They were both aware that the room had begun to darken. Richard went over to the door and examined the wall to either side. Then he looked up at the chandelier centred in the ceiling before wandering around the entire space examining every bench, shelf and drawer. He came back to the table.
‘No sign of any sort of light?’
‘Not even a candle.’
‘I didn’t expect there would be.’
‘And no moonlight either.’
‘Not with the dust storm.’
There was a long pause as they both considered the night ahead.
‘What are we to do?’
‘Let’s be practical. We need to eat and drink and we need some sort of toilet.’
‘I’m not going up to the attic or down to the bunker rooms for that, I can assure you.’
Clarissa laughed. ‘Me neither. Walking up and down stairs will be too dangerous in the dark. Fetch me so
