Once he’d gone, I shrugged off my coat and replaced it with Amazonia’s cape. The door was half-ajar and I could hear the opening music. Dancers first, then the comedian, and Aldous with his white rabbits, and then it would be my turn. I thought back to my first day at Crillick’s. How far I had come. But there was no more time for that. I rolled my coat up into a ball and stuffed it just behind the door that opened out into the foyer, ready to collect once my performance was over.

Ellen was already hovering in the wings, watching as Aldous took his bow. She’d painted on her burnt cork and the big red smile. Bouncer, sprawled on his tummy beside her, waved his tail as I came up behind them, but Ellen started when I said her name. She turned round, with a sneer, but her curled lip dropped in surprise when she took me in and saw my bare face.

‘You haven’t done your make-up,’ she hissed. ‘Do you even have your costume on under that cape?’

‘I have something a little different in mind for tonight,’ I said.

‘You wouldn’t dare! Barky,’ she called out, ‘Zillah’s after sabotaging our performance,’ but he was already there.

‘What’s all this, Zillah? Is what Ellen says true?’

The anger in his voice gave no hint that we’d not long spoken, and I was relieved. There was little chance that anyone would suspect his involvement if he seemed as shocked as everyone else when I started my final performance.

The row had taken us a little closer to the stage. Someone in the audience must’ve seen a flash of my cape.

‘It’s her. It’s Amazonia!’ he called out and a cheer went up.

‘My public want me, wish me luck,’ I said, taking my first step on to the stage, leaving Ellen dumbfounded and Barky wringing his hands. My moment had come. Surely the nerves would kick in now, but no. I felt completely calm and I smiled to myself. It was the final sign I needed that I was doing the right thing.