Free The Fallen by Charlie Higson

of people. Obviously having you lot here is going to make things harder. Um, well … everybody here has a job to do. We all pull our weight.’
    ‘If we’d realized it was such a problem we’d have waited,’ said Achilleus. ‘Let them grown-ups take a few more of you out. Would have been less mouths to feed. Sorry we messed everything up for you.’
    ‘Yes, point taken, but if you could let me speak …’
    ‘Listen, mate. If it weren’t for us you’d be speaking to an empty room. Either that or some greasy grown-up would be sinking his teeth into your fat butt.’
    ‘As I say, I appreciate that. God, of course I do. We’re very grateful for what you did.’
    ‘Right. Spot on. You shoulda started with that, yeah? It ain’t no afterthought. Instead of all that bullshit about cabbage and pulling your weight. We pulled our weight. We made this place safe. So say thank you.’
    ‘Thank you.’
    ‘And that’s all you need to say.’
    ‘Yes, sorry. It’s just I wasn’t prepared for this …’
    ‘That’s all you need to say.’
    ‘… I didn’t have a speech already written.’
    ‘Nobody asked for no speech, just some thanks and a little bread and water for our troubles.’
    ‘You’ll be well looked after,’ said Justin. ‘But I need to know what you all do. I suppose you’re in charge.’
    ‘Me?’ said Achilleus. ‘Get lost. I ain’t the leader. I’m a soldier not a politician, mate. They two back there – Maxie and Blue – they the bosses.’
    Maxie smiled politely at Justin, even though she’d told herself she wasn’t going to. Blue gave a barely noticeable nod.
    ‘Well, maybe I could meet with you two in private afterwards,’ said Justin. ‘We could have a more detailed chat.’
    ‘We’ll do it now,’ said Blue, standing up. ‘This meeting is over.’

13
    ‘You got a problem here, dude. You’re looking at us like we’re the problem. We ain’t the problem. The problem is yours.’
    Blue sat there, arms folded, giving Justin the stone face. They’d come to the museum library and were sitting round a big table in the middle of the room. Justin had thought it would be quieter here, but the place was a mess. It had been turned over pretty badly in the attack last night.
    ‘I don’t see a problem,’ said Justin. ‘We do all right here. We’re almost self-sufficient and very well protected –’
    Blue interrupted him with a harsh bark of laughter. ‘Yeah, we noticed. Wake up and smell the zombies, bruv. Maybe you thought that was a party last night. Didn’t look like no party to me, more like a massacre.’
    ‘That was not normal,’ said Justin, trying to keep his cool.
    ‘Yeah,’ said Blue. ‘Which is what I’m saying – you got yourself a problem.’
    Justin went quiet, struggling to find the right words. Maxie looked around the room. A group of kids wearing what looked like monks’ robes were clearing up. There were books spilled on to the floor everywhere, brokenshelves, some pieces of smashed up furniture and splashes of blood on the carpets.
    Brooke noticed her looking.
    ‘It’s usually so peaceful in here.’ Brooke nodded towards a tall boy with a wispy, underdeveloped moustache who appeared to be in charge of the clean-up operation.
    ‘That’s Chris Marker,’ she explained. ‘Our chief librarian. He was the one who organized the World Book Day celebration.’
    ‘Looks more like they was celebrating World Wrestling Federation Day,’ said Blue, and Maxie laughed through her nose and exchanged looks with him.
    ‘Something went wrong last night,’ said Justin quietly, almost to himself. ‘Someone sabotaged us.’
    ‘Seems that way,’ said Blue. ‘And that’s your problem. Somebody here don’t like you.’
    ‘As I see it, there are two explanations for what happened,’ said Justin.
    ‘Go on.’
    ‘It’s possible that there’s someone here who’s, as you said, like a, you know, a traitor. And they might have unlocked the doors to let the