Dialogues of the Dead

Getting the weapon was so easy I hardly noticed that I'd taken it and certainly no one else did. Then Ibidedmy time, in every sense of the phrase. Eventually people began to drift away, and when I saw my particular piece of flotsam join the drift, 1 followed close behind, but not so close as to draw attention. My aura was strong now, so strong I felt myself borne along on its brightness like a piece of debris on the wind -which follows a nuclear blast. Breathe on me breath of God, I sang inside, for this surely must be what His breath feels like. I was aglow with its gloriole, but still time flowed strongly around me. Then I saw him turn away from the main drift and at the same moment 1 felt time begin to ebb.

'Well, it's time we were off,' said Andy Dalziel. 'Ars longa-' he gave the ess its full sibilance ' - and if I stay here much longer, me belly'll think me throat's cut.' Cap Marvell let her gaze linger on the quercine throat in question and said, 'You must have a very imaginative belly.' But the Lord Mayor who felt he had stayed far beyond the requirements of duty was on Dalziel's side.