46
Vicky had drifted off to sleep in the gamer’s chair but woke with a start when Eric shook her shoulder. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘Perhaps trouble for your friends, I think. A big explosion. It woke me up.’
She rushed to the balcony and looked out over a scene of apocalyptic mayhem on the north bank. A full quarter of Wapping was on fire now. Eric had the binoculars and was looking towards Tower Bridge. She snatched them off him when she saw lights on the water. The Thames Clipper was setting sail.
‘You think they’re leaving?’ he asked.
‘Well someone definitely is.’
‘Coming back for more stuff?’
‘Not in the middle of the night while half the city burns.’
‘We should send them a signal,’ he said, and he disappeared off to another room. Vicky could hear him scrambling around elsewhere, turfi
