She turned to look at Ollie. ‘Let’s go,’ June said.

Obediently, he got to his feet and followed her towards the bedroom door, turning to grin and wink at Albert on the way out. There was a soft click as it shut behind them and he was alone in the room again, with only his thoughts.

He could have wished for more cheerful company.

9

Perhaps fortunately for his state of mind, Albert wasn’t alone for long. Within moments of the door shutting, Theo came in through the other door, as if she had been waiting for them to leave. Knowing her, she probably had.

‘Hey, Mac!’

‘Hello, Theo.’

She slipped into the chair across from him, beaming up at him from under mischievous eyes. ‘I’ve been spying on you.’

‘Ah. And why were you spying on me?’

‘I just wanted to know what was going on. What they were sayin’.’

‘And, of course, what I was saying.’

‘Yep.’

Then she looked seriously at him. ‘Thanks fer tryin’ ter cover fer me back there, Mac. I’ll remember that.’

‘Don’t worry about it,’ he said absently, his mind already far away from the conversation.

‘I don’t like ’em, y’know,’ she told him confidentially. ‘The way they’ve jus’ been tellin’ us what ter do, and not ter do, acting like we’re stupid or somethin’, goin’ off on their own, whispering’ in corners, plottin’ an’ plannin’. I don’ like it. It’s like they’ve got their own lil’ team.’

‘Yes, they seem like a team.’

She wrinkled up her nose. ‘Well, I don’ like it! It’s not fair! We should pay ’em back, y’know! Like—like—we should form a team of our own! Yeah, that’s what we’ll do! ’Cos now there’s gonna be two of us and two of ’em, right?’

‘And how do you know that?’

‘’Cos I was listenin’, of course! Anyway, that’s not the point. The thing is this idea here. ’Bout the team. What say, Mac? Wanna be a team?’

‘Sure, Theo,’ he said, realizing that humouring her was easiest. ‘Whatever you say.’

‘Sweet! It’ll be fun! An’ don’t worry, Mac! ’Bout when we get ter—when we get there. I’ll help you out, OK? We’re a team, we are!’

‘We are?’

‘You betcha! And maybe it won’t be so bad this time, y’know, if we have our team an’ all. I actually don’ mind goin’ back now. Jus sayin’.’

He had no idea what she was just saying, but nodded anyway. ‘And what else have you been up to here? Besides spying, I mean.’

‘Oh, thissun that. Ate. Ate again. Been lookin’ around.’

‘I see. And have you succeeded in destroying the place yet, or is it still a work in progress?’

She laughed, a cheerful gurgling sound from deep in her throat. ‘You’re funny, Mac. Should I tell you what I been doin’?’