He floated through the cave, past Hypnos’s sable-covered bed, searching every corner of the dank, lifeless dwelling.

‘He ain’t here,’ he eventually said at normal volume. ‘No one is.’

‘Try that,’ said Hades, pointing to a small door at the back of the cave that Hermes hadn’t noticed. ‘If I was gonna imprison someone, that’s where I’d put ’em.’

‘Nice spot, Uncle H,’ said Hermes, patting his uncle on the back. ‘Don’t know what I’d do without you.’

He approached the door and tried the handle. It was locked.

‘E!’ he whispered, knocking softly. ‘E – you in there?’

A muffled shout answered his call.

‘Mmmmph! Mmmmmph!’

‘OH. MY. GODS!’ Hermes shouted. ‘You were right: he’s there! E – hold tight, mate, I’m gonna get you out of there!’

Hermes yanked frantically at the door, but it was locked fast.

‘No way!’ he cried. ‘Elliot, stand back! I’m coming in!’

‘MMMMMMMPH!’ The muffled noise was getting louder. ‘MMMMMMMPH!’

‘I know, mate, it’s OK,’ said Hermes, floating back to the entrance to take a fly-up. ‘It’s all gonna be OK. Ready? Cos here comes the H-bomb! BOOOOOOOOOOOM!’

And, taking off like a bullet from a gun, Hermes shot headlong towards the door. He whizzed through the air like a jet plane, gathering speed with every millisecond. He put his head down and braced himself. He was going to blast straight through that—

But, just as he was about to make impact, Hades put his hand to the door handle and opened the door.

‘What the—?’ Hermes began, but it was too late. With no time to brake, he went flying through door – and crashed straight into the person locked inside.

‘MMMMMMMMPH! MMMMMMMMPH!’ screamed a writhing figure as Hermes picked himself up from the floor in a daze. He was in a long pitch-black cell.

‘E, mate, I’m so sorry!’ he said, floundering around in the darkness to try to help his friend. His hands met with a flailing body that he could feel was tied and gagged. Hermes felt his way to ropes at its wrists, freeing the hands, which desperately started working at the gag.

‘MMMMMMMMMMMPH!’ he screamed, ever more urgently. ‘MMMMMMMMMPH!’

‘All right, mate, calm down . . . nearly there,’ said Hermes, helping to untie the gag. ‘Not gonna lie, E – you’ve grown since I last saw you. You need to lay off them pizzas, boy . . . Nearly . . . got . . . it . . . There! Now, what you trying to tell me? Hang on, I can’t see a boshing thing.’

He pulled out his iGod and turned on the light. The magical device immediately illuminated the figure in front of him.

‘I SAID, HOIMES!’ came the unexpected voice. ‘GET OUTTA HERE!’

‘You what?’ said the confused Messenger God. ‘Hang on a sec – you’re not Elliot. You’re . . . me Uncle Hades. So who the anti-bosh is . . . ?’