It was even higher than Woody thought. At dinner that night, only eight recruits remained. They were silent as they queued up at the hotplate. Martha ladled out bowls of a slightly different-coloured stew and they ate it wordlessly at the long table. Even Abby was quiet. Having eaten her own meal, she glanced hungrily at the others’ bowls. But she didn’t ask if anyone was going to eat theirs. After a day in the mountains, they were all hungry.

That night, Max dreamed of rocky ridges, cloud lines and snow. He woke up several times, sweating. It had been a brutal forty-eight hours. His muscles hurt, but so did his mind. As he lay in the darkness, he realised that the Watchers weren’t only testing their physical endurance; they were also testing them mentally. Maybe that was why Hector was being so aggressive with Max. But then why wasn’t he acting like that with the others?

When morning arrived, Max heard the sound of rain on the iron roof of the Nissen hut. It was heavy and persistent. When he stepped outside just before dawn, he saw that the snow had mostly melted and a dank drizzle filled the valley. He wondered if the sun ever shone here.

The others were still asleep and there was no sign of the Watchers. Max jogged through the drizzle to the main house and was a little surprised to find the front door open. He stepped inside and quietly closed the door. He wasn’t quite sure what he was doing. But then he found himself walking up to the picture of the young man who looked so very like him. He realised that he’d been intending to look at it again ever since he’d climbed silently out of bed.

It was dark in the corridor where the picture hung. But the young man’s face was clearly visible. The first time Max had seen it, he’d been freaked out. Now he found it calming. Looking at it gave him the strength to face whatever the day ahead might throw at him.

He heard footsteps. They were upstairs, but he could tell they were approaching the staircase. They were brisk and firm. It sounded like Hector. And he knew he didn’t want to be caught here, even though he wasn’t sure whether he was breaking any rules. He tiptoed up the corridor and stepped into a room on his left. There he stood with his back to the wall, holding his breath. The footsteps grew louder. They walked past the room in the direction of the main door. Max heard their owner exiting the house. He exhaled slowly and only then did he look around the room.