Apathy took the Swiss Army knife from her pocket and held it up, allowing the weak sunlight to glint off the blade. Dan nodded, drew his own weapon, and quietly set off after Millar and Emily.
On the crest of the hill, Edward Stapleton re-appeared, the survivors of the Kirkfallen Stopwatch bunched behind him, all armed to the teeth.
Apathy and Gene stood, hand in hand, watching the ocean crash endlessly against the rocks with a power beyond their comprehending.
Savouring one last moment of innocence.
Ants operate a social system where the population operates together as a complete unit, sacrificing individual instincts to ensure the survival of the colony – a process enforced by hormone excretions known as pheromones.
Ants existed on earth a hundred million years before humanity. They are still far more numerous than us, possess more cities and occupy more ecological niches than the human race. They can survive massive climate change, global pollution and even nuclear explosions.
In terms of numbers, longevity and adaptability humans are not the dominant species on earth.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jan-Andrew Henderson (J.A. Henderson) is the author of 28 teenage, YA, adult and non-fiction books. Published in the UK, USA, Germany and the Czech Republic, he has been shortlisted for twelve literary awards and is the winner of the Doncaster Book Prize and the Royal Mail Award.
Subscribe to his website for regular free books, stories, news and advice
www.janandrewhenderson.com
The Kirkfallen Stopwatch Page 25
