He became aware of a movement and felt something touch his other hand where it rested on the stone top of the balustrade. He turned. It was Lettis, her face pale, dark rings round her eyes, which were wide and glistening. Her expression was serious, unchanging, and he wondered if she would ever smile again. He wondered if she would ever speak again as well. All she did was spend hours hunched over her journal, though she would never let anyone see what she was writing. Not even Chris Marker in the library.

She looked deep into Ollie’s face and he held her hand tight. It felt small and dry and cold.

‘It’s all right,’ he said. ‘We’ll be all right. I won’t let you down again. There’s no need to be scared any more.’

And then more kids appeared, a group of the smaller ones. He recognized them all – Blu-Tack Bill, Zohra and Froggie, Wiki, Jibber-jabber; the only ones missing were Ella and Monkey-Boy. They formed a ring round Lettis, as if they might protect her, though they were nearly all younger and smaller than her.

‘Aren’t you supposed to be waiting in the gallery?’ he said.

‘We wanted to see,’ said Wiki.

Ollie was about to say that it might not be safe when he remembered what he’d just told Lettis.

‘Well, keep still and keep quiet,’ he said. ‘I guess I’m responsible for all of you now.’

‘We can look after ourselves,’ said Jibber-jabber and Ollie smiled. Maybe they could. He felt Lettis squeeze his hand tighter and saw that she was staring intently at the doors.

They were opening and someone was coming in from outside.

‘He’s here,’ said Skinner, who was pacing about nervously.

‘Freak of the week,’ Achilleus sang, just loudly enough for the rest of them to hear, and Paddy giggled.

But it was only Jackson who appeared in the doorway.

‘They’re coming through the gates now,’ she said.

‘What’s he look like?’ said Brooke.

‘Can’t see. He’s under a blanket.’

‘This is crazy,’ said Achilleus. ‘I tell you I’m gonna merk him.’

‘You’ll do nothing,’ snapped Einstein. ‘If this father is all that Ed claims he is, he might be a big help with our research.’

‘A big help with our research.’ Achilleus impersonated Einstein, making him sound lispy and wet, and then he spat on the floor. ‘Stupid nerd.’

And then Ed walked in with Kyle, who was carrying an axe. Brooke felt a stab of longing for Ed. Her emotions had been so shredded she was a wreck; her moods had been pinging about all over the place like a kid who’d drunk too much Coke.

She heard Trinity say something that she didn’t understand. Wondered if it was aimed at her.

‘Two scarred faces. Rule of three. There’ll be a third. You’ll see.’