‘I’ll be okay in a minute,’ he said. ‘I’m just feeling… a bit sick. I think it’s vertigo.’

‘You’re not going to faint, are you?’

‘What?’

‘I said, “You’re not going to faint?” Do you want me to help you?’

‘I don’t think you can.’

‘Do you want my hand?’

He shook his head. It was noticeable that she’d come close, but she hadn’t touched him. She could see that he was shaking, and knew that touch would make things worse.

‘You’ve done it before, yes?’ she said.

He nodded, and closed his eyes again.

‘Five minutes,’ she said.

‘I know. But then we have to come back.’

‘Going back is easy.’

‘Is it?’

‘You can do it. You just have to take your time.’

He looked down, and imagined falling. He wouldn’t die, because he’d bounce and roll – and he might hit his head, of course – but that would be unlucky. He would roll down the steep shale, and slither to a gradual halt way, way below. Then he would have to find a way up.

‘You go on,’ he said. ‘I’ll follow you.’

‘You sure?’

‘Yes. It’s raining – I need to move.’

The rain was lighter, and cool on his face. Then, as he smiled, it was as if someone somewhere had adjusted the tap, for without any warning at all he was underwater. He stood hunched in a solid, merciless downpour – and it was hard not to take the assault personally, because it was so fierce and drenching. He pulled his hood up over his hat, and she leaned forward and did his zip up for him, taking it right to his nose. Hard rain was battering them both again, and it streamed off their waterproofs. The only other sound he could hear was Maria’s tinkling laughter: once again, she was finding him funny. She turned her back and set off. He followed, and a few steps on she turned to check he was with her. She went slowly, and he went slowly too, through sheets of water. One step at a time, keeping the purple waterproof as close as he could.

Incredibly, he was dry inside.

The waterproofs formed such an impregnable skin that he felt warm and safe – and he realised that he and Maria were now crawling through solid cloud, for visibility was next to nothing. When the thunder came, he mistook it for an air-force jet at first, for it had that same savage, ripping quality – tearing at the sky. Then the final roll burst in a detonation so loud it hurt his ears, and there was no possible response except more laughter. Maria turned back to him, horrified.

‘We can do this!’ she yelled.