So why did the whole place seem so . . . subdued? No sudden bangs or fires or clouds of poisonous gas drifting on the air . . . I strode through the Armoury, stepping carefully over clumps of colour-coded wires and the occasional exploded test animal, and finally spotted the Armourer himself, sitting hunched over a workbench, as usual. He was tinkering with some new gadget, trying to make it do what it was supposed to do through a combination of craft, genius, bullying, and bad language. He looked around as I sat down beside him and sniffed loudly.

“This is all your fault, you know. All this unnatural peace and quiet. It’s the lack of torcs; makes my interns far too cautious. I’m not getting any real work out of them since they started worrying about consequences. We need those new torcs down here, Eddie.”

“Then make sure the list is ready for me when I get back,” I said patiently. “I’ll see that everyone who needs one, gets one.”

The Armourer looked at me sharply. “Get back? What do you mean, get back? You’re not off again, are you? You haven’t been home ten minutes!”

“I find my family is best appreciated in small doses,” I said solemnly.

“Yes, well, there is that,” said the Armourer. “But while the cat’s away, you may find the rats getting damned uppity. It’s only your presence and example that’s holding this family together in these troubled times. And now that Harry’s back . . .”

“Don’t worry about Harry,” I said. “I can handle him, if I have to.”

“Oh good,” said Molly, strolling over to join us and kicking a wandering dodo out of the way. “Does that mean we don’t need to be nice to Roger anymore, and I’m free to kill him in slow, horrible, and innovative ways?”

“You really do nurse a grudge, don’t you?” I said.

“You have no idea,” said Molly.

“I was just telling Uncle Jack that we’re off to look up a few old friends,” I said. “You ready to go?”

“Of course. Are you?”

“Not quite.” I turned back to the Armourer. “We could use some of your latest gadgets and dirty tricks on this one. What have you got?”

“Ah,” said the Armourer, brightening up. He was always happiest when discussing new methods of murder and mayhem. “I just might have a few new things that will chill and thrill you, only waiting for some brave soul to test them out in the field . . .”

“Hold it,” said Molly, peering over the Armourer’s shoulder. “What is that you’re working on there?”