August and Hoff were approaching through the forest, Joan walking stiffly ahead of them.

The party scattered, diving behind the fallen trees. The two Aubertides wandered by, Hoff checking a dial on his wrist to adjust Joan’s direction of movement slightly. ‘Serif and Greeneye will still be sealing off the orchard,’ August was saying. ‘Think we should leave them to it?’

‘They’ll eventually get bored,’ Hoff muttered. And they moved on, still talking.

After they’d passed, Bernice’s party broke cover.

‘Mrs Redfern,’ Merryweather gasped. ‘What are they going to do to her?’

‘She’s a hostage.’ Alton rubbed his chin thoughtfully. ‘Or they’d have already harmed her.’

‘Well, if the other two are down there in the orchard,’ Alexander said, ‘I don’t fancy running into them.’

‘We could go round the line of the hill,’ Benny began.

‘Excuse me,’ Rocastle said. The others looked at him automatically, surprised by his quiet tone of voice. ‘Joan⁠ — Mrs Redfern⁠ — she’s also my responsibility, and somebody who might have been a friend. I’m going to rescue her.’ He looked slowly around the group. ‘Would anybody be willing to help?’

Smith knelt on the ground, staring at his fists.

He was only human. He could walk through the forest shouting, but Tim could hide from him. The boy didn’t know the stakes now, didn’t know that the most precious thing in Smith’s life was now at risk.

What were his principles beside that?

Now that both the sphere and Joan were gone, he felt impotent and lost once more.

He was only a small Scottish schoolteacher. He didn’t have any heroics to save Joan. All he could do was what any human could: bargain. Bargain ethics against everyday life, the image of how life should be against how it really was.

He closed his eyes, and put his hands together. ‘Our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on Earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we’⁠ — he clenched his teeth, and realized that he was crying⁠ — ‘forgive those that trespass against us. Give us this day our daily bread and deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory. For ever and ever. Amen.’

He curled his knees up to his chin and hugged them.

Gradually, the tension ebbed from him and his body began to realize how late at night it was. The light of the moon overhead reflected off the silver dust all around and made the orchard shine.

He couldn’t sleep now. He had to save her. He promised that he’d save everybody.