A weak smile. “Had to try. I mean. If those things aren’t demons, what are they? Eh?” Her eyes closed, then reopened. “Ellie – notes I gave you. Read them.”

“I will. Promise.”

“Help you.” Madeleine’s eyes closed again, and she slept.

Despite her promise, Ellie didn’t pull out Madeleine’s notes: she felt close to passing out herself. Twice she actually dozed off, waking both times to find her head on Ernie Stasiolek’s shoulder, having lolled against him. He didn’t seem to even register Ellie’s presence: he was looking into the fire, no doubt brooding on Marzena and the kids.

Julie and Phil sat in silence, glad of one another’s presence but not wanting to call attention to it while among so many others separated from their loved ones. Charlotte and Kate, with their shared losses, talked together quietly; Milly occupied herself with Madeleine. And what did Ellie have? At least having no significant other meant she wasn’t sick with worry about them, although that wasn’t much of a boast.

She had her job, and… that was it, really. Protect and serve, as the Americans said. And she couldn’t do much of that just now, other than keep the fire burning till sunrise. Dawn would end this. Hopefully.

Till tomorrow night.

Help would come by then.

It should’ve come today.

Help would come. It had to.

Over the crackling flames Ellie heard screaming, far away and fading.

Might be the last people in Barsall, except you eight. Maybe seven, soon.

Milly covered Madeleine with the remains of her jacket and pullover, got up and trudged towards the remains of the shed, which now lay comfortably within the firelight. She rooted among the debris and dragged some plastic sheeting back, draping one piece over Madeleine. “Not much,” she said. “But it’s something.”

Whatever that “something” counted for. Even if Madeleine survived, there was still the coming day to get through until help came. Which it might not. The day would be spent gathering the resources to survive another night in case it didn’t. And so on each day after that, till they’d burned all there was to burn and there was nothing left to hold the monsters back.

Ellie shook her head. She of all people couldn’t think like that. They were safe for now, comparatively at least. She had a job to do. A duty to perform. Not to any monarch or state, but to whoever remained to depend on her.

“You okay, Ell?” Milly asked.

“Just tired.”