Prim was interested in other, more pressing matters. “Is that bubbles of tea I see everywhere? Spheres of the plants in growth? Amazing. I’ve never thought to see so much in one place.” She ducked and a half-heartedly hurled wooden spear got one of the silk roses sticking up from the top of her hat.

“I say there.” Prim was not pleased.

Rue said, “Prim, you are witnessing the discovery of long-lost shape-changing immortals, monkeys of legend, and you’re excited by tea bushes?”

“Do you realise how many cups of tea all that would make?” said Prim. “Besides, the tea doesn’t seem to cherish a vendetta against my hat.” She ducked again. “And Miss Sekhmet is more impressive as alternate animals go, don’t you feel? Where is she by the way? Oh, there she is. Good evening, Miss Sekhmet. Why the cage?”

Quesnel was not to be denied gratitude. “But we saw your sparkler. You signalled for help.”

Rue said, “Oh, that. Yes, you see someone else rescued me first. Well, to be perfectly fair, he tried to rescue me but then I ended up stealing his form and rescuing both of us. It’s all been a bit of a trial since then. But I was getting things all straightened out with the Vanaras – oh, really, monkeys, do stop throwing things at my ship! – when you came floating in and botched it. Now they’ll never trust me.”

“Uh-oh,” said Prim.

“What do you mean, ‘uh-oh’?” Rue did not like the guilty tone in her best friend’s voice.

“Well, I’m afraid we aren’t the only ones coming to rescue you.”

Rue was instantly on her guard. “Prim, what did you do?”

“Nothing. It’s only that I believe you were watched when you left with Miss Sekhmet and Percy. Oh, hello, Percy? How are you? Still revolting? Good. Anyway, where was I? Oh, yes, I think you were watched when you left, possibly followed – as much as one is able to follow a werecat.”

“By whom?”

“Werewolves, I am given to understand. Your Uncle Lyall isn’t wholly to be trusted. And, I know that we were watched and followed as we floated over Bombay. For a little while at least.”

“Oh, indeed, and who was that by?”

Prim and Quesnel exchanged glances.

“The Rakshasas,” said Quesnel finally.

Rue said, “That’s just wonderful. Wonderful.”

“Well,” said Prim, “we determined it wasn’t too great a problem. After all, vampires are restricted in territory and they can’t leave the city. If it was only their drones who could follow us, what harm could they possibly do?”

“They’d have a devil of a time tracking us from the ground once we hit the forest, anyway,” asserted Quesnel.