Sam saw a roll of strong black tape hanging from a piece of string at the boy’s waist. He gave the lighter to Rhiannon, and in a minute had managed to roughly tape the blanket up. Now if Nick and Rachel happened to look along the length of the train from inside their car, the blanket would block some of the light.

The boy grinned at Sam.

“Nice work,” he said, and pushed Sam against the blanket. “Press your ear against blankie. Tell me if you hear anything moving, anything speaking, squeaking, or meandering, even a mouse’s fart, so to speak. Get it? Got it? Good.”

The kid scuttled over to Rhiannon and inspected her wrists. Instead of handcuffs she was secured with plastic bindings.

“Naughty,” he said. “I’m going to need to cut.” His hand darted into his pocket and came out with a little folding knife with a wide blade. He pulled it open with his teeth and smiled at Sam.

“This should do the trick, eh, Jeeves?” he said. “It’s a wicked little snickersnee. Not half.”

He took the lighter from Rhiannon, gave it back to Sam, and set to work. The blade was razor sharp and it sliced through the plastic in no time. As soon as Rhiannon’s hands came apart, he blew out the flame.

“Lights out, boys and girls.”

He drew Rhiannon and Sam into a huddle.

“We have to go careful and quiet as spies. Can’t risk too much light. It’s like this. If I’d tried to get on the train from the platter-form, those beastly butchers would have spotted me, no sweat. So I’ve gone right to the end and I’ve bonked and bashed my way all the way down the cars, cuz Mr. and Mrs. Lovely have fixed all the doors and windows shut. So we go back and out that same way. Once we get to the end, we drop down on to the tracks and slither back along under-the-neath of the train to where we can get up on to the platter-form and thence to the stairway to heaven. It’s the best way. Safe as milk. You follow?”

“I’m not sure I can walk,” said Rhiannon.

“You can walk. When they have to, your legs will do as you say. Just speak to them firm.”

“I can’t.”

“No such word as can’t. No such word as babagoozle neither!”

Rhiannon laughed, trying to stifle the sound.

“You talk funny,” she said.

“That’s just the way it is,” said the boy. “Now let’s get these two snoozing muckers out of here. Match me, Sidney!”

Sam figured out what he meant and quickly lit the flame again.

The boy hopped over to the two sleeping twins, unlocked them, and shook them awake. They were groggy and feeble, with no idea of what was going on.