‘The Shadow.’

‘Albert, you’re getting obsessed with that tale,’ said Colby, ‘What could the Shadow possibly have to do with—’

‘Everything. Why do you think Father’s so worried? Because he knows I’m right. Aren’t I, Father?’

Father said nothing.

Albert looked around at them. ‘Kieran and I both got it wrong last time. You know, when we thought there had to be a connection between Cillian’s disappearance and that of the Shadow? We got so caught up with the fact that two events happening at the same time a decade ago was too much coincidence that we connected the wrong events. Because, you see, there was also a third thing that happened ten years ago. Robert brought Marcus back from the tunnels with him.’

Colby looked aghast. ‘You mean—’

‘Yes, of course, that’s what I mean. Think about it. That was the one thing you all kept saying about the Shadow. Nobody saw it coming, and when they looked for it, they found nothing. Sounds like Marcus, doesn’t it? When he went for Kieran in the tunnels and dragged him into those shadows, you think we’d have realized what was happening if we hadn’t all been looking at them both? Could we even see Marcus till he stepped out of the shadows? All we saw was Kieran disappear into the dark, which is exactly what all those people, including those half-crazed Renegades they found had seen. Just someone vanishing suddenly into the shadows without a trace. Eaten by Shadows, you see?’

‘Aye,’ said Kieran excitedly. ‘You’re right! I never saw ’im comin’, never ’eard a thing! Didn’t know what was happenin’, not till I woke up with the cap’n lookin’ at me. An’ yer all saw ’im right now, jumpin’ from rock ter rock—flyin’ ’e was! Like ’e ain’t human.’

‘Oh, he’s human all right, except unlike any human we’ve ever met,’ said Albert. ‘June told us his story until his parents sold him. Well he doesn’t seem the sort of guy to stay sold, does he? I’m guessing he got free, and then he probably went into business for himself. And as for the trouble he got into right after he got here, that you mentioned to me, June, it wasn’t just average, everyday trouble, was it?’

‘I told you what I knew then,’ said June stiffly.