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into glowing ribbons of colour. She was face down on the snow, but she thought she was looking at the sky. She thought the northern lights were dancing in her eyes and her mother had come to take her home.
    Papaluk smiled as she died.

F IVE
    Paulo brought the tundra buggy to a gentle halt beside Papaluk's tower. After a quick check for bears, Amber and Li opened up the back of the buggy and lowered the ladder. Paulo, Hex and Alex formed a passing line between the tundra buggy and the snowmobiles and Amber and Li handed down all the diving equipment. They did this in synchronized silence. They had been working together for so long now that there was no need for talking. During their trip inland, Alpha Force were planning on making some dives under the frozen surface of one of the lakes, which was why they were packing the diving equipment into one of the snowmobile trailers. The other trailers were already packed with equipment and supplies, ready for the trip.
    Paulo smiled as he patted the nose of his snowmobile. It had been fun driving the tundra buggy, but he was looking forward to some extreme riding in the snowy forests of the interior. They would have to be on the look-out for polar bears to start with, but once they were away from the coast the snowmobiles would be safe enough.
    At the last minute, Alex added the tranquillizer rifle to the trailer. Papaluk would not need it. She had another one propped by the door of her cabin. 'Right,' he said, securing the cover over the trailer. 'We're ready to head out.'
    A fizz of excitement coursed through him as he spoke. The week of diving and bear-watching with Papaluk had been fine, but there had been no real challenge to it. He, Paulo and Hex had slept in comfort on padded bunks in the tundra buggy, and Li and Amber had shared the cabin with Papaluk. There had been hot meals waiting for them at the end of each day and the cabin was packed with all the latest communications technology, including satellite television reception. Alex had found it slightly strange, watching cookery and make-over programmes in the middle of the Canadian wilderness. He much preferred to be out there, depending on his own expertise and instincts for survival, which was why he was looking forward to this second leg of the exercise.
    'I'll just let Papaluk know about the return of Cyclops,' said Li.
    'Where is Papaluk, anyhow?' asked Amber, gazing up at the cabin. 'She usually comes out to say hi.'
    For the first time, Alpha Force became aware of the silence. At this time of the day Papaluk usually took a break from her work, brewed up a fresh pot of coffee and played a CD of her favourite band, very loudly. Today there was no smell of coffee and no music blasting out over the tundra, only the howling of the wind.
    'Maybe she's still trying to sort out those cyanide-dumpers,' said Hex, looking up at the cabin.
    They had all been aware of how distracted Papaluk had been at breakfast. She had collected all the evidence she needed, but still she had not been looking forward to taking on the might of Usher Mining Corporation.
    'I'll go and see how she's doing,' said Li, jumping on to the tower ladder. She sprinted up the narrow rungs as though she was running up a flight of stairs, then hopped up on to the viewing platform and disappeared from sight.
    A minute later, she was back, hanging over the viewing platform rail with a puzzled look on her face. 'She's not here,' she said.
    Alpha Force looked at one another uneasily.
    'Then where is she?' demanded Amber, her voice high with anxiety.
    'She cannot have gone far,' said Paulo. 'Not without the tundra buggy.'
    On the viewing platform, Li suddenly straightened up. 'Oh no,' she gasped, pointing out towards the bay. 'Down there by the shoreline.'
    The other four looked but could see nothing from their lower perspective.
    'What is it?' asked Alex, but the chill in his guts told him he already knew.
    'It's Papaluk,' quavered Li. 'And she's not moving.'
    They