‘Damn.’ Benny slumped against the wall.

Smith emerged into the middle of the boys of Farrar House and found himself bombarded with questions. ‘Quiet!’ he called. ‘We’ll go up to the dormitory and set up the fire sandbags around the windows there.’

‘Do we get guns, sir?’ asked Hutchinson eagerly.

‘Yes, I suppose so.’ Smith glanced around the hall. Amid the masses of boys heading for the exits he glimpsed Joan, helping the bursar walk. She noticed his concern and returned a smile. ‘Come on then,’ Smith told the boys. ‘Let’s see how brave we can be.’

Benny emerged from behind the curtains when the hall was nearly deserted, and made her way to Alexander, who was standing in the centre of the stage, watching as a group of boys piled boxes by the shattered windows. A cold breeze was blowing about the polished room. Alexander glanced at his watch. ‘Ten minutes. In twenty minutes’ time, they’ll start flattening this place. Is there nothing we can do?’

Bernice lay her head on his shoulder for a moment. ‘I don’t think so. They’re getting ready for a battle. The Doctor won’t listen to me. Unless we can find the Pod and use it on him before all this starts, then I don’t think we have a prayer.’

‘So what do we do?’

‘Go and be with him, I suppose.’ Benny straightened up. ‘At least I can get that bit right this time.’

The dorm was a bustle of activity, boys running to and fro with heavy sandbags.

The window at the end of the room had been opened and a bed propped against it.

Smith was supervising the construction of fortifications.

Rocastle walked in, three boys behind him carrying a series of crates. ‘It’s good to see you’re with us, Smith. I thought you’d come through at the end. I just heard from Merryweather that the telephone line is down. Johnny Foreigner’s been spotted all around the school perimeter, but he isn’t trying to get in. There’s only about six of them, and they’re only carrying small arms by the look of it. All the doors have been barricaded. It’s up to us to hold them off until the police hear the racket and come to investigate.’ He moved closer to Smith and whispered,

‘Actually, I reckon we can do better than hold ‘em off. If these are the buggers who set off the poison gas at the hospital, then we’re quite justified in putting some lead through them. Which is why,’⁠ — he indicated the crates that were being unpacked in the aisle between the beds⁠ — ‘I brought the Vickers gun up here. Good height and angle above the drive. Phipps can take it on; he got to see how it works at close range at practice.’