Brambles scratched and tore at Prue’s clothes as she ran, her throat stinging from gasping the cold air. She kept her eyes focused on Edwin leaping in front. She could still hear the stealthy rhythm of the stag-men’s footsteps in the distance. Somewhere above the trees, lights erupted in the night sky, making Prue flinch.

“It’s just fireworks. Must be part of the events,” Edwin called.

She tried to push thoughts of Francis stuck in that terrible body out of her mind. She’d find a way to get him out and into something else. She had to – she couldn’t lose him again. But they had to reach the tower before it was too late.

The trees opened up and they were suddenly in the vegetable patch behind the factorium. They sped onwards.

*

Agapantha connected the machinery and angled the transmitter. Cora was still singing alongside the fireworks, which were reaching a dramatic crescendo.

She prayed that she had got the calculations right and that it would work. She took her notepad from her jacket pocket and double checked them, just in case.

As the final fireworks exploded, she glanced out of the window, even though the height of the tower made her head swim. But this was too important to let that get in the way.

Then she dropped her notebook to the floor – at the forest edge, an orderly group of great antler headed figures emerged, almost as though the forest itself had come to life and the trees had broken free from their roots to march on the factorium. They trudged forward, unseen, as the crowd whooped at the last of the fireworks. Agapantha stared in horror. There were so many of them.

She snapped herself out of it, then furiously finished checking the dials and readings, just as the last of the stag-men filtered on to the great lawn.

Ten orderly lines of stag-men stood on the white lawn of the factorium with Craftsman Primrose at the front.

Like a ripple fading in a lake, the crowd below fell silent as they saw what was before them.

*

As they rounded the west side of the factorium, the burn in Prue’s legs made her want to collapse, but somehow she forced them to keep going.

The fireworks had stopped. The crowd was silent in shock. She heard the voice of Primrose boom across the field.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, now that we have your undivided attention, it is time for a new order of events to unfold.”

“Quick, Ed, you’re faster!” Prue panted.

Edwin bounded towards the messenger tower.

Up above, Agapantha’s hand wavered. She glanced quickly at her watch. Prue had said nine forty-five, hadn’t she? She moved her finger down towards the button.

“Stop!” Edwin called, as he flew into the room.

Agapantha whipped her head around.

“Edwin?”

“It’s Francis, Prue’s brother – we accidentally harnessed him!”

“What?” Agapantha said, aghast.

“He’s one of the stag-men!”