Cannerwells High Street. A large crowd had gathered around it, a line of police in front of them. Switch and Marta stood near the back, in the dark recesses of a cubbyhole stairway up to a tall town house. The screen showed a press conference. A middle-aged man had just taken the stage. A voiceover announced, ‘The Foreign Secretary, Mr. Douglas Lewitt, will read the following statement, made earlier today by our Great Leader, Maxim Cale, Lord Governor of Mega Britain.’ Marta glanced at Switch. He was staring at the screen with undisguised hatred. ‘Fucking typical to send his minions,’ he spat. ‘Too scared to show his ugly ass face even on television.’ ‘Shhh!’ she cautioned. ‘He does have some supporters, you know. And most of them are carrying guns.’ On the screen, Lewitt cleared his throat. ‘“Dear Patrons of Mega Britain,”’ he read. ‘“Many of you will be aware of the explosion that rocked our streets earlier today. This was due to an explosive device that detonated inside Westminster Underground station.
