Other people, inother parts of the world, would have known what todo – a bomb would be ordinary, death everyday. But thisone had fallen here, on St Mira. Tess and Arlolooked at each other now, as they had that firstnight, their eyes grasping, when there was nothing in thisworld except the self and the other and the pressingurge to live.

Tess took Arlo’s hand and theywent inside and down to the cellar. The light switchwas broken, so they sat in the dark in thesmell of a crypt, their bodies burning, their feet turningcold, the way people must cool when they die. Theywaited. They listened for another blast. Tess heard the drumof her heart. She felt the beat of Arlo’s.They were thirty-eight years old and thirty-five. Addedtogether, they wouldn’t die young.

Tess stared into adarkness so complete it couldn’t be measured. She’donly been down to the cellar once before, on theday she took the job at Dover Castle. She couldn’t picture now how big it was, how far awaythe other wall. But she did remember thinking that everygrave had already been occupied by t