His quiet voice brings alive memories of many shared moments to Stig, who knows that they must part.

‘No, nothing that affects you,’ he replies, ‘but I’ve been warned to leave.’

John starts in astonishment. ‘Only you?’

No point in deciding whether John wants this to happen, or to ask why he is apprehensive about it.

‘Yes,’ replies Stig. ‘They know nothing about the rest of you. I’m the one they’ve got wind of, though goodness knows how it happened. I got a note saying I ought to leave.’

‘Are you going at once, then?’

Stig nods. ‘So you’ll have to take over, as agreed, John.’

John falls silent. It is no small thing to take over Stig’s job. ‘We’ll all go!’ he says, in sudden longing for the chance to rest.

Stig’s voice at once turns curt and stubborn. ‘We’re not permitted to do that, as you know very well, so I don’t need to say any more.’

Yes, John knows. As long as you’re not threatened you’re not permitted to leave. It would simply be shirking one’s duties.

‘You’ll be the one to take orders now, if any come,’ commands Stig. ‘And you know about everything in the cellars.’

John says yes quietly. ‘Is there anything else?’ he asks, unable to hide a note of anxiety.

‘Only that you’ll be the one to take orders. You don’t want to know anything else, do you?’

‘No,’ he says quickly.

‘You’ll have to warn Peter and Henry.’

‘Aren’t you going to see them?’

‘They’re out on a mission, both of them. I don’t even know where to look for them.’

And it’s just as well, he thinks. It would be difficult to say good-bye to Peter. Now he won’t have to.

‘And I must get ready as quick as I can. They’ll look after me there in future.’

‘Very well,’ says John.

‘Don’t keep any papers!’

‘No.’

‘Good-bye then, John.’

They shake hands. It seems strange. They are bound to one another by many harrowing events.

John is left with the burden of leadership. At least he would have liked to say that he would rather not.

So Stig goes. He had better report to the people who help you along the road through the darkness. But first he must go home, to Karen and Rascal. He has been dreading this ever since he received the warning. Going home to face them.

He mustn’t tell them anything.

As he walks along he feels he is being watched through a crack, and he has to pretend he is out on some ordinary business until he can turn aside into an ill-lighted side passage.

Will Karen notice anything? No. He has often been with them before something important was about to happen, and has been able to keep so calm that they noticed nothing. And she never asks. He has taught her that.

But now he will have to say good-bye to her without a word implying as much.

Then he is with them. Rascal, nine years old, is doing his homework. Karen has a meal ready.