“We start with the site of the hospital that was bombed,” she said with her mouth full. “We question the farmer Nathan stayed with. We visit the hospital where the wounded were taken. We ask every single person who works there if they’ve seen him. Do you have a photograph of him? Good. We show people the photograph. We don’t leave until we find someone who remembers him.”

“It’ll never work,” said Ben, but he felt his heart beat faster.

“How do you know if you don’t try?” Lotti began to pace about the cabin. “Ben, aren’t you tired of people telling you what to do? My whole life since my parents died, I’ve never got to decide. At school I couldn’t even choose when to brush my teeth, or read a book, or just do nothing and daydream. And Barton’s no better. Oh, I can get expelled and rescue Federico, but look at me now! Trying to hide him, about to be sent away again! And look at you! How long have you been waiting for Sam to come home? Months! And he’s not here! Well, I don’t want to let other people choose anymore. It’s like what Clara taught us about. It’s democracy. I want to be the one in charge! I say we go and we find Sam ourselves! And after that …”

“After that, what?”

Lotti faltered. “Nothing.”

She had been about to say, “maybe I could go and find my grandmother,” but she wasn’t sure how she felt about that. Moune’s broken promise, the letters which suddenly stopped … Lotti’s fear of Moune’s rejection was almost as great as her longing for her.

“Skinner’s away,” she continued. “I heard my uncle say. Do you know when he gets back?”

“Wednesday,” said Ben. “But Lotti, how …”

“Wednesday,” Lotti interrupted. “And Clara’s gone, doing whatever she’s doing, and my uncle and aunt are off to Scotland in the morning … I’m meant to go to school on Sunday … it’s perfect, Ben! We’ll be miles away before anyone notices.”

“Lotti! How will we get to France?”

She looked at him in astonishment. “Why, on the Sparrowhawk, of course!”

Ben felt a pinch of disappointment. He’d known all along the plan was impossible.

“We can’t take the Sparrowhawk to France,” he sighed.

“Why not? She’s a boat, isn’t she?”

“She has a completely flat bottom and no keel. Honestly, Lotti, you might as well try to get to France in a bathtub. She’d sink.”

“But Nathan said he should have fetched Sam in her …”

“It was a joke.”

“It’s worth a try!”

“Not if we drown.”

“We’ll be careful!”

“Careful, in the Sparrowhawk, on the sea?”

Lotti bit thoughtfully into a biscuit.

“What will happen to the Sparrowhawk if we don’t go, Ben? What will happen to the dogs?”

“…”