‘Oh, wow.’

He stood up and pointed to the scummy green surface of the canal.

‘Somewhere down there there’s an old Ford Capri,’ he said. ‘Wobbler said he saw some men dump it in there once.’

‘I shall see to it directly,’ said Mr Fletcher. ‘The internal combustion engine certainly could do with some improvements.’

‘But . . . look . . . machines aren’t alive, so how can they have ghosts?’

‘But zey have existence,’ said Einstein. ‘From moment to moment. Zo, we find the right moment, yes?’

‘Sounds a bit occult,’ said Johnny.

‘No! It is physics! It is beyond physics. It is—’ he waved both hands excitedly, ‘metaphysics. From the Greek meta, meaning “beyond”, and physika, meaning . . . er . . .’

‘Physics,’ said Mr Vicenti.

‘Exactly!’

‘Nothing ever finishes. Nothing’s ever really over.’

It was Johnny who said that. He was surprised at himself.

‘Correct! Are you a physicist?’

‘Me?’ said Johnny. ‘I don’t know anything about science!’

‘Marvellous! Ideal qualification!’ said Einstein.

‘What?’

‘Ignorance is very important! It is an absolutely essential step in the learning process!’

Mr Fletcher twiddled the ghost of a tuning knob.

‘Well, we’re all right now,’ he said, watching a programme in what sounded like Spanish. ‘Over here, everyone!’

‘How very interesting,’ said Mrs Liberty, dressing herself in the blink of an eye. ‘Miniature cinematography?’

When Johnny left they were all in front of the busted television, arguing over what to watch . . .

Except for Mr Grimm. He stood a little apart, hands folded obediently, watching them.

‘There will be trouble because of this,’ he said. ‘This is disobedience. Meddling with the physical.’

He had a small moustache as well as glasses and, in daylight, Johnny saw that the lenses were those thick ones that seem to hide the person’s eyes.

‘There’ll be trouble,’ he said again. ‘And it will be your fault, John Maxwell. You’re getting them excited. Is this any way for the dead to behave?’

Two invisible eyes followed him.

‘Mr Grimm?’ said Johnny.

‘Yes?’

‘Who are you?’

‘That’s none of your business.’

‘No, but it’s just that everyone else always talks about—’

‘I happen to believe in decency. I believe life should be taken seriously. There is a proper way to conduct oneself. I certainly don’t intend to indulge in this foolish behaviour.’

‘I didn’t mean to—’

Mr Grimm turned around and walked stiffly to his little stone under the trees. He sat down with his arms folded, and glared at Johnny.

‘No good will come of it,’ he said.

He said he’d been to see a specialist. That was always a good one. Teachers generally didn’t ask any more questions.

At break, Wobbler had News.

‘My mum said there’s going to be a big meeting about it in the Civic Centre tonight, with television there and everything.’

‘It won’t do any good,’ said Yo-less. ‘It’s been going on for ages. It’s too late. There’s been all kinds of inquiries and stuff.’