The Fog - James Herbert [126]
‘Take this with you, sir,’ the Captain said, handing Holman a small oxygen tank, ‘you may find you need it. And there’s a torch.’
Holman thanked him and put his arm through the strap of the tank, sliding it on to his shoulder. Switching on the torch, he took the arm of the mobile container in his other hand and said, ‘I’m ready, Professor.’
They walked down the slope of the tunnel towards the first curve and Ryker stiffened as for the first time he became aware of the light shining from ahead.
‘I can see it now,’ he said to Holman.
Holman didn’t bother to reply; he could feel his nerves tensing at every step nearer to the bend and the now-familiar clammy coldness creeping up his back. He kept the torch shining on to the ground just ahead of him, knowing it would only reflect back at him if he shone it directly at the fog in the tunnel. He moved to the side of the tunnel as if to keep out of vision from the brightness ahead, as if it were a seeing thing. Strangely, Professor Ryker followed suit.
They reached the bend and stopped for a moment, Holman turning to look at the scientist as though seeking reassurance. Ryker nodded and pointed ahead. ‘I’ll come with you around the curve so I can get a better look at it, but that’s as far as I think I should go.’
Holman took a deep breath then was forced to cough to clear his throat from the fumes. It wasn’t too bad yet, but he would soon have to use the breathing apparatus as he went deeper into the tunnel. He moved on, Ryker following.
They were a long way down the next straight run before Holman said, ‘You’d better stop here, Professor, the light’s getting much stronger.’
‘Yes, yes, I think you’re right,’ came the reply. ‘I cannot see too well through this visor, but I think we must be very close to the main body of the mycoplasma.’
‘The worst of it seems to be around the next bend; I can see the light shining brilliantly at its corner. I’m going forward, you stay here. I won’t go out of your sight around the curve if I can help it.’
Once again, he felt the compulsion to approach it, but he did so only because he had to. The fog seemed thicker but he guessed it was only because of the light bouncing off its particles that made it more difficult to see. He turned his head to make sure Ryker was still in view; he didn’t want the Professor to lose sight of him! He soon reached the next gently sweeping curve, this one bending to the right as opposed to the first which had bent to the left, but he stayed on the same side of the tunnel, hoping he would be able to reach the nucleus from as far back in the curve as possible.
The light was dazzling as he reached the point of the bend that allowed him to see further up the tunnel. Either it was just the confined space creating an illusion or the nucleus was growing larger; he was sure it hadn’t been as bright as this in Winchester. True, he hadn’t been as close as this there, but because of the old cathedral’s vastness, he had been afforded an unhindered view. He began hastily to assemble the machinery, pushing the end of the steel tubing into its cavity and clicking the switch to release grips that would hold it securely; the sooner he had completed this task and could get away, the better he would like it. Before he began to push the tubing towards its goal, he placed the mouthpiece of the oxygen cylinder over his mouth for the acrid smell was becoming stronger. Then he began unwinding the coil of steel, placing its rigid end on the ground and slowly sliding it along the centre of the tunnel’s flat surface. It began to go off course after a while, but that didn’t matter; the side wall would guide it forward into the glowing mass ahead. Beads of perspiration broke out on Holman’s forehead, due to the clammy heat inside the cavernous tunnel and the tension that had gripped him.
Finally the tubing began