‘Well, if you don’t mind, can I come back for it later? I have to go to a few places now, and I don’t want to risk carrying something so precious around with me, in case something happens to it.’

‘Oh not at all, sir. Tell you what, I’ll have Joseph bring it to you.’

She turned to glare at Joe again. ‘You can manage that, can’t you? Or will you break it on the way?’

‘Oh, there’s no need,’ said Albert hastily. ‘I’ll come back myself for it in, say, a couple of hours?’

‘Of course, sir, whenever you please. You see anything else you like? I’d be glad to let you have it.’

‘Many things, Mrs D’Amato, but I can’t really take everything you have, can I?’ He laughed.

‘Oh, of course you can, sir! With pleasure! I’m always making them. Tell you what, I’ll just get some of them together, and make you a nice little hamper, shall I?’

The laughter died in his throat. He glanced around at some of the treasures lying scattered across the tent, and tried not to wince. ‘Oh, I couldn’t, ma’am.’

‘Of course you can! I insist! Now I’ll just—’ She broke off, sniffing the air suspiciously. ‘It’s burning! The dinner’s burning!’ she shrieked, and turned and ran through the partition. The voice stayed with them though, taking them through events, and the cause behind them too.

‘It’s all burnt, and it’s all because of you, Joseph D’Amato! Standing there doing nothing instead of helping your Ma! You’re no good, not one bit, and—’

‘Quickly,’ said Joe. ‘While she’s gone!’

Hurriedly, they exited the tent and crossed the grassy clearing, retracing their steps, not stopping till they were back down on the second ledge.

‘Whew,’ said Colby, wiping his brow. ‘Your Ma was in quite the mood today, Joe!’

‘When isn’t she?’

‘Well, you should tell her to take it easy. She’s getting on now, and if she keeps losing it like that, then, you know, something might happen.’

‘It won’t,’ said Joe gloomily. ‘She’d scare Death away, she would. Maybe that’s why they never found that damn Shadow she keeps talking about, ’cos it heard her and ran away.’

‘What is this Shadow?’ asked Albert curiously.

Joe grunted. ‘Nothin’. Fairytale for ol’ women to scare kids with.’

‘There were disappearances,’ said Colby.

‘It was Renegades,’ said Joe.

‘Except the Renegades were running from it.’

‘And you take their word, then?’

‘I’m just saying I don’t know, Joe.’

‘Exactly what I’m saying,’ said Albert. ‘I don’t know what you’re saying. What disappearances?’

‘Not the usual kind, that’s for sure. I mean, the tunnels have always been a dangerous place, but this was different. People would just disappear, sometimes from just feet away from their companions.’