‘You’re sending her in unarmed,’ said Parrish, his stance hostile and still apparently unaware of the correct method of addressing his seniors.

‘There’s no one down there,’ said Grint contemptuously. ‘Unless it’s Tut’s ghost, of course. Go on, Lockland. Why are you still standing there?’

Because my legs won’t move, thought Jane. She looked up to find Luke watching her closely. ‘Here,’ he said, quietly. ‘Take my lightsticks.’

‘And mine,’ said Matthew, digging them out and passing them over. Like her he’d pushed up his visor and she could see the concern in his eyes. ‘Look – I’ve done this loads of times. There’s a knack. Move slowly. Stay calm. Breathe slowly. You’re not alone.’

She nodded gratefully.

‘Have you got water?’

She nodded.

‘Parrish will watch this end. You’ll be quite safe. And leave your com open.’ He glanced at her white face and added, ‘You’ll be fine. Just think, you’re going to see the tomb for free.’

She nodded again, not trusting her voice.

‘We’ll probably be gone less than thirty minutes,’ said Grint, possibly yielding to a compassionate impulse in the face of her unspoken but massive panic. ‘No longer.’

Jane switched on her night vision again, turning her world a creepy green. Because that’s just what you need to see in the middle of the night when you’re all alone in the Valley of the Kings, she thought. A creepy green world. Could things get any worse?

She stood at the top of the steps looking down. Parrish lined up behind her.

‘Where do you think you’re going?’ said Grint, obviously having exceeded his compassion quota for the day. ‘Even Lockland can’t get lost on a flight of steps.’

‘To boost her through the hole in the door,’ said Parrish. ‘It’s too high for her to climb through on her own. I know it would be your team’s idea of a good time to watch her struggle, but as you yourself would agree, we don’t have all night.’

Lt Grint, accustomed to the more typically built Time Police officer, and who, to be fair to him, hadn’t even considered that the slight stature which made her so ideal for this part of the job would also make it almost impossible for her to gain access through the tiny opening in the top left-hand corner of the outer door, contented himself with instructing them to sort themselves out and get on with it, and then disappeared into the darkness.

Jane threw Parrish a grateful look.

‘Good luck,’ said Matthew, preparing to follow the others. ‘Look after yourselves. Both of you.’

The pause had a slightly surprised air to it.

‘Look after yourself, too,’ said Luke.

They nodded at each other and then Matthew joined the others.