text
stringlengths 6
45.4k
| book
stringlengths 3
133
| pos
float64 0
1
| smog_index
float64 6.6
7.1
|
|---|---|---|---|
"Can it, you coward," I snap, then hold out my hand to Dr. Oystein, clicking my fingers as if summoning a dog. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.61919 | 7.1 |
"Show respect or I will admonish you," Zhang growls. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.620043 | 7.1 |
"You can shut up too," I retort. "I can't believe the pair of you have let us go through all this... let the survivors suffer for all these months... when you can stop the madness by breaking open one little vial." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.620896 | 7.1 |
"You do us proud, B," Dr. Oystein smiles. "I am delighted that you are willing to sacrifice yourself for the lives of others." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.621748 | 7.1 |
"I wouldn't have been a year or two ago," I huff. "But life hasn't been a barrel of laughs since I revitalized." I frown and slowly sit down again. "But you told us you didn't care about yourself either. You said you'd happily pass the reins of power back to the living if you got the better of Mr. Dowling, that it would be a relief to roll over and die for real." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.622601 | 7.1 |
"Yes." Dr. Oystein looks down at his hands and his voice drops. "To be honest, I long for the end. To pass from this realm, to know the blessedness of eternal sleep, to be embraced by our maker... it is what I yearn for more than anything else." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.623454 | 7.1 |
"Then what's stopping you from unleashing Clements-13?" I ask quietly, but part of me has already figured out the answer. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.624307 | 7.1 |
"There is another virus," the doc croaks. "It can wipe out the living as swiftly as Clements-13 can destroy the undead. But the keeper of that vial is neither human nor zombie. My nemesis... our most feared foe... _Mr. Dowling_ has it." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.62516 | 7.1 |
There's a long, horrified silence. Then Dr. Oystein continues. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.626866 | 7.1 |
"I do not claim to understand the state of Zachary's mind. I got to know him well before our paths diverged, and I have studied him at length from afar since. But I cannot say with certainty what he wants from this life or why he acts as he does. I have only my theories..." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.627719 | 7.1 |
In his last few years as the doctor's assistant, Zachary mentioned Dr. Oystein's longevity a couple of times. He spoke of all the good that he could do with those centuries at his disposal, the different fields he could branch out into. He said it was a shame that Dr. Oystein would be killed by the virus if they were successful in cultivating it. He suggested they work on a form of the virus that might spare revitalizeds while annihilating reviveds. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.628571 | 7.1 |
Dr. Oystein had no interest in surviving the zombie apocalypse. In his view the world could only be truly safe if it was rid of every last member of the undead. Zachary nodded solemnly when that was put to him, admitted the doc was right and seemed to leave the matter there. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.629424 | 7.1 |
"Science always demands a price," Dr. Oystein says, wearily massaging his forehead. "Before we could develop a virus that might work on the undead, we had to find one that would work on the living. It was the only way we could move forward." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.630277 | 7.1 |
The doc immersed himself in his research, developing deadly viruses in controlled environments, experimenting on live subjects supplied to him by the armies and political parties that he was in league with. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.63113 | 7.1 |
"We struck a Faustian pact," he mutters. "I needed the human guinea pigs and technical resources which they could supply. In return I offered them the promise of chemical weapons and, even more tempting than that, prolonged life." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.631983 | 7.1 |
Dr. Oystein knew from an early stage that the zombie gene could exist in a variety of states. He had created the reviveds and was working on revitalizeds. But there were mutant strains too, weird permutations of the gene that gave birth to creatures caught between the worlds of the living and the dead. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.632836 | 7.1 |
"I had no interest in the more twisted strains," he says. "But there was a man who was obsessed with them—Mr. Dowling." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.633689 | 7.1 |
The doc doesn't know much about Mr. Dowling's background, how he became aware of the work that had been initiated by the Nazis. But, as mad as he was in other ways, his scientific genius rivaled that of Dr. Oystein. He was as brilliant in his laboratory as he was insane outside of it, working in opposition to the doc and his assistants, concocting his own wild versions of the undead gene. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.634542 | 7.1 |
"He toyed with his subjects," Dr. Oystein tells us. "The mutants and the inhuman baby that B saw were the results of his tinkering. There might be others that we are not aware of." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.635394 | 7.1 |
Dr. Oystein developed a virus that would swiftly purge the earth of its human inhabitants if released. It was a nasty but ingenious little number. It would leave all the other creatures unharmed, only wiping out humanity and maybe some genetically close simians, like chimpanzees and gorillas. The virus in its purest form was a milky white liquid. It had a long chemical description, but the doc christened it Schlesinger-10, after his wife and her year of birth. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.636247 | 7.1 |
He kept Schlesinger-10 under lock and key. Only four other people had access to it. He trusted each of them implicitly. They were family as far as he was concerned. Zachary was one of the four. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.6371 | 7.1 |
The doc thinks that Zachary became fixated on cheating death. He might have been nobly motivated to begin with–live longer in order to help mankind–but things got warped inside his head somewhere along the way. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.637953 | 7.1 |
The virus was a threat to his plans. When Dr. Oystein produced Schlesinger-10, Zachary knew it was only a matter of time before it was adapted to work on zombies. When that happened, the doctor would safely dispose of his samples of Schlesinger-10, then unleash the zombie-destroying virus when the war between the living and the undead began. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.638806 | 7.1 |
"Putting the pieces together after the fact," the doc goes on, "I realized that Zachary must have initiated contact with Mr. Dowling around that time. Or perhaps Mr. Dowling approached him. Either way, they struck a deal and Mr. Dowling injected Zachary with a unique mutant strain. It allows Zachary to live normally for most intents and purposes, with a heartbeat and functioning internal organs, yet to age slowly. From what I have seen, he does not age as slowly as us, so I do not think he will live as long, but he has extended his lifespan by several centuries at least." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.639659 | 7.1 |
"Is the injection why his eyes are so large?" I ask. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.640512 | 7.1 |
Dr. Oystein nods. "They were big before, but nowhere near as owl-like as they are now. The potbelly was another side effect. I have no idea why he should have ballooned out in that fashion. I think it took Zachary by surprise too. He was always rather proud of his slim physique." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.641365 | 7.1 |
Once Zachary had been injected–or perhaps the injection came later, the doc isn't sure–he set about stealing Schlesinger-10 and killing all of those who could replicate it. It was a swift, vicious coup. He sneaked Mr. Dowling's mutants into the laboratory where Schlesinger-10 was stored. Other mutants targeted Dr. Oystein and the three colleagues of his who had worked directly on the virus. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.642217 | 7.1 |
"The mutants killed my assistants," the doc moans, the horror of the loss still reflected in his expression all these years later. "I should have been executed too. They caught me by surprise. Zachary had granted them access to my living quarters, where I was normally alone." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.64307 | 7.1 |
"So what happened?" I ask when the doc doesn't continue. "Did you find your inner warrior and give them the licking of a lifetime?" | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.643923 | 7.1 |
"Tea," Master Zhang answers quietly. "He was saved by my fondness for tea." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.644776 | 7.1 |
The doc felt weary that night. Zhang spotted him on his way to his room. He looked as if he was about to keel over with exhaustion. Zhang offered to make tea for him. He thought the process of brewing and sipping tea would help him relax. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.645629 | 7.1 |
Dr. Oystein almost never invited anyone back to his room, which was what Zachary had been relying on. But the doc appreciated the offer of company that night, and let Zhang come with his pot and cups. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.646482 | 7.1 |
"I was more than the doctor's assailants had bargained for," Zhang says. "They came prepared for a man of peace. I was an unexpected added ingredient." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.647335 | 7.1 |
Zhang fought like a tiger–the doc's description–and disabled the six mutants who had been assigned the task of killing Zachary's primary target. The pair raced to the lab and sounded the alarm, but their foes had already struck and retreated. And Zachary had taken the vial of Schlesinger-10 with him, along with all of the notes relating to it. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.648188 | 7.1 |
"The paperwork was nothing," Dr. Oystein sniffs. "I was able to reproduce the virus within weeks. But he gave the sample which he had taken to Mr. Dowling, and that changed everything." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.649041 | 7.1 |
"Why didn't the clown use it straight away, before you developed the zombie-killing version?" I frown. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.649893 | 7.1 |
"I'm not sure," the doc says. "Perhaps he wanted to conduct more experiments on the living before he disposed of them. Once the virus is released, there can be no going back. Anybody would be wary of opening such a Pandora's box, even one as mentally unhinged as Mr. Dowling." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.650746 | 7.1 |
"But he _will_ open it if we force his hand by directly attacking him or Zachary," Zhang says. "That is why we cannot target Battersea Power Station." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.651599 | 7.1 |
"Zachary and Mr. Dowling are thick as thieves," Dr. Oystein says, "so we have had to deal with my ex-assistant very carefully since he betrayed us. If we struck at his base, Mr. Dowling might retaliate by opening his vial of Schlesinger-10." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.652452 | 7.1 |
"He wouldn't dare," I mutter. "Even if you didn't release your virus, zombies can't reproduce. They'd all die off within a couple of thousand years. He'd be the king of a doomed kingdom." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.653305 | 7.1 |
"You are forgetting about the babies," Dr. Oystein murmurs, and I feel a chill race up and down my spine. "The babies in your dreams, and the one you saw in real life. We think they have been developed to provide Mr. Dowling with fresh subjects in the centuries to come. They are mutant clones and, if we are right, Mr. Dowling is setting them up to become the populace of the future. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.654158 | 7.1 |
"The only thing stopping Mr. Dowling from wiping out mankind is that he knows I would retaliate with Clements-13, which I perfected a few years after Zachary betrayed me. As things stand, we are deadlocked. If one of us releases his virus, the other will retaliate by releasing theirs, and that will mean the end for us all. Neither of us wishes to see that happen, but if we stood poised to kill Zachary or Mr. Dowling, he would almost certainly unleash the hellish harpies of Schlesinger-10 that are his to command, so that our victory would be a short-lived affair. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.655011 | 7.1 |
"We cannot risk it, B," he finishes softly. "That is why, if their captors refuse to release the prisoners, we can do no more than swap Dan-Dan for your friend. The others–not just those from New Kirkham, but the hundreds or thousands who have been taken from other towns–are beyond our help. Our hands are tied. I wish with all my heart that it was not so, but..." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.655864 | 7.1 |
The doc shrugs miserably, a simple gesture of defeat and dismay, and I know in that moment that unless I can convince Owl Man to set the others free–and the more I think about it, the less chance there seems to be that he will–then all of those poor souls are damned. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.656716 | 7.1 |
We're a glum lot when the doc finishes. Nobody says anything for ages. Rage is the only one who doesn't look desolate. He's smiling away to himself, as if this is all one big joke. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.658422 | 7.1 |
"Does this mean our hands will always be tied?" Carl finally asks. "I thought we were going to tackle Mr. Dowling one day. Are you saying we can never do that?" | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.659275 | 7.1 |
Dr. Oystein sighs. " _Never_ is a very long time. I do not know where Mr. Dowling stores his vial of Schlesinger-10. Perhaps he carries it around with him, or maybe he keeps it somewhere safe. If we find out, we can devise a plan of action and either launch a raid or set out to incapacitate Mr. Dowling. Or maybe one of his mutants or Zachary will turn on him and kill him for us." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.660128 | 7.1 |
"In that case, wouldn't his killer take the vial if Mr. Dowling keeps it with him?" I ask. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.660981 | 7.1 |
"Or, if it is held elsewhere, would Mr. Dowling not have instructed some of his people to retrieve the virus if he is killed?" Ashtat chips in. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.661834 | 7.1 |
Dr. Oystein grimaces. "All those outcomes and many more are possible. That is why we must bide our time and hope for the best." He rises and groans, rubbing his most recent wound, where he was shot by my ex-teacher Billy Burke. "I know this is unsettling news. That is why I hold certain information back, so as not to disturb the rest of you. But, when times call for it, I must reluctantly share the burden. My apologies for troubling you with this." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.662687 | 7.1 |
"It's not your fault, doc," Carl says. "Don't beat yourself up over it." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.663539 | 7.1 |
The doc smiles gratefully at Carl, then strokes his chin thoughtfully. "Now we must deal with the more pressing matter of what to do with Lord Wood. Are you sure you want to return him, B? You know how cruel he is. Do you really wish to set him free to torment and kill again?" | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.664392 | 7.1 |
"No," I mutter. "But Vinyl's my mate, and there's still a chance that Owl Man might arrange the release of the others too. I can't just abandon them. Of course, if you insist on keeping Dan-Dan..." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.665245 | 7.1 |
"I am sorry," he says. "I will not force you to obey me. I was not the one who risked all in pursuit of the trucks or who took Daniel captive. He is your prisoner, not mine. You have earned the right to do with him as you see fit." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.666098 | 7.1 |
"Actually, _I_ was the one who captured him," Rage sniffs. "But I'm happy to leave this to Becky. I don't care what happens to the sadistic sod." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.666951 | 7.1 |
I wrestle with the dilemma for a minute, then my shoulders slump. "Even if I can't get the rest of them released, I've got to do it for Vinyl. If we hand Dan-Dan back to them, we can target him another time, hopefully before he can do any more harm. But if we execute him now, Owl Man will definitely kill Vinyl. I couldn't live with that on my conscience." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.667804 | 7.1 |
"I understand," Dr. Oystein says, offering me a comforting smile. "Then we will return Daniel this afternoon. I know we have until tomorrow, but I would rather not leave it until the last moment. Now, who will I send to escort him?" He looks around. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.668657 | 7.1 |
"I'll go," I volunteer. "I kind of have to, don't I?" | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.66951 | 7.1 |
To my surprise, Dr. Oystein responds with a firm "No. You are the one person we cannot send." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.670362 | 7.1 |
"What are you talking about?" I snap. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.671215 | 7.1 |
"Owl Man, you idiot," Rage growls. "He can control you, so he could turn you against the rest of us." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.672068 | 7.1 |
"He didn't before," I pout. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.672921 | 7.1 |
"Because I had Dan-Dan in my grip," Rage reminds me. "He couldn't turn you on me because Dan-Dan might have been nicked by one of us." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.673774 | 7.1 |
"I dunno," I mumble. "He never worked that trick on me any of the other times we've met. It was only when I pointed the gun at his dog." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.674627 | 7.1 |
"Even so," Dr. Oystein says, "we cannot risk it. You must stay with us. We will all be safer that way." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.67548 | 7.1 |
He studies his Angels again. "Rage?" | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.676333 | 7.1 |
Rage looks uncertain for a second. A worried look crosses his face. He starts to say something. Then he changes his mind and grins. "Count me in, doc. I was the one who hooked the slimy fish, so I guess it's only fitting that I take him the rest of the way." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.677186 | 7.1 |
"And..." Dr. Oystein's gaze settles on Pearse and Conall, but then he notices Pearse's missing fingers. "You are injured." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.678038 | 7.1 |
"It's nothing major," Pearse says, although I can tell by his wince that the pain is greater than he's admitting. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.678891 | 7.1 |
"You need to spend some time in a Groove Tube," the doc says. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.679744 | 7.1 |
"Maybe later. Not now. I'm good to go if you want me." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.680597 | 7.1 |
"Are you sure?" Dr. Oystein presses. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.68145 | 7.1 |
Pearse nods. "I won't let you down." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.682303 | 7.1 |
Dr. Oystein hesitates. He stares again at the other Angels. Then he nods. "Very well. I had another assignment in mind for the pair of you, but I suppose you can deal with it once you have delivered your package. Go see Ciara. Eat heartily. Then have Zhang examine your wound, to be sure it is not more serious than you think. After that, come to me in my laboratory. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.683156 | 7.1 |
"Rage, will you accompany me now? We can discuss the best way to handle the swap, to ensure you cannot be double-crossed. Zachary is usually trustworthy in situations like this, but it pays to be cautious." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.684009 | 7.1 |
"No probs, doc," Rage says. "I believe in covering all angles." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.684861 | 7.1 |
"The rest of you can return to your room and rest," Dr. Oystein says. "You have done well and I am proud of you." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.685714 | 7.1 |
As the others are filing out, Dr. Oystein calls me back. He clasps my arms and stares into my eyes. "I know this has not been an easy decision. But you have made it and you must live with it. Do not be harsh on yourself. As you noted, we will hopefully get another chance to bring Lord Wood to justice later." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.686567 | 7.1 |
I nod glumly, then look questioningly at the ancient scientist. "Am I doing the right thing? Should I have sacrificed Vinyl for the greater good?" | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.68742 | 7.1 |
The doc cocks his head. "There is no sure answer to that. In your position I would not have let Daniel leave, even if the other prisoners were a confirmed part of the equation. More lives will be lost once we return him. But, as I said earlier, sacrifices are inevitable in this ghastly, grisly war. We cannot save everyone, so we are forced to choose who to spare and who to let perish. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.688273 | 7.1 |
"I deliberately vaccinated hundreds of thousands of children, aware that the vast majority would die horribly, in order to produce a team of Angels. I cannot provide you with a moral compass," he says hollowly, "because I lost my own many decades ago. We do what we think is right. After that, we can only pray that we choose the correct path, and hope our maker will forgive us if we err. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.689126 | 7.1 |
"If it is any consolation," he adds in a whisper, "I have done far worse than you ever will." Then he squeezes my shoulders–the only comfort he can offer–and leaves me to brood over whether or not a damned wretch like me has the right to bother the Almighty with her prayers. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.689979 | 7.1 |
In the end I don't pray, but I do a hell of a lot of brooding. At first I wander the corridors of County Hall, trying to get my head straight, to reassure myself that I'm making the right choice. But I keep bumping into Angels who want to know how our mission went. The distractions annoy me. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.691684 | 7.1 |
There are loads of places in County Hall where I could go to get away from everyone, but for some reason I'm drawn to one in particular. I have to ask a couple of Angels to find out where he is, and then it takes me a while to locate it, but eventually I'm sitting in a small room with no windows, a bed, a tray of dried-out scraps of brain and my old teacher, Billy Burke. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.692537 | 7.1 |
Mr. Dowling got his hands on Burke and messed with his mind. The clown sent him to kill Dr. Oystein. To protect the doc, I had to disarm my ex-teacher. I wounded him during the process and he was infected. Chalk up another one for team zombie. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.69339 | 7.1 |
Burke asked to be vaccinated when he was human. Very few adults respond to the vaccination, but he liked to think there would be some sliver of hope that he could be restored if he was turned. I wanted to kill him when he became a zombie–I hate the thought of him shuffling around in this drooling state–but felt I owed him the chance that he'd requested. So we kept him alive and imprisoned him, so that he wouldn't run after Ciara or Reilly or any of the other humans who occasionally stay with us. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.694243 | 7.1 |
Burke doesn't recognize me when I unlock the door and slip into his cell. He must have fed recently, because he's smiling softly, standing by the bed, rubbing his stomach. He barely even zones in long enough to check that I'm not a member of the living. Then his gaze goes distant again. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.695096 | 7.1 |
The bed sheets are ruffled, but I doubt he lies down too often. Zombies have to shelter from the sun every day, but usually they squat or lean against a wall when they're at rest. Some lie down out of dimly remembered habit, but most have forgotten that beds are for relaxing. I wouldn't have bothered putting one in the cell, but Dr. Oystein likes to treat everyone with dignity. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.695949 | 7.1 |
"I bet neither of us thought it would end like this back when we were teacher and student," I murmur, staring sadly at the blank-faced empty vessel of a man. "What a mess." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.696802 | 7.1 |
I think again about what Dr. Oystein told us. As if Mr. Dowling, mutants and zombies weren't enough, now we've got to add Schlesinger-10 to our list of obstacles to overcome. And maybe there are even grimmer secrets that the doc hasn't told us about yet. I can appreciate that he wants to break the bad news to us gradually, but I'd rather have it all out in the open. I don't think anything is scarier than the threats you aren't aware of. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.697655 | 7.1 |
"I wish I could discuss this with you," I tell the disinterested zombie. "You were always straight up with me. You helped me see things clearly when I wasn't sure of them myself." | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.698507 | 7.1 |
I frown and think back to some of our conversations. Burke warned me not to follow my racist, bullying dad's example, not to let my angry father do as he liked without challenging him. In class he would encourage us to listen to ourselves before anyone else, not to automatically trust politicians, teachers or our parents. If we saw an injustice, we should act on it, regardless of what anyone else told us. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.69936 | 7.1 |
"You wouldn't have let Dan-Dan go," I mutter. "But I can't believe you'd have given up on Vinyl and the rest of the prisoners either. Is there something else I can offer Owl Man? Maybe trade myself for them?" | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.700213 | 7.1 |
Owl Man is interested in me for some dark, twisted reason, but he was prepared to let Dan-Dan kill me in order to keep the powerful Child Catcher on his side. I can't see why he would have changed his mind about that overnight. Dan-Dan seems to be more valuable to him than I am. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.701066 | 7.1 |
Offer him Dr. Oystein's head on a plate? I dismiss the idea before it fully forms. I'm sure Owl Man would jump at that, but I wouldn't give up the doc for anything. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.701919 | 7.1 |
No matter what way I look at it, I can't see an alternative. So I come at the problem from a different angle. Is there a way to make the swap and then kill Dan-Dan? | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.702772 | 7.1 |
My eyes narrow. I'm not sure how they'll arrange the trade. That's what Dr. Oystein is discussing with Rage. But I'm guessing they'll have to do it in a way that guarantees the safety of both Vinyl–and the others if they can persuade Owl Man to add them to the deal–and Dan-Dan. In movies, where spies are swapped, they're sometimes released to walk past one another, with snipers on both sides keeping the pair in sight the whole way—if one of them is harmed, the others can retaliate instantly. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.703625 | 7.1 |
That won't work in this case, since only Dan-Dan's mob will have guns. Maybe one of the Angels will advance with Dan-Dan, finger to his throat, acting as a virtual rifle. It would be risky. I can't see why they'd let the revitalized walk away once he releases Dan-Dan—they could simply shoot him. Maybe have someone else return with the Angel, someone valuable to them, just not as valuable as Dan-Dan, for that person to be released once the Angel's in the clear? | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.704478 | 7.1 |
Whatever way they go about it, I definitely think an Angel will have to stick by Dan-Dan's side until the swap has been completed. If it was me, I could wait until Vinyl was safe, then slit Dan-Dan's throat. It would mean my execution, but at least I'd have rescued my friend and put an end to Dan-Dan's butchering ways. | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.70533 | 7.1 |
How would Owl Man react? He wouldn't be happy, but he'd surely know it was a personal decision, nothing to do with Dr. Oystein. He wouldn't strike back if I'd been killed in return. An eye for an eye, a zombie for a child-killer. Hell, if Owl Man was close, overseeing the swap, maybe I could throw myself at him, twist that long neck of his before his aides could stop me, kill two birds with one undead stone. _That_ would be a good day's work! | Zom-B Clans - Darren Shan | 0.706183 | 7.1 |