Cobbles
continue to appear, followed by bricks, and pretty soon walls are
climbing on either side of them. Up it comes, past their shoulders,
heads, to the height of a three storey house. Looking up, they see
the white turn to grey, then light blue, which darkens a little,
before a cloud drifts into view, followed by a gull.
The
gull caws in the silence, and it's as if somebody had just turned on
the volume of the world. There's shouting and laughter, hustle and
bustle, music and life, all just beyond the end of the alley that has
materialised around them. Ahead of her, Fiona can see a horizon of
sorts, a point where a beautiful blue sky meets a sea rippling with
every colour.
The
three of them step out of the alley to find themselves on a vast
harbour, looking out to a rainbow ocean dotted with boats. There are
boats moored to the quayside as well, as workers land their catch.
Fiona
has to look twice when she sees what they're bringing ashore: huge
nets full of sleeping people.
