Albert looked at June. ‘Not exactly the jolly traveller, is he?’

‘No,’ she said shortly, glancing at Marcus. ‘He isn’t. Let’s go.’

The Outliers were ready to leave from the looks of it, standing in a group at the opening, a short way behind Marcus.

‘Let’s just hope he’s joking when he says that it gets harder from here.’

She shook her head, a slight smile on her face. ‘I don’t think, in all the years he’s been around, anyone’s ever heard him make a joke.’

‘I guess not,’ said Albert. ‘Now that you mention it, he doesn’t exactly seem the type.’

‘Not quite.’

‘But you said “been around”. What’s that mean? That he’s not one of you?’

‘Well, I suppose he is now.’

‘Then he’s from the City?’

‘No.’

‘Then if he’s not from the City, and he’s not one of you, where is he from?’

Her smile had long since faded. She turned to Theo. ‘Theo, carry on. We’ll just catch up.’

‘Why?’

‘Because I’m asking you to. Now please?’

‘Plottin’ an’ plannin’,’ muttered the girl darkly. ‘Everyone’s plottin’ an’ plannin’.’

Then, with a toss of her head, she turned her back on them, and haughtily made her way over to where Colby and his men were filing up in front of the hole.

June turned back to him. ‘Look, Albert,’ she said, ‘be very careful of Marcus.’

‘So where is he from?’ he persisted.

June hesitated. ‘I don’t think I’m the one to be telling you all about Marcus. I don’t really know him very well.’

‘Yet you know him well enough to warn me about him.’

‘All I know is what Ollie told me. Apparently Theo’s grandfather found him living in these tunnels about a decade ago and brought him back with him.’

‘Living? Here? How? What did he even do? Or eat?’

‘How should I know? He must have been living off the land, or something like that.’

‘You see a lot around you to live off?’

‘Well, maybe he was scavenging, then. He had to have been managing somehow, right? And I’m sure he wasn’t a Renegade, or anything of that sort. Or they’d never have taken him in.’

‘Renegade?’

‘Outlaws,’ she said, her voice tight. ‘Killers and criminals. Men with no code or law except that of might, taking whatever they can from the weak. They stick together because they’re stronger that way and for no other reason. They even rob each other.’

‘You mean, they’re like a gang of thugs?’

‘Yes. They wander the tunnels, preying on everyone unlucky enough to stray their way. But Marcus wasn’t one of them. He was on his own.’

‘You mean, he robbed and killed on his own?’