“Who rattled your cage?” Elephant scowls.
“You did,” I tell him. “And if you don’t shut it, I’ll cut you down to size.”
Lots of catcalls, everyone relieved to have something else to think about, welcoming the distraction. Elephant didn’t get his nickname because he’s tall or fat, but because of what his mates saw the first time he undressed for a shower after gym.
“Leave my trunk alone,” Elephant smirks, crossing his hands protectively in front of himself.
“Are you all right?” Trev asks me. “You’re like a tiger today.”
“Knackered,” I growl. “Didn’t get much sleep.”
“Worried about zombies?” Suze asks sympathetically.
“Don’t be daft,” I tell her. “I’m dreading the exams.”
Everyone laughs, forgetting about the clip, putting it behind us, slipping back into our normal routines as if we’d never been disturbed.
“You won’t get into Oxford if you don’t get straight A’s,” Dunglop says.
“I prefer Cambridge anyway,” I sniff.
“God, imagine if you did get in,” Meths says, and we stare at him. “I mean on a sports scholarship or something.”
“You ever see me playing any sports?” I jeer.
“No, but maybe there’s some other…” Meths pulls a face and tries to remember what he wanted to say. I fail classes because I don’t give a damn. Meths, bless him, really is thick.
The bell rings and I slap Meths’s back. “Come on. I don’t think either of us has to worry about Cambridge or Oxford. I’ll be amazed if we make it out of this place.”
“Yeah, but…” Meths shrugs and smiles, letting go of whatever crazy thought it was that he had. Thoughts never stick long with Meths. If zombies ever do attack, he has nothing to worry about. With that tiny brain, he’s the last one they’ll target!
Author bio
Darren Shan is the bestselling author of the young adult series Cirque Du Freak, The Demonata and The Saga of Larten Crepsley. Shan’s books are sold in every continent, in thirty-one languages, and have been bestsellers in many countries, including the USA, Britain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Hungary, Japan, Taiwan, and the UAE. In total, they have sold over 25 million copies worldwide. Zom-B is the first book in his new twelve-book series about a zombie invasion. Shan divides his time between his homes in Limerick and London. He invites you to visit his website at www.darrenshan.com.
Contents
WELCOME
CIRQUE DU FREAK: BOOK ONE
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
THE SAGA OF LARTEN CREPSLEY: BOOK ONE
DEDICATION
PART ONE
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
PART TWO
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
PART THREE
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
PART FOUR
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
THE DEMONATA: BOOK ONE
DEDICATION
LORD LOSS
RAT GUTS
DEMONS
DERVISH
THE GRAND TOUR
PORTRAITS
SPLEEN
CARNAGE IN THE FOREST
A THEORY
THE CELLAR
THE LONGEST DAY
AROOOOO!
FAMILY TIES
THE CURSE
THE CHALLENGE
THE CHOICE
THE SUMMONING
THE BATTLE
A CHANGE OF PLAN
SPIRAL TO THE HEART OF NOWHERE
THE CHANGE
AN EXCLUSIVE FIRST LOOK AT ZOM-B: BOOK ONE
AUTHOR BIO
COPYRIGHT
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Cirque Du Freak: A Living Nightmare copyright © 2000 by Darren Shan
The Demonata: Lord Loss copyright © 2005 by Darren Shan
The Saga of Larten Crepsley: Birth of a Killer copyright © 2010 by Darren Shan
Zom-B © 2012 by Darren Shan
Cover design by Alison Impey.
Cover copyright © 2012 by Hachette Book Group, Inc.
All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher constitute unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at permissions@hbgusa.com. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
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First collected e-book edition: September 2012
ISBN: 978-0-316-23357-6