"Excuse me, sir." "Group sent me here, sir." "I've got one more op to complete and then I go home." "And he did say, sir" " Group said - that as your flight is one man short and all my team have bought it, that you'd..." "All right, sir." "Sorry, sir." "'All irregularities will be handled 'by the forces controlling each dimension." "'Transuranic heavy elements may not be used where there is life." "'Medium atomic weights are available." "'Gold, Lead," "'Copper," "'Jet, Diamond, Radium," "'Sapphire, Silver and Steel." "'Sapphire and Steel have been assigned. '" " It's up there." " Yes." " How's Sapphire?" " She's still asleep." " Are you going up there?" " Yes." " It's almost like an invitation." " What?" " Each time he starts to whistle." " Yes." "I'd like to say that... with the seance and what happened afterwards..." "I could have been wrong, about some things, that is, it was that darkness." "Even the spirit of the schoolteacher warned us." "Yes." "Yes, she did." "But I knew the moment the darkness appeared we were dealing with something evil." "Even the crucifix trembled." "And there he is up there inviting us once again." " But things are different now." " Hmm?" " We know his name." " Oh, yes." "You go back to the waiting room." "Take care of Sapphire." " But what about the darkness?" " It's gone." " But it could reappear." " It could." " That's why I got this." " Thank you." "Take care of Sapphire." "All right." "Sammy?" "Sam?" "Sam Pearce." "That's your name, isn't it?" "We know it is so there's no need for you to hide in the darkness." "We don't have to hide." "That's our privilege." "The privilege of the living." "Steel." "Tully." " Yes?" " Is Sapphire still with you?" " Of course she is." " Check again." " Check again?" " Look!" "Yes, she's still here, still asleep." "What's the matter?" "What is it?" "You said something earlier on about the subconscious." "The fact that it could be somewhere else." "Yes, between journeys." "Either that or the seance has had an exhausting effect on her - she was sent back a long way." " You were right." " Hmm?" " I saw Sapphire on the platform." " Sorry, I don't understand." "I've seen Sapphire out there on the platform with Pearce and the others." "And it was as if..." "Sapphire was one of them." "This subconscious, can it be seen?" " You mean a human shape?" " Yes!" "I don't think so." "Otherwise it couldn't be termed the subconscious." "All right, Mr Tully, would you say it's possible to have ghosts of the living?" "No!" "Would you?" "There are theories about visual fallacies but..." " The seance hadn't quite finished." " No." " I broke the circle." " Yes, and here's the result." "I'm gonna try and take a close look at the other one." "Don't worry, I'll look after her." "I realise how important she is to you." " I'll try talking to her." " What?" "Many medical practitioners believe that talking to a patient who's comatose can prove therapeutic, even curative." "That's a good idea." "You do that." "Sapphire." "Sapphire." "It's no good, Pearce." "No good." "You're still late, you see." "Over 60 years too late." " Oh, I wouldn't say that." " I would." "Your war's finished." "It finished a long time ago." "A bit different to yours, then." "Yours has just begun." "You left me here, Steel." "This is where you left me." " We didn't exactly leave you..." " Right here." "Now I suppose I'm as much a part of the station as he is." "No." "Not sure of me?" "You can't exactly do a spot analysis, can you?" "It's not your territory." "Why shouldn't I be sure of you?" "It's not in your nature to be sure of anything." " But I know you're Sapphire." " Oh?" "Well, there's only one of you, isn't there?" " Yes." " Well, then." " Where's Pearce gone?" " How should I know?" "You said you're as much a part of the station as he is." " I thought you'd know." " Well, I expect he's busy." " Busy?" " Busy waiting." " What for?" " For others, of course." " Others like him?" " Yes." "Like the pilot and the men from the submarine?" " Yes." " How many others?" " What?" " How many others is he expecting?" "I don't know." " One?" "Five?" "Ten?" " I said I don't know." "A thousand?" "I mean, there must be a lot of applicants, surely." "Anyway, since you left me, since you abandoned me, I've had time to think." " Oh, yes?" " And realise..." "Realise what?" "That we shouldn't be here on this particular assignment." "No?" "Our information was false." "Our briefing was wrong." "Those after-images are harmless." " Harmless?" " Yes!" "And they'll be gone soon." "So why don't we leave them in peace?" "All right." "Let's leave them in peace, shall we?" "Come on." "I haven't finished talking yet." "Oh." "Sorry." "I suppose my interest in the supernatural started early." "When I was at school, I suppose." "Yes, I think it was when I was at school." "It started as a game but I soon realised that it was something more." "When the others have arrived, they'll leave." " To go where?" " I don't know." " Back where they came from?" " I don't know but they will leave." "Steel." "Would you mind looking at me when I'm talking to you?" "After all, there's no one else here." "Only us." "I spent a great deal of time as a lad... going to churches and places like that." "My hobby in those days was brass rubbing." "Other lads of my age were involved in sporting activities but not me." " Tell me what happened." " Happened?" " You say you want to talk." " I do." "Then tell me what happened when you were left behind." "Well, I suppose I was given the chance to understand." "To understand Pearce and his friends?" " Yes." " And to sympathise with them?" "To an extent, yes." " And to find them harmless?" " Yes." "I've always allowed myself to have an open mind." "To believe that one can accept something without having to understand it is the first essential before any man can have a supernatural or religious experience." "A mind that is closed cannot be receptive." " What about the power?" " What power?" " The darkness, remember?" " Oh, yes." " Is it also harmless?" " Yes." " We were wrong about that as well?" " Yes." "So it was fortunate that I was left behind." "Why fortunate?" "Because of what I've learnt, the truth." "Steel, aren't you pleased with me?" "What?" "Yes." "You might at least show it, at least congratulate me." " All right, I congratulate you." " Thank you, Steel." "I'll just go and fetch Mr Tully, shall I?" "I'm sure he'd like to congratulate you too." "There's no need to fetch Tully." "He will be here." "He will be with us soon." "I've often felt that I was the wrong age for psychical achievements." "A friend of mine once told me that cats, children and old people have the best results." "Perhaps that's because they have the time to be patient, time to be tolerant." "So, in a way, I'm looking forward to reaching 70, even getting into my 80s if it means I should find success." " Don't you think so, Steel?" " Yes." "As soon as Mr Tully arrives, we'll pack up and leave." "I thought you'd agree." "We have such a fine working relationship, don't we?" " Yes." " One of the best, right?" " Because we know each other so well." " Of course." "And can anticipate each other's thoughts." "Exactly." "So there's no real need to even ask each other questions." "Even though there's one question that keeps nagging inside the head." "Like the one that's inside my head right now, the one that's crying out for an answer." "Well, perhaps it doesn't need an answer." "Oh, but it does." "Ask it." "Ask your question." "If you're the Sapphire that I've grown to know... and to love who is that person?" "What person?" "That person in the waiting room with Tully." "I suppose I'd be quite prepared to go on until I was about..." "Oh, my God..." "Steel!" "Lighten our darkness, oh Lord, and by Thy mercy defend us from all perils." "I couldn't get out of the plane." " It's my kid's birthday tomorrow." " Who will look after the garden?" "I said your war had just begun." "By Thy mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night." "Lighten our darkness..." "Lighten our darkness, oh Lord..." "Oh, please, leave us alone, I beg you." "Wake up, wake up!" "You must wake up." "We haven't harmed you, I haven't harmed you." "Oh, please, please let us go." "L" " I promise..." "I promise that I'll leave." "L" " I-I'll go now, I promise that." "L" " I'll leave..." "I'll leave you in peace." "Oh, thank you!" "I'm sorry, I-I didn't understand." "L" " I'm sorry..." "Just me, you..." "You mean..." "Just me?" "Sapphire!" "I'll get help, Sapphire." "I will, I'll get help." "Steel." "Steel!" "Steel?" "Steel..." "They said I could leave, Steel." "They..." "Th-They said I could go... a- and I'm going but d-don't worry..." "I'll-I'll get help, I'll..." "I'll send back help." "Excuse me, I need one op." "Er, just the one then I'm off home on leave." "I don't mind what I fly." "I'll go tail-end Charlie, it makes no difference to me, and I know you fellas are flying two short, so... really, can't any of you use me?" "Please." "Excuse me, sir..." "I've been allowed to leave." " Have you now?" " Yes." "Reckon you'd better leave, then." "But this seems the only exit point." "That's right, over the bridge." "Yes..." "I noticed just now that... there were others down on the platform." " Who are they?" " Just others." "Oh." "When I first came here two months ago I said that I was your friend." "I still am." "I said then that I wanted to help you and I still do." "My dear boy, whatever it is that has this shameful hold on you..." "Down here?" "There'll be a detail out here before dawn - wire detail." "Might find you... or what's left of you after the next barrage." "Then again, they may not come." "I mean, you can't blame them." "Even the stretcher-bearers won't come out here." "Sammy..." "Pearce." "Private S Pearce." "You should have left us alone." "We were causing no harm." "We just wanted what was owed to us." "Pearce, come on!" "You asked me once, remember?" "You asked me to sit and talk with you." "Well, I've sat and I've talked." "On my terms for a change and not yours." "It's gonna be a favourable winter." "It'll slip into spring like they was one and the same." "And then it'll be Eastertide." "Anyway, you'll be leaving us soon." "You've got no choice."