‘One of the problems is that no one ever gets a chance to talk to Star by herself. Is she okay? She’s looked awful since she’s been here.’

‘Ally, I have absolutely no idea. In fact, sometimes I feel I hardly know her,’ I admitted.

‘Well, if CeCe is going to be busy with her art course, and if Star decides to do something separately too, perhaps that will give them both a chance to disentangle themselves a little. Now, how about you and I go and sit on the terrace and I’ll ask Claudia to bring out some sandwiches for you? You look pale, Maia, and you missed lunch. And I have something I want to discuss with you.’

I acquiesced and sat down in the sun, its warmth caressing my face and relaxing me. Ally reappeared and sat down next to me.

‘Claudia’s bringing you something to eat,’ she said. ‘Maia, I don’t want to pry, but did you open your letter last night?’

‘Yes, I did. Well, this morning actually,’ I confessed.

‘And it’s obviously upset you.’

‘Initially yes, but I’m okay now, Ally, really,’ I replied, not prepared to discuss it any further. Tiggy’s sweet concern had comforted me, but I knew Ally’s attention might make me feel patronised. ‘How about you?’

‘Yes, I opened mine,’ Ally said. ‘And it was beautiful and it made me cry, but it also uplifted me. I’ve spent the morning looking the coordinates up on the internet. I now know exactly where all of us originally came from. And there are a few surprises in there, I can tell you,’ she added as Claudia brought out a plate of sandwiches and placed them in front of me.

‘You know exactly where we were born? Where I was born?’ I clarified.

‘Yes, or at least, a clue to where Pa found us. Do you want to know, Maia? I can tell you, or I can leave it to you to look up yourself.’

‘I . . . I’m not sure,’ I said, aware of a nervous fluttering in my stomach.

‘All I can say is, Pa certainly got around.’

I looked at her and I only wished that I could be as calm as she seemed in this paradox of mysterious death and revelations of birth.

‘So you know where you’re from?’ I asked her.

‘Yes, though it doesn’t make sense just yet.’

‘What about the others? Did you tell them you know where they were born?’

‘No, but I’ve explained to them how to look up the coordinates on Google Earth. Shall I explain to you too? Or just tell you?’ Ally’s beautiful blue eyes were fixed on me.

‘At the moment, I’m simply not sure.’

‘Well, as I said, it’s very easy to look it up yourself.’

‘Then I’ll probably do that when I’m ready,’ I said firmly, feeling yet again one step behind my sister.

‘I’ll write down the details of how you pinpoint the coordinates, in case you decide you want to know. Did you have a chance to translate any of the quotes that were engraved in Greek on the armillary sphere?’