Sometimes, when really Big Things happen in your life, you go right the way through all of the emotions – fear, excitement, amazement, happiness, anger, jealousy, nerves – and then completely out the other side so that everything’s almost normal. I mean, you’re still sitting on a giant killer jellyfish – but apart from that.

‘So . . .’ I said, and I was the only one saying anything that was a real word, rather than a strange, spluttering, amazed sort of noise. A few people were hugging each other, others were standing with their arms stretched out in awe, and a couple were just rocking. Next to me Kate had her head back on her knees again, hyperventilating, and Lana was making weird wheezing noises. ‘So how long do you think it’ll take before they can come and fetch us?’

Actually, no, it wasn’t normal. At that point my vision went funny, and things went a bit swimmy for a few minutes. They’d done it. We’d done it! We were going to get off!

The thing that really got me focused again was James tugging on my hair.

‘Sit up, Martha. Stop moving your head around,’ he said.

‘Yeah,’ said Lana, ‘You’ll look like a complete idiot with your hair half done on one side like that. I will not want to be seen with you.’

‘I don’t know if I’m ready,’ said Kate. ‘I can’t remember what it’s really like out there. Can you?’

‘I can remember a lot of the food,’ I said. ‘But I suppose that doesn’t count any more.’

‘What do you want to know?’ said James.

‘What it’s like. Anything,’ said Kate. ‘I just don’t think I know any more.’

‘You don’t,’ said Lana. ‘But who cares what it’s like? It’s better than being stuck on this creature.’

‘I’m just really scared right now,’ said Kate. She started to cry again. Proper, snotty crying.

‘Do you know what, Kate?’ I said. ‘Five minutes ago you were crying because you weren’t in that boat getting off, and now you’re crying because you might be getting off? I feel like you should make a decision one way or the other.’

She started to laugh, but it was a laugh all mixed up with bubbling snot, so she wiped her nose with her arm again.

‘Stop moving, Martha,’ said James. ‘I swear if you don’t have time to do my hair too before that boat comes back for us, then I’m just not going. You’ll have to leave me here, on the Jellyfish, wobbling and hairy, while you go off and eat crisps and honey and wear nice clothes on the land. Or whatever.’

‘OK.’