James swam over to try and help her, but she thrashed about, screaming like a maniac and wouldn’t let him near. He caught a brief glimpse of her ruined face. One eye was pinned shut.

He couldn’t begin to imagine how much pain she was in. He had only trodden on one urchin and it had been agony.

At last she gave a horrible, strangled snarl and clutched her chest. Then she curled up into a ball and as she flopped back in the water, her head struck a rock and finally she lay still.

James tried not to look at her as he helped Amy out of the water on to the steps.

‘Thank you,’ she said and hugged him. Then she winced and gasped.

‘What is it?’ James asked.

‘I’ve got spikes in my foot; I must have stepped on one.’

James looked into her face and smiled, pushing her short hair back off her forehead.

‘Don’t worry,’ he said. ‘I know exactly what to do…’

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Acknowledgements

The Magyar

1

The Danger Society

2

Double M

3

The Fourth of June

4

Out of Control

5

The Tombs of the Giants

6

The Sailor Who Feared the Sea

7

Terror Firma

8

Escape

9

La Casa Polipo

10

You Can’t Eat a Picasso

11

Count Ugo Carnifex

12

Let Down Your Hair, Rapunzel

13

Black Spines Filled with Poison

14

The Last Thing That Goes Through the Mind of a Dying Man

15

Su Compoidori

16

Gladiators

17

Blood Brothers

18

A Face at the Window

19

Déjà Vu

20

The Penny Drops

21

Sadism Before Supper

22

The Deadliest Animal in the World

23

Deadlier Than the Male

24

The Dance of Blood

25

Tommy Gun

26

It’s Always Darkest Just Before the Dawn

27

When Hell Breaks Loose

28

The Magyar’s Revenge

29

Behind the Mask

30

Just a Boy