‘Don’t sweat it,’ she said, ‘I won’t tell a soul, although if you hadn’t sold it to her, she’d not be a deadhead.’

I really didn’t want or need this pointing out.

‘I didn’t sell her my Morphenox,’ I said, truthfully enough.

‘Oh? Well, it doesn’t matter one way or the other, really.’

She pulled out her Bambi and pointed it at Birgitta. Non-Tricksy nightwalkers were often summarily retired when found.

‘No!’ I said, a little too hastily. ‘I mean, I’ll take care of it. It’s something I should get used to.’

‘Fair enough,’ said Aurora, reholstering the Bambi.

‘Why are you here in the basement?’ I asked, eager to change the subject. ‘If you don’t mind me asking.’

She nodded towards the Vacants.

‘Gathering up some nightwalkers for HiberTech. Project Lazarus always needs Tricksy subjects, so I came to have a look. The breeder will probably get farmed, but Glitzy Tiara they’ll take. I’ll get them over there smartish, too, before Toccata intervenes. She has old-fashioned ideas about what we do in the facility, and just retires them all and then claims standard bounty by presenting the left thumb to Vermin Control.’

Aurora made to move off, but then stared at the large blue automobile for a moment.

‘Wait a moment. This is a blue Buick, isn’t it?’

I nodded.

‘The one that Watson and Moody were babbling about?’

‘And several others, too, yes.’

She paused, looked at the car, then at the remains of the nightwalkers, then at the rabbit’s-foot key ring I was still holding in my hand.

‘What’s your interest in this car, Worthing?’

I had to think. I knew almost no one in Sector Twelve. Birgitta regarded me as you might an ambulatory dinner, Jonesy and Fodder were loyal to Toccata and Lloyd was a porter, whose first priority was the continued smooth running of the Dormitorium. Laura had her head filled with myths and fables and Treacle was little more than a jailbird and a baby-peddler. I needed a friend. Aurora had saved my life – twice – and on that basis alone was about as good a friend as I was ever likely to get.

‘It’s complicated,’ I said with a sigh, realising that I’d have to tell Aurora things I could never tell anyone, ‘because although I’ve never set foot in this car park, I’ve seen the blue Buick and the rabbit’s-foot key ring before.’

She raised the eyebrow over her non-seeing eye.

‘In my  . . . dreams.’