Free 0513485001343534196 christopher fowler by personal demons by christopher fowler Page B

some reason. Airport security hoped to have the terminals open soon.
    According to an international news report, China had made a threatening gesture toward the West, expelling all US diplomats. A local news report said that mobs were stoning the office buildings in Century City because they were shrines to Mammon, places that would not survive the coming cleansing. The news announcers didn't even sound that worried.
    He parked the car at a motel and took a walk through the thronging streets. A group of teenagers stood huddled together in the distance. As he approached, he saw that they were cutting the sign of Daniel into their right hands. At the next corner a sea of bloody palms passed lightly over him in a grisly wave of worship. He pushed against the rising tide of fanatics, all moving in a single direction, and passed a crowd gathered around a TV store window. On the multiscreens they stared at horrific footage of people rioting for food in the East; it appeared that the work of at least one of the horsemen had been carried out successfully. A newsreader announced that the new hard-right Chinese leader had taken advantage of this growing dissatisfaction with Western policies to stage a military coup against Russia, and would challenge the USA over the secret missile sites; clearly, a second horseman's work was paying off.
    When the transmission fuzzed and dispersed across twenty identical screens, the international news footage was replaced by one of the
    'lifestyle' cola commercials produced by Brett's company. The crowd hissed angrily.
    The phonecall startled him. He felt in his jacket for the mobile and checked the number, but failed to recognise it.
    'Brett, it's Lisa.'
    'Lisa! Where are you? I went over to your apartment. I was worried sick.'
    'I had to leave quickly - one of the neighbours - it was becoming too dangerous to stay there. I tried calling you but there was something wrong with the phone system.'
    'I know, I had the same problem. Where are you now?'
    'At my father's building downtown. There are mobs of people outside, just hanging around the entrance. There's been no trouble yet, but it's only a matter of time. Everyone's wearing these robes.'
    'Give me your address, I'll come and get you.'
    He reached the building a little before three, entering the deserted building from the underground carpark. The silence came as a shock after the chanting in the streets. Carefully, he made his way to the seventh floor. Lisa was there to meet him at the elevator bank, and rushed thankfully into his arms. She was clearly terrified.
    'The world's going mad,' she said, 'I've been watching the news broadcasts. There was a report from the WHO about the new strain of bilharzia spreading overseas. All of the horsemen have been called into action except you.'
    'In a few hours this - celestial deadline - is going to be met, and I still don't know what role I'm supposed to play.'
    From below came a distant crash of sheet glass. 'We have to get out of LA,' he said, taking her hand. 'I have a car in the basement.' He looked around at the deserted office floor. 'Where the hell is everybody?'
    Lisa shrugged as she stepped into the lift. 'The police chief has declared a state of emergency, and at the same time he's appealing for calm, don't you love this town? Everyone's been sent home. I heard someone say there are roadblocks all around the city. We'll need to cut through back roads. How's your driving?'
    'Listen, Lisa, maybe you should leave by yourself. You're in danger so long as you're near me.'
    She grabbed his hand and pulled him into the elevator. 'I'm not afraid of being with you.'
    The new religious zealots were terrific with matters philosophical, but not so hot at building roadblocks. The Oldsmobile crashed through the oildrum-and-fencepost cordons that had been set up, and soon headed out on to the freeway, which was now curiously deserted. The road ahead was wide open and clear all the way. Los Angeles was