Crunch roared and put his huge hands either side of the friendly tree. ‘I’ll shake you down! I’ll break you down! You don’t have wings to save you, just arms that flap and legs that snap.’ With a roar, the Red Brother shook the trunk. The tree made a terrible groaning noise, and a shower of old leaves came loose, to pat softly against Crunch’s shoulders, arms and feet. It was all Sa-at could do not to tumble down after them.

When Crunch stopped, the world continued to rock back and forth for a few moments. Sa-at made sure he was well braced. ‘I’m still here.’

‘I’m just getting started!’

‘You won’t get me down.’

‘I will! I’ll get you down and grind you down. I’ll pop out your eyes and twist off your ears!’

‘You said that when Pits died. And when Eyesore died too.’

It turned out that Crunch was just getting started. He shook the friendly tree a second time, twice as long and twice as hard as the first. Sa-at clung to one of the thicker branches as his legs swung wildly back and forth. His teeth clacked together, and he bit the inside of his cheek by accident, hard enough to taste blood.

Somehow, he managed to hold on until Crunch stopped and doubled over, making ugly grunting noises.

The friendly tree’s distress continued to echo around them, masking the whisper of wings as Crowflies returned. The Birdkin had not come alone. Others just as black, with grey beaks, and the same compound eyes, took up positions in the neighbouring trees, plugging the spaces where shafts of sunslight peeked through. Crunch could not see the dimming of light, but he must have felt something, for he straightened.

‘What’s this? Do we have a sneaker in the shadows?’

‘I’m still here,’ said Sa-at quickly, leaning down so that he could poke the top of Crunch’s head.

‘Raargh!’ replied the giant. Sa-at had expected retaliation but he hadn’t expected it quite so fast, the black-nailed fingers of Crunch’s hand scraped painfully across his shin as he scrambled away. The Red Brother had marked him, but he didn’t stop to gloat. Instead, he grabbed a handful of the friendly tree’s upper branches and pulled, bending the trunk, and Sa-at, towards him.

Sa-at tried to pull his legs up but he was too late and one of Crunch’s grasping hands wrapped around his ankle.

‘Got you!’

Sa-at forgot he was supposed to be pretending and screamed.

‘That song is much better.’ One flex of Crunch’s powerful arm was enough to dislodge Sa-at’s hold on the friendly tree and leave him dangling upside down. ‘I’m going to squeeze another from you.’