Back to Follow The Signs home Interview  Contagion # 1  Contagion # 2  Contagion # 3  Contagion # 4  The Short Story
	Contagion Short Story The story behind the album! The story fills many gaps that cannot be derived directly or at all from the lyrics, but also leaves some aspects open to debate.  As you can see, there are 23 ‘song titles’ in the story; of which 13 appear on the album (Never-Ending Night, Bitter Harvest and Riding The Tide are not as such in the story), four more on Contagious and three on Contagium, which leaves yet another three. The story reveals the way the virus was unleashed, the nature and consequences of the virus, the role of the girl as the antidote and the reason why she is special, and also the identity of her pursuers in Witch Hunt. What the story does not answer, however, is why the virus was unleashed and which power(s) are behind it all. That’s up to ourselves to ponder about… A punishment? A sort of Judgement Day? God(s)? Extraterrestrials? Before you dig into the story first these words from Clive about publishing the story and about the more personal nature of the ‘darkness’ on Contagion as compared to the previous albums. ‘I always remember Back To The Future part I, when Marty McFly explains that he is scared to submit his work to be judged for fear of failure. He then goes back in time and discovers that his father is suffering from the same thing. This is an area that I do not have the same confidence in as I do in music, so I am unsure what to do with this story. It was always intended as the test case before writing other things. Then again, if I don’t let anyone read it, how will I know if it’s any good or not? The darkness certainly is more personal. I had to deal with death at close quarters. It was a difficult time. My father had cancer, and we had to watch this disease take hold and destroy him over six months. It cast shadows over my life that I know I’ll never shake off. This naturally influenced the directions the Contagion lyrics went in. It was so frustrating to see this degeneration that I guess the Contagion became my ‘place of therapy’. Not always a pleasant place for others to visit, but unlike the reality, I refused to deny our hero hope, and salvation. Naturally you may find some rather bitter religious references, but this is nothing more than evidence of my own on going war with God, whatever that may be. I feel like I’ve fought a line of battles and skirmishes with him over the years. Perhaps I’ve even been allowed to have the occasional victory, but, of course, I know I’ll lose in the end. Still, it makes for some nice lyrics..;)’ By: Erik Beers Contagion Short Story - by Clive Nolan 1 - Witch Hunt ‘Save the ammo’ screamed a voice as a ragtag group of men and women hacked their way urgently through the dense woodland. Only the incessant howling of the dogs and the spasmodic counterpoint of gunfire drowned their shouts and calls. They were angry and afraid, their wide eyes darting to and fro in fear and paranoia.  Through the leaves Una could see the hunters drawing near. Unconsciously she held her breath as if even this slight noise could attract their attention. She was a small, fair-haired girl, no older than ten years, with a serene, cherubic face. And yet, for all that, she was undoubtedly the focus of mob hatred and anger. Bruised, scratched and battered, Una had sought refuge in the reaches of an ancient oak tree. She clung to one of the gnarled branches, as the marauding group prowled ever closer below her.  2 - An Angel Falls Suddenly, Una’s foot slipped and unleashed a light shower of twigs and leaves from the tree. In a moment, she had been sighted, and, with a hoarse cry from one of the pursuers, the crazed horde gathered at the base. They began shouting, taunting, throwing stones and taking pot shots at the girl with their strange and limited collection of guns. It was like a scene from some post-apocalyptic witch-hunt: a tapestry of primitively driven fear, ignorant aggression and unreasonable suspicion.  Then a missile glanced off Una’s forehead. She teetered then fell senseless from the tree. She seemed to descend in slow motion, tumbling limply like a rag doll from branch to branch. Finally, she hit the ground and lay crumpled and motionless, at the feet of an unfamiliar figure. 3 - The Painted Man There was an uncomfortable silence as the rabble shuffled awkwardly in the presence of this unwelcome guest. He was tall and thin faced with a wild mane of tangled dark hair. His shirt and trousers were ragged and torn, loosely covered by a long black leather trench coat, which seemed to swamp his lean body. His eyes were deep blue in colour, with tiny flecks of bright green and hazel. He had a piercing gaze, which seemed to penetrate through and beyond anything in his line of sight. He wasn’t old, but there were lines etched deep into his face, offering clear evidence of some harrowing test of endurance. It was a worn face, full of character, full of history; a face with many stories to tell. Here was a man who had, perhaps, seen far more than he should.  He glared at the shambling crowd in distaste and they found themselves drawn to his gaze. They were mesmerised, rooted to the ground. Even the dogs cowered down, whimpering to themselves in the damp leaves. He stared at them, into them…through them! 4 - Vanishing Act There was barely any resistance from this disorderly group. One man took a step forward in a gesture of defiance. He nervously fingered a crudely sawn off single barrel shotgun in an attempt to look threatening. Seconds later the stranger’s burning stare had forced him back into mental submission and, licking his dry, thin lips, he melted back into the crowd.  Without breaking his gaze, the ragged man leant down and opened the girl’s left hand, revealing a strange and vivid birthmark. It was blood red, and seemed to form the shape of three interlocking horseshoes. Perhaps it was a sign? Stigmata? Plague? Perhaps it was just a tattoo? Whatever it may have been, it was definitely something out of the ordinary. Nowadays, anything perceived as ‘not normal’ could cause a stifling atmosphere of suspicion and terror. This was certainly the case for the restless mob as they loitered there in the woods with their sticks and stones … their guns and dogs. They wanted blood…. Una’s blood! As one, they began to edge forward. Then, they froze!  ‘Be careful what you wish for’ The words echoed around, but though they emanated from the stranger, his lips never moved. He just scowled and, as his eyebrows furrowed, the mob just remained frozen. They seemed to be held in check by some hidden force or maybe just paralysed by their own irrational dread. The man was holding out a hand, as if to push them back. It bore the same horseshoe birthmark on the palm. Then, he scooped the girl into his arms, and swiftly departed. In a moment he and the girl had vanished deep into the woods, leaving the rabble to search desperately for their lost prey. They found nothing, but they were in no doubt who the unwelcome visitor had been. He was Noah, The Carrier, and Father of the Virus. 5 - This Way Madness Lies The man carried the unconscious girl deep into the woods and through to the edge of the wasteland, and then on into the inhospitable terrain beyond. The further away they were from this ‘witch hunt’ the better it would be for both of them. Louis Hengman re-lit the dirty stub of a roll up cigarette. The brief flame illuminated the unforgiving features lying under his broad hat. He seemed to have a permanent squint, which only emphasised the thinness of his lips and the deep red, livid scar on his unshaven chin. He had the face of a man that the others followed, not through respect or love, but through raw unadulterated fear. He had now recovered his composure since the encounter with Noah, and he was not going to let the matter lie.  “That girl is mine.” he muttered. “She’s going to die, that’s the balance”  His eyes flickered around the rabble. “Ellis and Lang” he rasped at two men carrying shotguns. “Come with me”.  Without question, Dominic Ellis and Joseph Lang nervously stepped forward. “The rest of you go back and wait. We’ll bring you her head in a bag”. He fingered the ugly looking knife hanging from his belt and smiled, though the smile never reached his eyes. There was an awkward trickle of laughter from some of the group. Their outburst was probably caused less by the humour of Hengman’s statement, and more from relief that it wasn’t they who were being hunted. Hengman looked up at the sun poking through the leaves and branches of the trees, and, for a moment, his dog collar shone around his neck. “The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away”, he hissed. “We still have a few hours of daylight, let’s move”. With that Father Hengman and his dubious posse were gone. 6 - The Hour Glass Noah was tired, but he kept going. Sand was pouring through the hour glass, and along with it, Una’s strength. The further away they could get, the safer they might be from any giving chase. They had entered a vast stretch of land fallen into extreme neglect by the ever-dwindling population of the world. Here dwelt the wild animals, and a few ragged pockets of survivors, living in tribal groups as they attempted to avoid the reaches of the plague that was eating man alive. One time he was forced to take cover, as the sound of quarrelling voices approached. He ducked down behind some long abandoned relic of a past era; it was a car, rusted, faded and immobile. It had been left to disintegrate in this enormous technological grave-yard as if to confirm there was no room for such things in this ‘Frightened New World’. Father Louis Hengman flicked his tongue around his dry lips. The sun was high and they were in the open now… no shade. He stopped and pulled a small whisky bottle from his ragged coat. “Wish this was whisky” he growled to no one in particular, and took a long draft of water from the bottle. He then tossed it to Lang who swigged and passed it to Ellis. “This won’t go far,” said Ellis, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. “Far enough” snarled Hengman as he stared into the distance, “Besides, it’s going to rain”. Then he started walking. 7 - A New Land In the car lay the body of a man. He had been using the vehicle as a home. He wasn’t old, but he had died very recently, maybe just hours ago. He had evidently slit his wrists. One arm hung lifelessly out of the car, his hand resting in the blood caked dirt: Just another lonely and terrified victim of this decaying future. The smell of death pervaded Noah’s nostrils, making his throat dry and his head spin. Una, who had struggled into a fragile conscious-ness, displayed little reaction, but then she would have experienced such things in abundance. To her they were a way of life. She had probably helped to drag many bodies onto funeral pyres, which were now a constant feature of this new land. Plumes of smoke could be seen and smelt for miles, and offered a rotting testament to man’s decaying state. Noah, however, for the thousandth time had to choke down the bile of self-loathing as he forced his eyes away from the scene. As he idly scuffed at the ground near the lifeless hand, a glint of metal caught his eye. Leaning down, he spied a short length of fine chain nestling in the ground. He pulled, and released a pocket watch from the debris. Blowing away the dust and rubbing the casing with his sleeve, it was soon as good as new. The glint of shiny metal caught Una’s eye, and she weakly held out her hand. Noah opened the watch; it was still ticking. He smiled, and dribbled the watch and chain into her outstretched fingers. She held it to her ear, hypnotised by the ticking. She smiled, and closed her eyes, obviously comforted by the constant ‘tick tock’ of the watch.  8 - I Spy There they stayed until the voices were long, long gone. Noah picked up the fading girl. She was so light, so easy to carry. Una, half asleep, automatically wrapped her arms around Noah’s neck. He was clearly touched by this. With a last glance at the car and its silent occupant, they continued their journey. Some hours later, exhausted and in need of food and rest, they eventually came upon the broken ruins of a church. Noah gently laid Una on the ground. She was such a fragile bundle, now barely conscious and still bleeding from her wounds. She stared at him with calm and trusting eyes as he tried to tend to her wounds. He was moved by the faith in humanity that showed in her beautiful, serene face. How could this be after all she had been through, all she had seen? Despite these simple qualities Una was obviously a strange paradox. Her innocence was intoxicating but beneath that exterior, there lay an insight and wisdom beyond her years. Noah could sense the power of her soul, like a bright light before him. Despite this, her strength was waning fast; Una was racked by occasional coughing fits, which left little flecks of bright coloured blood on her chin. Darkness was not far away. He searched around for wood and other debris to build a fire.  Then, it began to rain. 9 - Pursuit Hengman was angry. As trackers they were no experts, and they had lost the trail several times. This had cost them valuable time, and he was tired of his moaning assistants. Their initial exuberance for the chase had soon fizzled out, and they were beginning to slow him down. “To everything there is a season” he rasped biblically as he kicked the lifeless hand of the corpse in the car. “A time to be born and a time to die”, he continued. He looked and the blood caked ground and scuffed at the dust. They had been here, that was for sure. There was a little fresh blood on the front car seat. Maybe she would die anyway, without their help. Well, he wanted to be sure, and he had a personal score to settle with Noah. No one made him look like a fool in front of his congregation.  The light was failing now, and Hengman tugged at his dog collar absentmindedly. It was almost as if it was becoming too tight for him to wear. Then it began to rain. 10 - Argument “We keep going”, he spat, and started to walk on. There was a moment of hesitation from the other two. Ellis and Lang had been leaning heavily on their shotguns. They were both of the opinion that the gesture had been made, and it was time to return. That was obviously not an option being considered by Father Louis Hengman, who stared at them both through slit eyes, as thick beads of rain shattered on the brim of his hat. Lang moved to join him, but Ellis remained leaning on his gun. “She’s dead already’ he moaned, glancing at the fresh blood. “Lets get back before we run into trouble”.  “That’s what you think is it?” Hengman replied in a strangely reasonable tone. Ellis was thrown by this unexpected show of conciliation, but stayed on course. “We may have to go a long way to get them, and Noah isn’t our only problem.” Ellis looked up miserably at the sky, which was now pouring down a stinging torrent of rain upon them. “So we give up now?” asked Father Hengman quietly. His voice was almost drowned in the noise of the downpour. “I say we do” Ellis replied firmly. That was, however, his last statement before losing most of his head to a shot from Hengman’s gun. Dominic Ellis was already dead as his body wavered, then crumpled to the ground. Hengman turned to Lang, his eyes more narrow then ever. His scar seemed to glow lividly in the fading light.  “He that is not with me is against me”, he said in a detached voice. Lang just stood there for a moment, frozen with shock and horror at the sight before his eyes. Then, slowly, he turned to Hengman. “Ellis had turned” Father Louis announced matter-of-factly. “I just saved him a lot of pain”. He pulled out a rather badly rolled cigarette and put it between his thin lips. Despite the rain, he even managed to light it using the shade of his hat.  “Are you ready to go, or do want to give up too?” he asked in a placid voice. Lang shook his head submissively, and the two men continued on their journey. 11 - Spectre At The Feast He was no doctor, but Noah could already see that it was hopeless. Perhaps he had reached the end of his search too late. He stared at the birthmark on his own hand and reviewed the situation. The search that had taken him an eternity was at an end, but the end could be a fruitless disaster. Una was dying; her breathing was laboured as she drifted in and out of consciousness. She lay in the corner of the broken down church. The fire spluttered and flickered under the partial cover of the damaged roof, as the rain dripped through and seeped into the cracks in the cold stone floor. Only the ticking of the pocket watch seemed to give her any comfort.  Noah trudged away from the ruins in search of wood for the fire. He felt alone and defeated. With the stinging rain blurring his vision, all he could see was the last vestiges of hope slipping through his fingers. Mankind was dying, and it was his fault. As he gathered wood, he muttered to himself, asking the same question he’d asked himself a thousand times before. “Why did it have to be me?” 12 - Skin Game Noah Kemp was a man who had insulated himself from the rest of the world for good reason. He possessed a powerful second sight. He saw deep into people’s thoughts, and had visions of the true Universe and the future of the world. These were gifts that no sane man would truly want. This, to him, was an intolerable and agonising burden, which was heightened only by the added insult that the world thought him mad, and chose to ridicule his abilities. To the world it was just another ‘skin game’, a con. So, Noah chose to remain exiled from ‘normal’ life, and contact with ‘normal’ people. He was happy for people to think him mad, or at very least a charlatan, so that he could keep his distance from the clamour and noise of human thought. Only the birthmark on the palm of his hand constantly served as a physical reminder of his singular condition. And so, this tranquil, if distant, existence continued through the years. He felt safe in his own company, and was content to live his life in this living cocoon. However, one thing he never predicted was the dramatic change in his own fortunes!  Noah had a vision. It was a vision more powerful than anything he had encountered before. Wherever he went, he could see it. Whatever he did, he could see it… 13 - Salamander A Salamander walks the earth engulfed in a raging blue fire. People are drawn closer and closer to the mesmerising flames. Noah tries to hold them back, but they surge forward and are soon enveloped in the dancing inferno. In their panic they struggle to extinguish the fire, but their violent and desperate hysteria only leads to inevitable oblivion. Soon, all that is left is a world consumed by the insatiable blue flame. 14 - On The Box Noah couldn’t fail to leap to the obvious horrific conclusion. Perhaps some man-made virus was, at this very moment, being developed: As a result of some careless accident, it would soon be unleashed on an unsuspecting world. There would follow terrifying and irrevocable consequences. He had to warn people. So, breaking his self-imposed exile, he went in search of help.  There was a problem. Who would listen to him? Who would take this vision seriously? Noah knew they wouldn’t listen to a word he had to say unless he offered them some tangible evidence. Then, in his desperation, he found a solution. He arranged a live television interview on a prime time human-interest slot, entitled ‘The Salamander Virus’. He would always be good for a bit of ‘screwball entertainment’. Surely somebody would hear his words. Surely somebody would see his vision! Once the camera switched on, once the red light glowed, Noah showed them. He closed his eyes, summoning all of his mental power, and channelled his vision out to the minds of the onlookers. As he described his vision, so they could see it. How could this fail to convince them? 15 - Tsunami In his wildest nightmares, Noah could never have predicted the cataclysmic disaster he had just spawned. As the Salamander Virus contaminated the minds of all those who watched, it sent them into a frenzy of fear, paranoia and unrestrained aggression. It was a rampaging disease, a plague of global proportions, which passed from one victim to another. Despite the most desperate efforts of scientists, psychologists and Noah alike, they could find no antidote. Slowly but surely the world was dying from the ravages of this mental devastation. Noah was faced the darkest realisation of his own nightmare vision. He had carried the Salamander Virus and had released it into the world.  This was no skin game. Here was a new reality that no one could have dreamt of. The trappings of civilisation and technology were now thrown to the four winds, as Man was reduced to the lowest state of surface emotion and knee jerk reaction. Humanity was left to boil over the white-hot coals of extreme psychosis, anxiety and pure terror. 16 – Edge Of Despair Now, despised and feared by the world, Noah was forced to run. All his great hopes for the future, his dreams of giving, helping and contributing to mankind were shattered. He was crushed and defeated, and resigned to letting the world punish him for his crime. Then, as he was drawn towards the very edge of oblivion, Noah was struck by a vivid new revelation.  A small girl, untouched by the hunger of the blue fire, stands between the people and the Salamander, and the flames begin to dwindle. As the fire dies, she holds out her hands, revealing a familiar birthmark. Gradually the madness is soothed from the brows of the people as they are freed from the flames of the Salamander. This girl could be the saviour of the world… and salvation for him! Somehow she was beyond the grip of the virus. She remained untouched by Noah’s nightmare vision, and she was out there somewhere. If he could find this girl, maybe she could push back the inexorable tide of destruction. So Noah began his journey across a dying world. Everywhere he went he was met by the stench of smouldering funeral pyres, which bore witness to so many thousands of senseless deaths. It served a constant sickening reminder of the disease that had originated in his head. The noise of people’s thoughts was deafening as they struggled with their own delusional fears and threats. Sometimes he tried to calm their burning minds by quenching the blue flames that consumed them. But the fire would always return… unstoppable… merciless.  17 - City Of Lanterns As Noah slept, the torment continued. He would toss and turn uncomfortably, aware of a host of half heard voices crying for help. Their accusing laments would haunt and disturb all but his deepest sleep. Just occasionally, when his exhaustion was unbearable, he would glide into a sleep beyond the reaches of his troubled conscience, and find himself somewhere far away.  Noah is walking towards a horizon of glimmering lights. It is the City of Lanterns, a place of sanctuary and peace. There is an air of calm and tranquillity, which pervades his very soul. As he walks through the warmly lit streets, he stares in wonder at the close-knit buildings, which are as varied in shape and size as the lights are varied in colour. Occasionally, he passes others whose serene manner and quiet minds are a joy and relief to Noah.  This was a recurring dream that Noah knew well. He believed in the City of Lanterns. It was a place he needed to find; a place that beckoned to him; a place far from the confusing and deafening clamour of the human mind. It was more than a dream; it was a brief glimpse of a new wonderful reality. Unfortunately, his fate was always to be dragged back to consciousness, to face the next day, physically stronger but emotionally bereft. 18 - Contagious So his journey continued amidst the incessant clamour of paranoia, groundless fear and mistrust. The world oozed anger and vitriol from every mental and spiritual pore. Nevertheless, despite all of this dark contamination, the girl for whom he sought offered him a constant beacon of light and hope. Despite his best efforts, he couldn’t fail to encounter people on his travels. Noah could usually just scare them off once they saw the birthmark, or felt the effect of his thoughts. He was The Carrier, so those unaffected would hide, and those with the Salamander Virus already gripping their minds were easy to scare off. By way of keeping track of his extensive travels, he would leave an imprint of his birthmark scorched into a rock or a tree. Sometimes this raw transfer of energy also served as a useful device to strike fear into the hearts of the locals.  19 - March of Time So it continued, for ten long, frustrating years. Noah lived day by day in the agony of hope, and the shadow of disappointment. Then, one day…. just another day, he found her: A young child, innocent of the dangers, and trustful of everything around her. Her name was Una, and she was the one he had searched for these past interminable years. A ten-year-old girl, born on the night it all began. He found a unique serenity in her soul, and a power beyond his expectations. He had searched high and low for her, and in the end, she just fell out of a tree and landed at his feet! Louis Hengman was still angry. His feet ached and he wanted a drink. Lang was an unwilling and sullen companion who trudged along side the Father. Their mistrust was such that neither of them wanted to walk in front. The rain had pretty much fizzled out, but it was wet and muddy underfoot, and they were both cold and tired. Daylight had faded and given way to the watery brightness of a half moon, which made their journey even more laboured. Suddenly Hengman stopped dead.  “Yes, we’ve got them” he hissed triumphantly as he pointed a long finger at the shadowy ruins of a church in the distance. It was weakly silhouetted by the moon, and as Lang squinted at the scene he saw that someone there had lit a fire.  “How do you know it’s them?” He asked quietly, as if The Carrier might hear them, even at this distance. “Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and ye shall find,” said Hengman through clenched teeth. “It’s them” he said, striding towards the church. 20 - Mea Culpa Una was dying, and Noah knelt beside her in defeat. No effort from him, no tightness of resolve could stop the sands of her life from running through his fingers. His last chance of salvation was dying before his very eyes. As he gently wiped the flecks of blood from her lips, he felt alone, naked and vulnerable. So, in the shattered ruins of a long forgotten church, as he sat by the flickering fire, Noah bowed his head and prayed. It mattered not who to. He simply reached out to the very fabric of the universe… and called for help.  21 - Cutting The Cards Suddenly Hengman stepped forward from the shadows, and into the glimmer of the firelight. His features were hard in the light of the sputtering fire. His lips were thinner than ever, and were twisted into a self-satisfied smile.  “That was too easy, Kemp” he hissed as he eyed the sleeping girl and the hunched seated figure of Noah. He wanted to see the look of defeat in their eyes before he administered ‘justice’ upon them. Lang was stationed behind some of the ruins, his gun trained on Noah, just in case he tried to use some of his ‘magic’ on Hengman.  “Stand up and face me, Carrier,” said Hengman, but his smile began to fade as Noah didn’t move. Father Louis became more and more uneasy with every passing second as Noah simply remained sitting, staring at the fire. Suddenly, grabbed by impulse, he pulled the trigger, and emptied the contents of his shotgun right into Noah’s back. For a second he teetered, then very slowly he fell forward into the fire, but as the body slumped it faded and was gone.  “Hast thou found me, O mine enemy” said a voice from the shadows. Hengman swung round to find he was facing Noah.  22 - Confrontation “Do something” he spat at Lang, but his crony was just standing behind a pile of rocks with a vacant expression on his face, as if he was really somewhere else, far away. Hengman fumbled urgently, trying to reload his weapon as Noah stared right into his soul his eyes burning. The Father was floundering with the cartridges. He kept dropping them. Even the simple operation of extracting them from his pocket seemed too complicated all of a sudden. Abruptly he threw the gun to the ground, drew the wicked looking knife from his belt and sprang for the girl. Una was conscious now, but powerless to defend herself. She just waited for the inevitable conclusion to her short life. With a blood curdling scream of pent up anger Hengman threw himself upon Una. In a moment, shorter than a fleeting thought he found himself flying back through the air. It was like being hit by a sledgehammer. He staggered to his feet and with a deep rasping breath, tried again. Once more he found himself flying through the air, and slamming against the ground.  With a rush of frustration and rage he suddenly changed tack and surged towards Noah, plunging the knife into his chest. There followed a moment of silence, then Noah dropped to his knees with a bloody hand wrapped around the knife, and Hengman standing over him triumphantly. From the glimmering shadows Una reached out a hand. She looked at Noah with those calm, trusting eyes. Her birthmark seemed almost incandescent in the moonlight. “We’ll be alright,” she whispered simply.  Then Noah looked up into Una’s tranquil eyes, and smiled. Hengman stepped back, the look of triumph fading from his thin, dry lips as The Carrier slowly stood up, and pulled the knife from his chest. A bright blue flame emanated from the wound, dancing vigorously, and rippling out over his body. Soon the fire had completely engulfed him. Noah turned to Father Louis Hengman, who was urgently shuffling backwards towards the edge of the church. For a moment their eyes met, and Noah spoke. “Behold,” he said, “the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed”. Then he reached out his hands towards the retreating Priest. Hengman screamed as blue flames began to spread over his body. There were long seconds of agonising and tortured howls as the fire ravaged and destroyed Hengman’s writhing body. It was as if he had soaked himself in fuel. In a short time there was nothing but dust. Meanwhile Lang had come to his senses with a start. He let out a groan of terror as he witnessed the demise of Father Hengman. Then, finding his feet, he ran into the darkness, as the flames lapped towards him.  23 - Ascension Noah stood there, bathed in the brilliant blue fire. The flames had continued to ripple, and now engulfed a wide area, including Una. It chased away the shadows and seemed to permeate every solid object. The girl looked radiant in the bright blue light. Unlike Hengman she seemed to be soaking in the flames. Her face was glowing and serene, and her wounds were visibly fading. She stood up strongly, and reached her arms into the air as she revelled in the healing warmth of the fire. For a few miraculous and magical minutes, the church became a beacon that could be seen for miles around. The blue flames rose high into the night sky and then, with a final burst of energy, the light pulsed, and faded. As the blue paled into the darkness Noah’s image began to dissolve. Una tried to hold him, but he no longer seemed to have a physical presence, so she was forced to stand back and watch helplessly. For a moment she was scared, but as his image slowly vanished into the night, Noah whispered a final message to Una:  “Be strong! Wherever you are, I will always find you”.  Then, he was gone, and all was still and silent. So Una stood alone, but unafraid. She smiled to herself, and clutched the pocket watch to her heart. It was still ticking, but she was not so young and gullible that she didn’t realise that the mechanism had long since perished. It hadn’t worked for years.  Una understood. She understood that she was at the beginning of a long and difficult journey. It would be a lifetime’s work, but she now had the power to control the blue fire. She was the only one that could. Una was the antidote to the virus. She knew it; perhaps she had always known it. She possessed a new vision for the world to be born again, clean, innocent and rejuvenated. This was Noah’s legacy to the world.  “Thank you Noah Kemp”, she whispered into the night, content in the knowledge that his work was not done, and they would meet again. A Salamander, engulfed in a raging blue fire, walks the earth. People are drawn closer and closer to the mesmerising flames. Then, a small girl stands in the path of this creeping devastation. She holds out her hands, and the scorching blue flames dwindle and are soon quenched. All that is left is a man with deep blue eyes and a wild mane of tangled dark hair. He glances at the girl, and for a brief moment, their eyes meet. Then, a smile flickers across his face and he turns to walk towards a horizon of glimmering lights. © Clive Nolan 2003