“We’re surrounded!” he shouted, swinging his slingshot around toward them.

Arran could do nothing to help. Grown-ups were swarming to the edge of the pool and slithering onto the tiles. He gripped his pickax handle and lashed out at them two-handed. A fat little father with useless legs hobbled out in a crouch, like some horrible, ungainly frog. Arran caught him under his chin with an uppercut, and he somersaulted backward into the water.

Deke had been trying to get to his friend, but the water was thick with wallowing grown-ups. He was forcing his way onward, using the tip of the sledgehammer’s handle as a butt. Driving it into anybody that got too close.

Achilleus was waiting on the edge. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to fight effectively in the water. He darted backward and forward, picking off stray grown-ups and watching Deke’s progress.

“Go on!” he urged him.

It looked like Deke was going to make it to Freak, but just before he got there, three big grown-ups pulled Freak over, and he sank beneath the surface.

“Hold on, Freak!”

Deke powered the last few feet and dived in after his friend.

“Idiot,” Achilleus said again. There was nothing for it. He was going to have to go and help. He gave a war cry and surged in, high-stepping, spear flashing in quick hard thrusts, teeth bared.

The grown-ups seemed to sense that he was dangerous, and fell back. There was no sign of Freak and Deke, though.

Over by the seating area, Ollie was ducked down onto one knee to steady his aim, and was launching a barrage of shots toward the grown-ups blocking the way out. He couldn’t take his eyes off them for even a split second, so he had no idea what was going on behind him. He prayed that the others would join him soon, because he couldn’t keep the grown-ups at bay forever.

“Help me, someone!”

Arran looked over and saw what was happening.

“Achilleus!” he shouted. “You get Freak and Deke. I need to help Ollie.”

He had no idea if Achilleus had heard him, and he couldn’t wait to make sure. A group of grown-ups was rushing Ollie, who couldn’t reload fast enough to hold them back. Arran raced over and plowed in, his club flying. The wood cracked against a father’s skull. He howled and toppled sideways. Arran was finding it difficult to fight with the dog slung across his shoulders, but he swung again, this time aiming for a grown-up’s knee. There was a snap of breaking bone, and the grown-up was out of action.

“Got to push them back!” he yelled, and surged forward, driving the grown-ups over the seats and tables.

Achilleus reached the vending machine. Oblivious to the stink and the slime, he plunged a hand under the water roughly where he had last seen Deke. He grabbed hold of sodden material and tugged hard. It was a grown-up. He stuck his spear into it, twisted, and pulled it out. The next moment the water boiled and erupted as Deke broke the surface, bringing Freak up with him. Freak looked confused and limp.