Under cover of the blanket, he slid a hand into his pocket and pulled out one of the charms the healer had given him in the Arctic Village.

The white firebeast snarled to a halt where the BlackPath led on to the flat ground not far from the metal bird. Two male flat-faces jumped out of it and one of them pulled open doors at the back. The other strode over to the bird and looked in through the door.

‘You must be Ujurak?’ he said.

Ujurak nodded. The male looked friendly enough; he was tall and lanky, with a mop of red fur on top of his head.

‘Hi, Ujurak. I’m Tom,’ he said. ‘We’re going to take care of you from here, OK?’

With the Senator’s help manoeuvring him through the door, Tom picked up Ujurak and carried him to the firebeast. On the way, Ujurak opened his hand and let the tiny carved bear drop to the ground.

Please, spirits, guide my friends to me.

Tom lifted Ujurak through the doors at the back of the white firebeast and laid him on a bed inside. Ujurak gripped the blanket tightly, struggling with fear. There were no windows here, and in a moment they would close the doors and he would be shut in.

Are they feeding me to the firebeast?

The Senator leaned in through the open doors, smiling down at Ujurak. ‘You’re in good hands now,’ he said. His voice was kind, so different from the harsh tones he had used in the big den in the village. ‘Don’t worry about a thing. We’ll get you fixed up. Try to relax.’

Ujurak was slightly reassured. ‘I will,’ he whispered.

The Senator reached out and ruffled his head-fur. ‘I’ll check in on you later.’

Ujurak tried to smile, sensing that the Senator needed to feel he had done the right thing by taking him away from the Arctic Village. He didn’t want to make the Senator angry again.

The Senator stepped back, glancing at the flat-face called Tom. ‘He’s some kid,’ he said.

Tom nodded, then stepped into the back of the firebeast with Ujurak. The second flat-face pushed the doors shut. A moment later the firebeast growled into life and Ujurak felt it move off.

He wasn’t sure how long the journey took. Once he was used to the sound and movement of the firebeast, it was quite soothing, and he was so exhausted that he dozed off for a brief while.

He roused when the firebeast halted again, and the inrush of cold air as the doors were opened brought him back to full consciousness.

‘Here we are, kid,’ Tom announced.

Ujurak struggled to sit up, but Tom pushed him gently back on to the bed. ‘Lie still,’ he said. ‘You don’t have to do a thing.’