Sebastian examined what he could in this light. Hollow Men: artificial beings of leathery skin, pumped full of the foulest of gases and used as mindless muscle around the world. The cheaper sort could be dispatched with one slash from a sharp knife – the more expensive kind took a lot more effort. From their vantage point, it was impossible to say which kind these were.

“Do you have any weapons?” Sebastian asked softly.

“Just these,” Bennet said, pulling out a knife and handgun.

Sebastian jerked back. “What the hell are you doing with a gun?”

Bennet looked offended. “I’m here to rescue my wife from kidnappers. I figured a gun would be a good idea.”

“Do you know how to use it?”

“Of course. It’s not rocket science.”

“Have you ever shot at anyone before?”

“Hollow Men aren’t people,” Bennet said. “Shooting them is no different from shooting a target at the range.”

“And have you shot targets at the range?”

Bennet faltered. “I kept meaning to get around to it.”

“Listen to me,” Sebastian said, injecting a little calm into his voice, “I don’t feel safe around you when you have a gun. I feel, and I might be way off here, that you can’t be trusted with a firearm. If Odetta is in there, I worry you may accidentally shoot her.”

“Right.”

“Would you say that’s an understandable concern?”

“Maybe, yeah.”

“So will you put it away and promise not to use it?”

“OK,” Bennet said, looking embarrassed as he returned the gun to his pocket. “What about the knife?”

“Actually,” Sebastian said, taking it from him, “I’ll have that, if it’s all the same to you.”

“Probably wise,” Bennet said, then frowned. “But what am I going to do? I mean … I’m an Elemental. I could throw fireballs. Hollow Men are made of paper – they’d go right up.”

“Right, yes, maybe – but is Odetta fireproof?”

“Well, no …”

“Ah,” said Sebastian, “then probably not the best idea.”

“So what do I do?”

“You come in after me, and you try not to fall over. That sound good?”

Bennet sighed. “Yeah.”

“Then that’s our plan.”

Sebastian sneaked round the corner, and straightened. The knife felt good in his hand. Well-balanced. He took a deep breath. The door looked sturdy. He wondered how much this would hurt.

Before he kicked, a thought struck him, and he reached forward, turned the handle. The door opened.

OK then.

He ran in. The first Hollow Man started to turn and Sebastian slashed it across the arm, then spun, whipping the blade along the next one’s back. He flipped the knife in his hand and flung it. It went right through the third one’s chest, embedding itself in the wall behind. The Hollow Men staggered, not even attempting to stop the gas from escaping. Protected by his mask, Sebastian watched them deflate through a fog of green.