“Come on,” I say to Bit, unnerved. The Cerel might’ve been younger than Jorzy. We set off again, though it takes me a while to regain my confidence.

There are a few small shops in this street, and we slow down to study the window displays.

“I am so hungry,” says Bit, staring at a bread shop.

The display of rolls and loaves in the window looks so delicious that my mouth immediately fills with saliva. Crusty rolls, golden-brown loaves, a plait of shiny bread. Bit presses his hand against the window. The scent of baking bread is overwhelming, hypnotic. Even the dog is drooling.

“Hey, whatcha doing?” a voice shouts.

Even before the burly baker can stride to the door of his shop and shake his fist, we’re running hard down the street, not daring to look back. Left into Tor Street, then we crash against each other, bursting with laughter at the sight of the man’s angry face. I lean against the stone wall of a building to catch my breath.

Calm again, we wait for the traffic to clear – automobiles and steamtrams full of workers – then we cross and go quickly down an alleyway, I don’t know its name. So narrow, it’s more like a tunnel, with the tall buildings nearly seeming to touch at the top. No washing hangs here; these are commercial buildings.

Out of the alley and back into sunlight, and there in front of us is the entrance to the Cerel cemetery.

We quickly cross the street to the gates, hoping nobody’s taking any notice of two Cerel boys. The cemetery is like a park for us Cerels, and it isn’t exactly a forbidden place, though it’s not a place for boys to be seen loitering by themselves. We could get in trouble – from both Black Marks, and our own people. Once through the gates, our boots loud on the gravel, it feels better, safer. There are trees here, and high stone walls, broken in places, and the slabs of stone markers we can hide behind if need be. The ruins are at the back of the cemetery.

We walk in silence along the gravel paths that run through the cemetery. The older part is overgrown with roses and brambles, but there is a new area over to the right that is still being used by the Cerels. Trees offer shade here, and the dog looks around happily for birds, though Bit doesn’t let her off the rope. You wouldn’t want a dog going after bones here.

“Something to show you,” mutters Bit, taking one of the paths on our right and heading towards the new section.