“Try me,” said the woman grimly.

Another head poked through. Vincent and Angelo looked amused.

“I’m guessing by your unorthodox arrival that you’re up to no good,” Angelo said with a smile.

“Stay back!” commanded Ophelia Tate.

“We’re the good guys!” said Angelo. “And would I be right in guessing you’re looking for someone special? Someone by the name of Nat Carver?”

Ophelia’s eyes narrowed. “How do I know we can trust you?”

“I’m a lover, not a fighter.” Angelo grinned.

“Never mind all that!” cried Mick. “Do you know where my grandson is?”

By the time Ophelia and Mick had lowered themselves through the hatch, the Spaghetti brothers had briefly reported the events of the evening, conveniently leaving out the parts where they had chased Nat and Woody.

“We’ll get your boys out, then we’ll raze this place to the ground.” Vincent smiled as broadly as his brother. “Leave ‘em all at death’s door, and tell ‘em where they can go.”

CHAPTER 26
A VERY PSYLLI PLAN

Nat Carver’s black eye was throbbing dully. His body felt like a lumpy old sack of wrenches and his head ached so much that even his hair seemed to hurt. The thing that had been Teddy Davis was still sleeping just a few feet away from him. Nat found he didn’t care.

A familiar melancholy howl filled his head, rising and falling in pitch, a sound so desperate and familiar. Woody! What were they doing to him?

Nat got up painfully from the damp floor and tried to look out of the small hatch. The corridors were empty. Nat tried hurling himself at the door, hammering and kicking, but it was useless. He stood in the middle of the small cell, flexing his fingers and breathing deeply.

Nat closed his eyes and tried to picture Woody. If only he could somehow send his friend a message, to show him he was still here, still hoping a miracle would happen and they could get out of this terrible place. He tried for a few minutes, concentrating on Woody’s face, but it was no good; the two-way thing wasn’t going to happen. Then a thought struck him. He took a deep breath, tilted his head back, opened his mouth, and howled.

“A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A AhhhOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOaaarooooh!”

Nat listened to his howl echo around the grim corridors of Helleborine Halt. He hoped that somehow, somewhere, Woody would hear it and know that Nat was still alive and rooting for him.

As the howl trailed off, Nat froze. Someone was groaning, growling, in the corner of the cell. Almost back in his human shape again, Teddy Davis was waking up.

“What the …?” Teddy grumbled, trying to sit up. “Wass goin’ on? And where’s my clothes … ow!”