The Fog - James Herbert [23]
Holman told him as much as he could remember, but his mind went blank as he reached the point where he had rescued the girl.
Spiers leaned forward on his desk. ‘John, try to think. Did you hear an explosion before the ground opened?’
‘No, definitely not. I heard the rumble, that’s all, and then the crack as the ground split, but I’m sure there wasn’t an explosion.’
Spiers slumped back in his chair, taking off his glasses and polishing them with his handkerchief. He cleared his throat sharply and rubbed the bridge of his nose with finger and thumb, as though tired. He replaced his glasses and leaned forward again. ‘You see,’ he said, ‘a cloud of smoke was reported rising out of the ground just after they’d brought you up.’
‘You think there was an explosion then?’
‘Possibly.’
‘Connected with the military base?’
‘No, no. We’ve absolutely no grounds to suspect anything like that. You said you thought it was unlikely yourself.’
‘Yes, I know, but I’m beginning to wonder now. Who knows what they’re doing out there? On the way back yesterday, I ran into fog. Fog – on a hot summer’s day! Are they using some new kind of smoke-screen device that they’ve just let drift off their patch into the rest of the countryside?’
‘Oh come now. That could have been caused by anything – a change in temperature, a factory nearby. I ran into some fog myself when I came down to see you. Salisbury Plain is full of mists at any time of year; we can’t blame the military for everything, you know.’
‘But you think they had something to do with the eruption?’
‘Certainly not. I know there are certain aspects of the Ministry of Defence which we both dislike, but you can be sure they would never be as irresponsible as to have caused a disaster like this.’
‘What about the photographs? They show some pretty strange things. You saw the dome?’
‘They prove nothing!’ Spiers was becoming angry and realized it. Once again he slumped back in his chair and went on more quietly. ‘Anyway, I’ve had them destroyed.’
‘What?’
‘Do you realize the trouble you could be in – the department could be in – if it was discovered we held photographs of secret military installations?’
‘But what was the point of going down there?’
‘To take photographs, yes! But not to be used by us. I merely wanted proof for myself so that I knew there was rich land being wasted, acres of arable soil, beauty spots, so that I was in a stronger position to argue that the area should be given back to us. My God, we could be put away for years for the sort of photographs you took!’
A seed of suspicion was planted in Holman’s mind. ‘You suspect something, don’t you?’ he asked Spiers quietly.
Spiers spoke wearily: ‘Look, I’ve been on to the Ministry of Defence. There is a massive clamp-down in security – I don’t know if it means anything, and I’m powerless if it does. I have a meeting arranged for this afternoon with the Defence Minister and Sir Trevor Chambers, and we hope to get some answers.’ Sir Trevor Chambers was their department’s Parliamentary Under-Secretary, a gruff, forceful man, who indeed liked to get answers. ‘Needless to say, this is strictly between you and me.’
‘And if you do discover the army is involved?’
‘We shall have to wait and see.’
‘Oh yes, the usual answer. I suppose it’ll go on file, will it?’
‘Damn your belligerence! Just who do you think you are? I think . . .’ He began to falter and without thinking Holman took advantage of the break in his words.
‘For once, let’s slay them! If they are responsible, let’s break their bloody arms, let’s—’
Spiers seemed to regain his composure and said, ‘Let’s remain calm. There is nothing to gain . . .’ Once again, his voice trailed off in mid-sentence.
Still unaware in his anger of the change