He wasn’t going to fight, though. Instead he turned and bolted towards the green zone, Maxie hard behind him, calling to the other kids to come with her.

As she ran, she was aware of footsteps. Turned to see Boggle and the big-nosed boy who’d come with them from the palace. What was his name? He’d been guarding David’s sick-bay.

Andy?

She was pretty sure he was called Andy.

Only three of them then. But they had the upper hand: Paul was on the run; Maxie had her sword. He was racing ahead of them, into the dark maze of galleries and passageways at the back of the green zone. Maxie didn’t fully know her way around here yet, wasn’t so confident away from the main hall. They ran round behind the insect and bird galleries and then Maxie realized she’d lost sight of him. She pulled out her torch and flicked it on. No sign of him.

‘Stop!’ she called out. The other two stuttered to a halt. ‘What?’ said Boggle.

‘Be quiet … Listen … We’ve lost him. Can you hear him at all?’

‘No.’

Nothing.

Just the sound of their own breathing. Voices behind them in the main hall. No hurrying footsteps. Maxie knew there was a way through here to the other section of the museum. The red zone. The doors were usually kept closed and locked, but Paul had keys.

And then there was an urgent shout and, from their right, running footsteps.

‘Come on!’

They threaded their way through the bird gallery, past the weird dark shapes in the cabinets – parrots and eagles, an ostrich – and came out into a long, wide corridor with fossils of marine creatures mounted on the walls.

And there was Paul, up ahead. He’d done a big loop and doubled back towards the main hall. Kids were falling back, keeping out of his way. Maxie sped up, her sword held out to one side. She forced her legs to work harder, but unless he stopped she knew she wasn’t going to catch up. There was a knot of kids in the hall up ahead and Paul barrelled straight towards them. They scattered as he approached and, in the confusion, Maxie again lost sight of him.

‘Stop him!’ she yelled as she burst out into the hall. ‘Where is he?’

A terrified girl looked towards the main doors that stood partially open. A boy sat with his back to them. He’d been knocked down. Maxie couldn’t tell if he’d been stabbed.