But what? David and I did not have to wait long to get an answer to that question. Soon, helicopters hovered overhead – unseen but definitely heard. Spotlights shone blindingly from the aircraft and played upon the throng – and then the shooting started. These, it seemed, were no ordinary helicopters. They were spitting fire from both sides and beams of tracer bullets rent the black sky, raining down on the zombies below. Dozens fell at once – others fled in all directions, trampling on the fallen. The scream of terrified zombies is hard to describe – the sound of thousands of them screaming together is impossible. So, what terrifies a zombie? Well, I can tell you for certain that helicopter gunships do. I couldn’t exactly say how or why these thousands of zombies had been herded back onto the campus where it had all begun – but, now that they were here, it was clear what fate the authorities intended for them. David and I needed to get out and fast. If we were to avoid being strafed by gunfire – or trampled by the panicked undead – I needed a plan. We were hemmed in on all sides. I seized David’s hand even more firmly – he, too, was terrified but seemed to calm a little at my firmer hold. I took him to the base of one of the trees in North Court. We cowered there for precious seconds as the concrete courtyard emptied a little. Time to think. My vision narrowed to a tunnel. I ceased to hear the screams and the gunfire around me. For me, everything went silent. Time slowed to a crawl. My mind had re-directed its entire effort towards solving a single problem: escape. Where to go that might be safe? The only place I could think of was the family crypt in Melbourne General Cemetery, the one where we’d found Paul and Charles. It was ten minutes’ stroll away – in normal circumstances. But, under heavy attack from the air – and with thousands of wailing, murderous zombies between us and that crypt?
Mes pyth o? Nyns esa edhomm dhyn, Davydh ha my, a wortos termyn hir rag kavoes gorthyp dhe’n kwestyon na. Yn skon, yth esa eskelli-tro ow bargesi a-vann – anwelys mes klywys yn hwir. Yth esa spotwolowys ow splanna rag dalla dhiworth an jynnow-ebron, ow kwari war an bush. Hag ena, y tallathas an tennans. Nyns o an re ma eskelli-dro herwydh usadow. Yth ens i ow trewa tan dhiworth an dhew du anedha hag yth esa dewynnow a bellennow-dresas ow skwardya an ebron dhu, ow koedha war an zombis a-woeles. A-dhistowgh, dewdhegow anedha re goedhas yn kettermyn – ha’n re erell re fisa yn tuyow oll, ow trettya war an re a goedhsa. Namna yllir deskrifa skrijans a zombis dyegrys – byttegyns, skrijans a vilyow anedha warbarth? Nyns yw henna possybyl mann dhe dheskrifa. Ytho, pyth yw a dhyeger zombi? Wel, y hallav leverel dhywgh yn sertan gorholyon-gonnys askell-dro dhe wul henna. Ny yllyn yn ewn leverel dell (po prag) via bughelyes milyow an zombis troha’n kampus le may tallathsa an gordhroglamm – byttegyns, drefenn aga bos omma, kler o aga thenkys, tenkys re via ervirys ragdha gans an awtoritys. Yth o res dhe Dhavydh ha my gasa uskis dres eghenn. Mar avoydyen ni agan bos ridrys gans an pellennow – po agan bos trettyes gans an dus anvarow ow skrutha – res o towl dhymm. Oll a-dro, yth esen ni keys a-ji. My a dhalgennas dorn Davydh kreffa hogen – ev o keffrys euthegys mes yth heveli y vos hebaskka nebes pan wrugavy kreffa ow dalghenn. My a’n kemmeras dhe ven gwydhenn yn Garth North. Ena, yth esen ow plattyes dres nebes eylennow presyous ha’n garth gwakhes nebes. Eylennow rag prederi. Y teuth ha bos kul ow gwel kepar ha pan welir dre geyfordh. Y hedhis ow klywans a’n skrijansow ha’n tan-gonnys. Ragov vy, nyns esa travyth a-der taw – hag yth esa an termyn y honan ow tremena yn unn gramya. Oll a’m brys re rosa y nerth dien rag digelmi unn gudynn hepken: diank. Ple hyllyn ni mos rag bos salow? An le unnsel may hyllyn prederi o an kleudhgell teyluyek yn Pennynkleudhva Melbourne, an huni le may havsen Powl ha Charles. Nyns o saw deg mynysenn a-droes – yn dydhyow usadow. Byttegyns, yth esa lemmyn omsettyans unys warnan dhiworth an ayr – hag yth esa milyow a zombis woesek ow kyni yntredhon ha’n kleudhgell na.langbot langbot