The noise of the sirens that came next – so fast – seemed to press against me just as much as the wind, and I hated it, even though I needed them to come and put out the fire. Two fire engines screamed towards me – and passed. I turned to run after them for about five steps before realising, and stopping: I had to get home.

Mum stood in the kitchen struggling to understand. ‘And you told them Mr Clemm might be at home? When you phoned?’

I sat on a kitchen stool and nodded.

‘Let’s hope he wasn’t in.’ Mum looked confused. ‘Nothing more you could have done in any case, darling. A miracle you were there to report it instantly.’ She yawned. It was still so early. ‘Why were you there?’

I looked at Lily and she shook her head quickly.

‘I went to help him with his new machine.’

‘Those machines! Probably what set the place alight. Oh, Alfie, imagine what could have happened to you! Amazing that you had the presence of mind to phone straight away without panicking – but just imagine! Doesn’t bear thinking about.’

Lily went to the window and stood looking out for a long time. I found out that after I left for Ash House at stupid o’clock, she’d fallen asleep in my bed. Mum found her there, curled into a ball.

‘Can you still see smoke, love?’ Mum asked.

‘Yeah,’ Lily said. ‘Not as much, though.’

They sounded far away.

After a while, Lily left the window and came to sit on the stool next to mine, looking like she wanted to do something, but didn’t know what.

‘I’m sure he’ll have got out,’ she said. ‘Why wouldn’t he? It’s such a big house.’

‘But what about Lysander? Julia’s often outside. Godrell the great bustard lives outside all the time – so do the goats and capybara, so they’ll be OK. But Lysander lives mostly inside …’

Lily didn’t say anything. She just stared back at me with wide eyes, and my heart started beating faster and faster, each thud throbbing on an awful sick feeling that had been lying in my stomach since I got home. My next words were just squeaks: ‘What if he’s trapped?’

Lily started fiddling with her hair. ‘We don’t know that,’ she said. Her voice was really definite, but her eyes stayed worried. She swallowed quickly, twice, and took a deep breath. ‘There must be a door or window left open for him all the time, surely? He’d have to get outside to … to go to the toilet.’

‘What if the new machine caught fire? Mr Clemm got a new part for it last week. What if it wasn’t safe?’ Tears burned behind my eyes.

She squeezed my shoulder. ‘Someone will know soon. Stop imagining awful stuff.’ She looked around. ‘Where’s …?’

‘She went. Saw her go.’

‘Where?’