He nodded, grabbed the frame and clambered up until they were at eye level. He stank of bad breath and body odour.

“I don’t like eating people,” he said.

“Maybe you shouldn’t do it.”

“Can’t say no. It’d be a waste, wouldn’t it? We kill you and cook and serve you – you’d want us to eat you, wouldn’t you? Otherwise, what’s the point?”

“Baffle, I really don’t want to die. It’s not fair. I never did anything to hurt any of you.”

“Life isn’t fair.”

“You could help me.”

“I could?”

“Sure. You just said you don’t want to eat me, right? So you could help me, couldn’t you?”

“I… I suppose.”

“You’d have to be really sneaky about it.”

He nodded. “That’s true. If the others found out, they’d be very cross.”

“So you’ll do it?”

“If I do, will you be my friend?”

“Of course.”

“Then, yes,” he said, and smiled, “I’ll help you.” Then he threw his head back and started singing.

“Stop!” she hissed. “Shush!”

His eyes were closed, and he sang louder. It was ‘Be My Baby’, by The Ronettes. Her mum used to sing that to her all the time when she was a kid. She strained against the ropes.

“Hey! Shut up!”

Baffle stopped singing.

She glared at him. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“I’m… I’m helping.”

“How is that helping?”

“It’ll make you feel better. It might make you forget we’re going to eat you.”

“But you don’t want to eat me! You want to let me go!”

He looked horrified. “No, I don’t! Why would I do that?”

“Because we’re friends, Baffle.”

He shook his head. “I know friends. Friends don’t shout at each other. Friends sing to each other to take their minds off bad things that are going to happen.”

“Baffle!” someone shouted from inside a hut. “Are you singing to our dinner again?”

“No!” he called back.

“You better not be!”

“I’m not!”

He waited, but got no further response. Stifling a giggle, he turned back to Valkyrie. “Did I help?”

“Sure,” she said, totally deflated. “You did great. You know another way you could help me? We’re looking for someone. A girl. A woman. Her name is…” Valkyrie frowned. “OK, I’m not sure what her name is, but she’s got… she’s got… she’s got hair, I think, I imagine, though I don’t know what colour, but… I imagine she has hair. Or she might be bald. Or she might be a he. Do you remember anyone like that arriving down here in the last few days?”

Baffle shook his head. “No one’s been down for ages. Not since the man.”

“What man? Did he have an accent? Did he have a German accent?”