Win begs to explore Grandad’s house first so we give him five minutes (Rose times him on her phone) and then we search him before we let him back into the bed. To his credit he only tries to smuggle in the TV remote and a packet of cheddar cheese.

Once again Rose leads the way and we follow. I make sure Win goes in the middle so he can’t slip back out again. After a tricky moment when Win insists he knows “the perfect spell to show us where we’re going” (he doesn’t), we find ourselves crawling on stone. Then we’re pushing our way through the leaves that mark the end of the tunnel and crawling onto the ledge.

We’re back in Roar and it looks magical. It’s nearly evening and the stars are just starting to appear in the sky. Birds swirl above trees as they prepare to roost, and far away a black shape bobs on the Bottomless Ocean.

“There it is,” says Win, passing Rose the telescope. “Look at what your magic made.”

Rose holds up the telescope and laughs. “It’s even bigger than I imagined . . . I don’t think the flag is actually a pair of underpants, more underpants-shaped.”

Now it’s my turn to have a look. Rose’s Bowt is dipping and rising with the waves. It’s got a grinning mouth that gapes at the front, tall masts and rolled sails. The flag is being buffeted by the wind and the ship tugs at its anchor as if it’s keen to get going.

“Come on,” says Win, starting to pick his way down the side of the cliff. “Call for a dragon, Rose. We need to explore your ship.”

“Our ship,” I say.

“I don’t know,” says Rose, “a ship can only have one captain, and seeing as I made it, it should probably be me.”

“Aye, aye, Cap’n!” shouts Win, and with that, it’s decided.

It’s Vlad who picks us up this time, and he’s surprisingly pleased to see me. Mid-flight, he even turns around to give me a lick with his crusty tongue. It’s a bit like being licked by a roasting tide pool and it’s so enthusiastic it almost knocks me off his back. Still, being liked by a dragon makes a refreshing change.

We land on a wide beach of wet sand and discover Stella and the Lost Girls are already there. They’ve made a bonfire and seem to be dancing around it, or maybe they’re fighting. Stella’s standing at the water’s edge, staring at the Bowt.

It’s moored out at sea and from here we can see its glowing red “eyes”—actually portholes—and its strange toothy grin.

“How are we going to get out there?” I say.

“Dragons?” suggests Rose.