The car jolted forward and, as quickly and as delicately as possible, James dropped down on to its roof. He got on to his hands and knees, then lay flat, moments before the car cleared the low archway at the front of the shed.

James held his breath. Praying that he would not be visible to the guards.

Slowly, agonisingly slowly, they crept forward.

There was no shout. No warning shot. No sudden braking.

At last they began to pick up speed and were soon trundling briskly up the mountain through the darkness.

James stayed where he was, dripping on to the painted wood of the carriage. Slowly he let his breath out.

What the hell was he doing?

He had a reckless side to his nature and one day it was going to get him into big trouble.

After a while they passed the second car coming down, and then crossed the bridge into the tunnel. It was pitch dark in here and James was worried that a low outcrop of rock would smash into him. Thankfully he emerged from the tunnel unscathed and heard distant voices, the clink of glasses, music and laughter. He looked up. The white walls of the palazzo were glowing in the moonlight and here and there a light showed in one of the lower windows.

They were nearing their destination.

He’d got this far. Would his luck hold out any longer?

He pressed himself as flat as he could as they slowed down and came to a halt at the brightly lit piazza. He waited for the passengers to get off and watched Smiler make his way across the square to an archway on one side. When James was sure it was safe, he slid down the outside of the car on to the tracks. He rubbed his hair with his fingers, drying it as best he could, and wrung out the front of his sodden shirt.

There were two guards on duty, but, having checked the credentials of the men arriving on the railway, they had returned to their card game inside their sentry post.

As soon as he dared, James darted out from behind the car and into the deserted piazza. He ran along the side, keeping close to the buildings, heading towards the archway.

There was a short alleyway on the other side and some winding steps leading down to a lower level.

The steps came out into a courtyard. It was lit by candles and blazing torches and there was an ornamental pond in the middle of it. There were tables set out with drinks and food and small groups of men in suits were drinking and chatting.

There were two or three local girls with them, looking self-conscious in expensive dresses and wearing too much make-up. They were laughing too loudly and had a slightly nervous air about them.