<P>When they reached their destination Jaime was already there. He had been talking softly to Tracer.
<P>
<P>They both looked at the newcomers with a mutual expression of deep concern, or despair, even pity... 
<P>
<P><JC>--- --- --- ---
<P>
<P>Dominic opened his eyes.
<P>
<P>All light had fled. Had he fallen asleep? He thought he had. The room was silent. He must have fallen asleep. It must have been late, all the others present must have been sleeping as he had been.
<P>
<P>Perhaps he hadn't?
<P>
<P>There was a snuffling noise. It was almost inaudible at first. Dominic was almost ready to conclude that he had simply experienced a fault of hearing before he heard it again.
<P>
<P>A snuffling. Like a noise a small animal would make.
<P>
<P>He sat up and attempted to look around him, but his eyes had not yet adjusted to the blackness, and he could not even detect his own hand in front of his face.
<P>
<P>The snuffling noise...
<P>
<P>Hair on the back of Dominic's neck rose.
<P>
<P>His stomach twisted.
<P>
<P>Abruptly he had a very, very bad feeling.
<P>
<P>For minutes there was only silence. But not peaceful silence, as silence one experiences before falling into an unbroken sleep.