‘I want to show Achilleus what I can do.’

‘Save it,’ said Ollie.

The rest of the kids slammed into the grown-ups, knocking down the front rank and forcing them back against the fence. Those who carried longer spears used them to keep the grown-ups at bay while the rest darted in with clubs and knives and shorter spears.

Ollie spotted a father breaking away and trying to escape. He quickly fitted a steel ball to his sling, pulled it back and felt the satisfying snap and twang as he let go. The steel shot smacked into the back of the fleeing father’s neck and knocked him flat.

‘Nice shot,’ said Jackson, and she whistled. The last of the grown-ups tried to run now, but they were hunted down and Jackson couldn’t resist steaming over and taking one down with her own spear, expertly pinning him in the side. She grinned at Achilleus, looking for his approval, but he hadn’t even noticed. He walked straight over to Paddy, checked he was all right, and then handed over his spear to be cleaned.

All of the grown-ups lay dead or dying, the road covered with their blood. Blue and Mick were walking among them, finishing them off.

None of the kids were even scratched. They high-fived and whooped and jeered at the dead bodies.

Einstein approached Blue as he was kneeling down and wiping the blade of his short spear on a fallen mother’s dress.

‘You could have let us help.’ Einstein’s voice was shaking slightly. ‘It wasn’t dangerous.’

‘It wasn’t dangerous because we knew what we were doing,’ said Blue. ‘It only gets dangerous when we mix it up with kids who don’t know how to handle theirself.’ He looked up and stared into Einstein’s face. ‘Like yesterday – you remember, Iron Man? You ended up with one girl killed and one boy badly cut up.’

‘I haven’t forgotten,’ said Einstein.

‘Well, don’t. Ever.’

‘Yeah,’ said Big Mick. ‘This here was easy – but it’s gonna get worse.’

‘The smell of blood might attract more of them,’ said Ollie. ‘So the quicker we get inside, the better. We’ll have to work out a way to get the gates open.’

He, Mick and Blue climbed over the fence, being careful not to get skewered on the sharp spikes along the top. They investigated the mechanism that opened and closed the gates, and after a short discussion Big Mick set to work with his club, hammering away at the machinery until he’d separated it from the gates, which could now be hauled apart by hand. Once all the kids got hold of them they were able to slide them open, and, with a cheer, they were through.