Prologue - Brillig

"The piece I'm going to repeat," he went on without noticing her remark, "was written entirely for your amusement."

(Humpty Dumpty to Alice, Through the Looking-Glass)

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They cowered together in a huddle in the near-darkness of the bunker, white-faced and wide-eyed. Above them, the monster raged and roared. The ground shook around them with the force of its rage.

"What the hell are we going to do?" asked Stingy at last.

"Send Ziggy out there," said Robbie firmly.

"What? Are you completely insane?"

"You'll go, won't you, Ziggy?"

"Sure will," said Ziggy, trying to sound confident.

"No, you bloody won't," said Trixie firmly. "You're not going out there, you're too - "

"Too what?" cried Ziggy passionately. "Too young? Too dumb? For God's sake, when are you guys going to realise that two years younger doesn't make any difference any more? I'm strong enough, I'm brave enough, I'll give it my best shot - hey, Stephanie, come back - "

"No, don't you dare -" Robbie shot across the room and made a grab for Stephanie's ankles as she disappeared up the ladder, clutching the sword to her chest. "Come back here, you silly girl, you're going to get yourself killed - and he'll never forgive me - come to that, I'll never forgive myself - " He scrabbled frantically up the rungs after her and seized her around the waist.

"Let go of me," she said, struggling.

"Not a chance, Barbie."

"Someone has to go."

"It's not going to be you."

"Why not? You were going to let Ziggy go."

"Ziggy," hissed Robbie between gritted teeth, "is desperate to prove himself. Besides - he's expendable. You're not."

She stared at him in complete disbelief. Then she kicked out sharply with her right foot. Robbie fell off the ladder and landed on the floor, doubled over in agony.

"Christ, Barbie," he gasped, writhing with pain, "it's a good thing I wasn't planning - ouch - on having any children - " he glared around him at the cluster of people. "Can't one of you stop her? Do I have to do everything around here?"

"Sorry, sorry, sorry - " Stingy leapt over Robbie and ran to the bottom of the ladder, but it was too late. Stephanie scrabbled up the remaining rungs of the ladder and opened the lid of the hatch.

A spine-chilling scream of triumph echoed around the room below.