‘Lady, Poxy, Dribbles,’ I tell him. ‘And now you and me. Don’t argue, put your arm around my shoulders, here.’ I crouch down and lift him onto my back; he screams again. ‘Sorry, Strangler. No choice. Try and keep quiet, will you?’

‘Give me the frigging knife.’

If he thinks I’m going to let him kill himself right in front of me he’s got me all wrong. I head back toward the gap with Strangler draped over me like an outsize shawl. If he can hold on long enough, maybe I can do this. Block of stone in the middle; second block on top.

‘What in the name of . . .’ groans Strangler.

‘Keep still and try not to fall off,’ I tell him, then I step up on the two blocks, with him still over my shoulders, and reach up toward the gap. Someone’s trying to open the door now, and not having any luck; no surprise, since it’s blocked by a heap of stones with a dead man underneath. I start to wonder what we’ll find outside.

‘Shit, Bonehead,’ Strangler protests, which is fair enough, since it’s pretty certain I’ll drop him when I jump.

‘Hold on,’ I say, and reach up with both hands. Not quite high enough to get a grip on the edges, but not far off. I stand on tiptoes; I’m only an inch or two short.

‘Bonehead!’ someone hisses from above. The two of them are still there, Poxy and Dribbles, and Poxy’s got a bit of rope, gods only know from where but I’m not asking questions, I’m setting Strangler back down, tying a loop around his chest and praying hard. My heart’s going crazy. Strangler’s sobbing, begging me to stop trying to save his life.

‘Now!’ I call when the knot’s done. The rope tightens; I boost Strangler up toward the hole. His screams cut through me. He can’t hold on to anything – strength all gone – but we get him up and out, and I’m left in Mathuin’s lockup with a bunch of dead men for company.

I don’t wait. I jump, hook my elbows over the side of the gap and hang there, pretty sure a big chunk of roof will break off and crash down with me attached. I take a breath, tighten my belly, think of Lady out there on her own. I pull myself up. I’m on the roof, or what’s left of it, with Strangler sprawled beside me. Poxy’s disappearing off the western side. I didn’t expect them to wait for me and they haven’t. Strangler’s face is a nasty shade of grey in the morning light. Feeling a bit the worse for wear myself.