‘I’m not a child!’ Cheng leapt across, landing with a lurch as his backpack threatened to unbalance him. Eddie caught his harness before he could fall, giving him a patronising look. ‘I’m not,’ the younger man said with a huff.

Nina had already moved on. The next room was much like the first, a spartan dormitory, though the ice had encroached further into it. The rear of the fortress must have been badly damaged during its millennia of entombment. But why hadn’t the ice kept advancing? There was no reason for it to stop . . .

The route ahead began to curve back downwards. They were at the fortress’s rear; the passage looped around to head towards its front. In the higher wall was another door, with an ornate golden surround. She shone her light through the opening—

A tall figure faced her.

She gasped, flinching back before realising it was not alive. The menacing form was a suit of armour, embedded in more invading ice.

‘Whoa!’ Imka yelped. ‘What is that?’

Nina edged up the slanted floor for a closer look. ‘It’s armour.’

‘Whose armour? Whoever wore that must have been three metres tall!’

‘It’s the Predator!’ Eddie joked as he, Cheng and Vorster hurried to see. ‘Now will you believe we’ve found a spaceship?’

Nina had to admit the armour was definitely made for someone – or something – far taller than even the lankiest human being. It was aggressively designed, a colourful mask resembling a devil’s snarling face with protruding fangs fronting the horned helmet. She glanced at Cheng. ‘It looks like a Chinese demon, don’t you think?’

He nodded. ‘It does. And there are more.’ He pointed deeper inside the ice. Other figures were dimly discernible. ‘But look at that! It must be a weapon.’

Nina spotted something within the frozen barrier. At first she thought it was a spear, as long as the armour was tall, then saw that instead of a blade, the head was an elongated metal bulb. More identical shapes were lined up beyond. ‘Maybe it’s an armoury.’

Eddie regarded the glowering metal figure with distaste. ‘Whoever they were, I wouldn’t want to fight ’em up close. It’s got blades and spikes all over it.’

‘Hopefully we won’t run into the owner,’ said Nina uncomfortably. The armour inescapably brought to mind Wim Stapper’s demon. ‘Let’s keep going.’ She set off again.

‘What do you think of my theory now, Professor Wilde?’ asked Cheng. ‘A non-human precursor race – do you think that’s what we’ve found?’

‘I’ll reserve judgement until I’ve seen more,’ she replied. Something about his attitude felt . . . off. He seemed almost nonchalant about the discovery, regarding the giant armour with detached curiosity rather than astonishment. Her unease from her lecture returned; did he know more about the Veteres than he was letting on?