Digging deep into the basket, he wrenched the prize from the depths. He had to be sure. Peeling back the linen, he raised up a pitted black rock with jagged edges about the size of a man’s head. The boy’s eyes shone with wonder and they gaped as they stared at it, but only for a fleeting moment. Wrapping up the Ka Stone and clutching it against his chest, Hui scrambled towards the tent flaps. Outside he could hear cries echo, and whistles ringing from the camp’s edge. The moment they stepped out and revealed themselves, the Shrikes would fall upon them. But nor could they wait there. The booty tent would be the first place the rogues searched.

‘You jolt-head,’ Qen spat. ‘You’ve killed us all.’

‘Away,’ Hui exhorted. ‘The gods will watch over us.’

He barged past the other two and crashed into the smoky night.

With one glance, the blood in his veins turned to ice-water. All around, heads were pushing their way out of tents, the last vestiges of sleep being blinked away in an instant. A few Shrikes lumbered here and there, searching for the cause of the noise that had disturbed them.

Another already had his bronze sword in his hand and was marching towards the tent where their plunder was stored. When he saw Hui and the Ka Stone, his face lit up with shock, twisting into fury. A cry of alarm ripped from his mouth, soaring up to the heavens. And then the camp erupted into wild life, like a teeming anthill that had been disturbed.

Hui hurled himself on. Their path through the camp looked clear. A chance, then, if only a slim one.

Hui leapt over the guy-lines as he raced. His feet danced past pegs, instinct keeping him moving forward.

Someone was shouting that they’d been robbed, that the Ka Stone had been stolen. A further outpour of rage boomed.

Behind him, Kyky was whining like steam escaping from a covered pot bubbling on the hearth.

As he darted past the edge of the camp, Hui heard a crash and a yell. He whirled, only to see it wasn’t the Little Monkey, but Qen who had fallen. Kyky was ahead of his brother and he skidded to a halt and half-turned.

Silhouetted against the campfire, a storm of Shrikes gathered. Glinting swords flashed . Their roar merged into one single bellow, like a giant beast hungry to fill its belly.

Qen was struggling to pull himself to his feet as the horde surged forward.

Hui’s brother! His brother who he loved more than anything!

Before Hui could move, Kyky threw himself back over those treacherous guy-lines, grasped Qen by the wrist and wrenched the fallen man to his feet. Qen came up hard, staggering into the Little Monkey’s arms.

But it was too late. The Shrikes were almost upon them.