‘There’s nobody to run into, aside from Mr Black,’ Alice said. ‘Geryon stays in his rooms, and Emma doesn’t go anywhere she hasn’t been told to go.’

‘All right.’ Isaac took a deep breath and squared his shoulders. ‘Lead the way.’

They were only stealing into the kitchens at night, not trying to sneak across enemy lines, and Alice felt that the theatrics from Isaac were a little unnecessary. But as they skirted the edge of the lawn, keeping under the shadow of the trees, she admitted to herself that the stakes for Isaac were considerably higher than for herself. After all, if they were caught, she didn’t think she’d get more than a stern talking-to, but she had no idea what would happen to Isaac if Geryon or Mr Black found him in the house. They wouldn’t really . . . hurt him, or anything like that. Would they?

Alice chewed her lip, and looked back at Isaac with a little more respect. Though she was loath to admit it, the thought of facing down Mr Black alone made her knees a bit wobbly, and she was glad she’d been able to persuade Isaac to come along.

Alice edged up to the back door, pulled it open a crack, and peeked inside. Isaac tensed up again, ready to bolt, and his nervousness threatened to infect her. She told herself not to be silly.

The kitchen was empty, as usual, with all the pots, pans and utensils clean and hanging in their places. Isaac entered cautiously, staring around as though he’d never seen anything like it before, and Alice found herself wondering if he really hadn’t. She knew nothing about him, she realized, not even where he came from, or if he was someone’s apprentice or on his own. She shook her head and fought down the surge of curiosity. Later. This is not the time.

‘All right,’ she whispered. ‘Mr Black’s rooms are down here. I think he’d keep the map in the furnace room, which is at the back. If we’re lucky, he’ll be in bed or something, and we can just creep by and find it.’

‘And if we’re not lucky?’

‘Then I’ll cause a distraction, and you find the map and get out before he comes back.’

Isaac frowned. ‘You’re sure he called it a “map”? We don’t really know what we’re looking for.’

‘He definitely said map.’

‘What if I can’t find it?’

‘Then we’ll . . . have to figure something out.’ Alice had to admit it wasn’t the best plan in the world, but it was all she’d been able to come up with at short notice. ‘Are you ready?’

He nodded.