23
A QUICKENING TIDE
“There’s an empty chamber dead ahead. Keep pushing.”
Over the next 40 meters they picked up speed and momentum. Then they reached the doors of a deserted canteen and rammed the wheelie bin through painters’ pots scat-tered in the dark.
“There’s an exit hatch in the galley,” yelled Yerzuk. “Run!”
They cannoned on, the stones of desire rattling and rending before them. Yerzuk swung open an old hatch by mainforce and Durante shoved the wheelie bin inside. Then the pair of them swung the hatch back shut and screwed it down. Durante slammed the EJECT button, and as the love-stones floated off into the void outside the Scutari, a wel-come hush descended.
Sweating side by side, their backs pressed against the cold metal of the bulkhead, they caught their breath for a mo
