‘All right.’

‘Let’s go.

‘How?’

‘You walk in there. When he leaps out at you, I’ll get him.’

‘Oh? I’m bait, am I?’

Kirsty glanced at her wrist.

‘You’ve got four and half minutes to think of something better,’ she said. ‘Oh, sorry. Four minutes and twenty-five seconds. Hang on, that’s twenty seconds now . . .’

‘I just hope you’re good!’

Kirsty patted the gun. ‘Regional Champion, remember? Trust me.’

Johnny walked towards the open doorway. He tried to swivel his eyes both ways as he reached it.

‘Four minutes and fifteen seconds,’ said her voice, far, far behind him.

He halted on the threshold.

‘How come you weren’t National Champion?’ he said.

‘I had food poisoning on the day, actually.’

‘Oh. Right.’

He stepped through.

Multi-toothed death failed to happen to him. He risked a better look to either side and then, swallowing, upwards as well.

‘Nothing here,’ he said.

‘OK. I’m right behind you.’

On the screen the Border was already much bigger. We’re travelling very fast, he thought, and it’s still more than four minutes away, and already it’s filling the sky. Huge isn’t the word for it.

‘I can see all round the room,’ he said. ‘No one’s here.’

‘There was a control panel, wasn’t there?’ said Kirsty. ‘Hang on . . . I’m in the doorway now. Yes. It’s got to be behind the controls. Go ahead. I’m ready if it leaps out.’

I’m not, he thought. He sidled across the floor until he could just see behind the bank of instruments.

‘There’s noth . . . hold it.’

‘What?’

‘I think it’s the Captain.’

‘Is it alive?’

‘She. She’s a she. You know she’s a she. I can’t tell. She’s just . . . lying there. I’ll have a look.’

‘What good would that do?’

‘I’m going to have a look, all right?’

‘Careful, then. Stay where I can keep an eye on you.’ He moved forward, searching the shadows around the edge of the huge room.

It was the Captain, and she was alive. At least, bits of what was probably her chest were going up and down. He knelt beside her.

‘Captain?’ he whispered.

She opened one eye.

‘Chosen One?’

‘What happened?’

‘He was . . . waiting. While I . . . talked to you . . . he crept in . . . hit me . . .’

‘Where’d he go then?’

‘You . . . must . . . go. Not much time . . . left. The fleet . . . is . . .’

‘You’re hurt. I’ll get Ki — Sigourney over here . . .’

Her claw gripped his arm.

‘Listen to me! He’s going . . . to blow up the . . . ship! The fuel . . . the power plant . . . he’s . . .’

Johnny stood up.

‘Is she all right?’ Kirsty called out.

‘I don’t know!’

She was standing in the doorway, outlined against the light.

There was a shadow behind her. As Johnny watched, it spread its arms.