‘It came barely a day ago, but it feels as though it’s been there for ever. There’s dead everywhere.’ The man slumped a little and his eyes became distant. ‘When I was...’ He faltered. ‘Before the tunnels, I had a growing plot — nothing much, but enough. One night a fox got into the chicken coop. Killed them all. Didn’t eat them — just killed them.’ Atlon was looking once again into terror. ‘That’s what we are down there — chickens. Squawking and helpless. We could no more hunt that creature than my chickens could’ve hunted that fox.’ He bent close to Atlon, a prodding finger raised. ‘I saw it open a man up with a single blow.’ He made a cutting gesture from his shoulder to his groin. ‘Lift up another, half as big again as me, and shake him like rat. His arm was torn clean off... it flew f
