‘Because I said so,’ Ewan grunted, knowing but ignoring that it was the worst reason a leader could possibly give. ‘You go through Harpenden, we’ll take the fields. Whatever you do, don’t head home the way we came. You’ll be followed. Get lost in the countryside if you need to, and use the north star tomorrow night. However you do it, just lose them.’

‘Got it,’ said Mark. ‘Simon, Kate, with me.’

Simon followed as soon as Mark began to jog, but the silent shell of Kate Arrowsmith barely even looked in the right direction.

‘I’m sorry, Kate,’ said Ewan, saying the words but feeling nothing but rage, ‘but you have to go. Mark will look after you, and he needs you to look after him. Go.’

Mark shot an offended glare, but said nothing. He must have worked out that Ewan’s words were to encourage (or manipulate) Kate rather than belittle him. Mark ran for the school driveway, one arm around Kate’s shoulder and the other pushing Simon forward. His journey home would be slow as well as long.

Ewan was left at the foot of the hill with Jack and Gracie. Behind them, Raj’s unapologetic body lay just outside the invisible shield, daring to still be dead.

‘Let’s go,’ he muttered, and made his way up the hill. He paused at the top to wait for his teammates at the spot where he had once hidden for a whole afternoon, back when his world had been marginally easier. He took one last look at Oakenfold Special School, protected by an invisible AME shield, not knowing how the hell they would ever take it back – if they ever did.

There was a fire spreading, as Raj had promised, from the burning library. Torchlight emerged from the distant forests. Raj had been right about not having time to dig under the shield. Ewan picked up the pace whilst stuffing the New London papers into his shirt, wondering how detailed the Outer City map would have to be for Raj’s sacrifice to be worth it.

They half-walked, half-jogged for a mile before Ewan felt it was safe to slow down and speak his mind.

‘Gracie, I put you with Raj…’

‘Not now, Ewan.’

‘Shut up, Jack. Gracie, you two were supposed to stay together…’

Ewan deliberately avoided her gaze, and kept his eyes on the darkened grass beneath his feet. Jack and Gracie were behind him, right where they belonged.

‘I’ve got metal fillings!’ Gracie wailed, far too loud. ‘If I’d stayed with him I’d have died too!’

‘If you’d made him stay with you, you’d both be alive.’

‘He chose to stay!’

‘You chose to leave him.’

‘Ewan,’ Jack interrupted, ‘I know you’re not in the mood, but Raj couldn’t have got the New London stuff without staying and searching.’

‘Shut up, Jack. She could have stayed with him and searched quicker.’