Quite a few of the boys who’d been sent out as scouts hadn’t returned. Probably run away and hid; there was no indication that the defences had been breached. On a real battlefield, they’d have had the luxury of maps and hills to view it from, but here things would just have to be worked out as they happened.

The only OTC unit to have had actual combat experience. Damn it. The doors at the end of the canteen burst open. Several of the boys snapped up into firing postures, but Rocastle cut the air with his hands. ‘Wait!’

It was Hutchinson, running wildly, his clothes and half his face blackened. ‘It’s Smith, sir! He’s deserted his post! He’s taken Farrar down to the library to hide!’

‘Get into cover,’ Rocastle told him. ‘Brave lad. Plucky of you to come here. We’ll settle Smith’s hash when this is all over. Did you get into a scrape on the way?’

‘Yes, sir.’ Hutchinson slumped behind the sandbags. ‘They’re inside the school. One of them pointed a sort of flamethrower at me and I caught the edge of it.’

‘Well done, Captain. Did you see where the enemy were going?’

‘They were heading for the gymnasium, sir.’

‘I see.’ Rocastle stood up. ‘In that case, I do believe that an exploratory mission is in order. The gymnasium has only one exit, and the southern stairs lead down there. We’ll have height and they’ll have nowhere to run. We may have a chance of settling the whole matter. Follow me.’

The boys did so, shouldering their arms nervously.

‘I like being me,’ Smith was insisting to Benny. ‘Besides, I’m engaged to be married.’

‘You’re what!’

‘If she says yes.’

‘You’re marrying… her?’

‘She’s very nice.’ Smith tapped Merryweather on the shoulder and indicated that he could unblock his ears. Benny just glowered at him.

Smith took a deep breath and began a chant matched to the rhythm of the jog. ‘Do we want to fight and slay?’

‘We should all just run away,’ returned Benny, remembering the form from grotty route marches around the Academy.

‘Do we want to all get shot?’

‘If we scarper, no let’s not.’

‘Do we want to bathe in glory?’

‘It’s overrated, dull and gory,’ Benny continued, with a little grin of pride at that one. The gang of children and adults continued to run down the narrow corridor, repeating the verses.

Smith tried to give Benny a reassuring smile, but the look she returned him was anything but reassured.

The family met outside the gymnasium, August’s party almost bumping into Greeneye and Hoff.

‘I gather we’ve come to the same two conclusions,’ said August. ‘One, a complete holographic scan reveals that the boy we’re after isn’t in the building, and⁠ —’