They had already torn off Granger’s scalp, and most of his beard. One of his arms had been twisted around and around, right out of its socket, and there was nothing but blood and gristle where his left shoulder should have been. His scrotum had been wrenched from between his legs, and his thighs were plastered in gore. And as he shrieked and flapped his one broken arm against the supermarket window, his horrified followers saw seven or eight hands pull back his head and claw at his eyes, digging them out of their sockets in a welter of optic fluid and blood.

Then, mercifully, they dragged him out of sight. But none of the people in the supermarket knew how long they took to kill him, or what he suffered in those last minutes of his life.

Mike Bull came across to Season and touched her arm. She jumped, and opened her eyes.

Mike Bull said, ‘It’s – ah—’

He didn’t know what to say to her. He was dizzy with shock. For some reason, he was reminded of Anne, and he suddenly started to cry. The tears streamed down his face, and his mouth was puckered with suppressed sobs. Season gently led Sally away, back to the corner by the canned fruit shelves which they were beginning to know as their home. Tony said, ‘We shouldn’t never have let him out.’

Mike wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. ‘Y ou can’t stop martyrs from martyring themselves, Tony. He must have known as well as we did.’

‘But they tore him to shreds, Mike I mean, shreds.’

‘They wouldn’t have done if his miracle had worked, would they? Or maybe they would, I don’t know. Jesus worked all of those miracles, didn’t he, and they still crucified Him.’

Season, in her small corner by the fruit shelves, sat with her knees clasped in her arms, trying to understand what was real. Sally hadn’t been able to see Granger Hughes’ grisly last moments from where she was standing, although she understood now that something terrifying had taken place, that Granger had somehow been hurt.

‘Mommy,’ she said, quietly.

Season attempted a smile.

‘Mommy – is Daddy going to come save us?’