animal to feast
on.’
‘There are still lots of animals here,’ I tell him. ‘We can smell their brains. But they’re fast, and they hide, and they’re able to adapt. The reviveds are slower
to change. Maybe they never properly will. But as long as the scent of brains lingers, zombies will prowl the streets. They don’t have the sense to move on.’
‘It’s a hell of a world,’ Barnes says bitterly, then heads back inside. I stay on the balcony a few minutes longer, listening to the howls of my brethren, wishing I could
cry or, failing that, cast aside my consciousness and join them. But since I can’t and won’t, I turn my back on the tortured shrieks of the city’s damned souls and follow
Barnes into the pub, where we can shut the door on the night and act for a while as if all is as it was when the world was the domain of the living.
NINETEEN
‘So tell me about Dr Oystein,’ Barnes says.
‘You mean Dr Dowling,’ I correct him.
When Barnes raises an eyebrow, I explain about the folders, how Dr Oystein’s surname is Dowling, how the doc confirmed that he’s Mr Dowling’s brother, that he was the main
figure behind the release of the zombie virus.
I don’t think Barnes is often left speechless, but he can’t say anything for a long time after I finish. He stares at me as if I have two heads. That doesn’t surprise me.
I find it as bizarre as he does.
‘I don’t understand,’ he finally mumbles. ‘Oystein has saved so many people. All of his time is dedicated to trying to eradicate the undead and hand control back to the
living.’
‘That’s what he says,’ I snort. ‘But I think it’s a sham. He’s been looking to get his hands on Schlesinger-10. We thought –’
‘What’s Schlesinger-10?’ Barnes interrupts.
‘A virus he concocted. It can wipe out every living person, leaving the zombies free to rule the world alone. Owl Man stole it from him before he could put it to use, and gave it to Mr
Dowling.’
‘Hold on,’ Barnes stops me. ‘I’m getting confused. Owl Man and Mr Dowling are the villains here, aren’t they?’
‘Well, they’re definitely not the heroes,’ I laugh, then shake my head. ‘It’s complicated. Mr Dowling loves chaos, so he wants to keep things as they are, the
undead pitted against the living, him in the middle, relishing the bloodshed. He’s not good or bad as we see it, just totally bonkers. But at least he wasn’t planning to wipe out
humanity. That much we know for sure, since he could have uncorked his vial of Schlesinger-10 at any time.’
‘OK,’ Barnes nods. ‘Not an ally, but not a direct foe either.’
‘Oh, he’s definitely a foe,’ I disagree. ‘Just not a foe who wants to kill all of the living.’
‘What about Owl Man?’ Barnes asks.
I purse my lips. ‘He’s more difficult to pin down. I’ve no idea what his motives are. He was involved in the spread of the zombie virus – his name was all over the files
– but at the same time he didn’t release the sample of Schlesinger-10 when it was in his possession, so I guess he’s not trying to annihilate every living human
either.’
Barnes frowns. ‘So you’re saying Oystein is the only one who wants to use this virus to kill us all?’
‘It looks that way,’ I shrug.
‘Then why didn’t he simply recreate it after the first batch had been stolen?’ Barnes asks.
I make a small humming noise as I think about that. ‘Maybe he couldn’t. Mr Dowling was his partner before they fell out with one another, and Owl Man was their assistant. Maybe one of those two was instrumental in
Similar Books
