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"You’re wrong," Debbie said shakily "I could convince people"

"Then go ahead," Steve smirked "You knohere the door is Best of luck Send us a postcard to let us kno you got on"

"I don’t like you," Debbie snarled "You’re cocky and arrogant"

"You don’t have to like me," Steve retorted "This isn’t a popularity contest It’s a matter of life and death I’ve studied the vaht and killed them too We knoe have to do to put a stop to theht to stand there and tell us our business? You hadn’t even heard of the vao!"

Debbie opened her ht," she admitted sullenly "You’ve risked your lives for the sake of others, and you know uess it’s the teacher in ed a very feeble smile

"Then you trust us to deal with it?" I asked "You’ll find a new apartment, maybe move out of the city for a feeeks, until it’s over?"

"I trust you," she said, "but if you think I’ to fight"

"What are you talking about?" I frowned

"I’ll help you find and kill the vampaneze"

I stared at her, astonished by the sih ere in search of a lost puppy "Debbie!" I gasped "Haven’t you been listening? These are creatures that can move at super-fast speeds and flick you into the er What can you - an ordinary human - hope to accomplish?"

"I can explore the tunnels with you," she said, "provide an extra pair of legs, eyes, ears With round"

"You couldn’t keep up" I protested "We h dark tunnels, with the threat of the vampaneze ever present?" She sreed, "you could probably o all day, hour after hour, without pause You’d tire and fall behind"

"Steve keeps up," she noted

"Steve’s trained himself to track them Besides," I added, "Steve doesn’t have to report to school every day"

"Neither do I," she said "I’m on compassionate leave They don’t expect me back’ until the start of next week at the earliest"

"Debbie you it’s" I sputtered, then turned appealingly to Steve "Tell her she’s out of her ood idea," he said

"What? I roared

"We could do with another pair of legs down there If she has the guts for it, I say we give her a go"

"And if we run into the va face to face with Hooky or his pals?"

"I do, as a matter of fact," he sot a spine of steel"

"Thank you," Debbie said

"Don’t rew serious "I can kit her out with an arrow gun In a scrape we ive the vaet to worry about"

"I won’t stand for it," I growled "Harkat - tell thehtful "Tell them what, Darren?"

"That it’s madness! Lunacy! Stupidity!"

"Is it?" he asked quietly "If Debbie was any other person, would you be so quick to turn down her offer? The odds are against us We need allies if we are to triuot her into this," Harkat interrupted "I told you not to You ignored me You can’t control people once you involve theer and she accepts it What excuse have you to reject her offer other than you’re fond of her and don’t want to see her har I could say "Very well," I sighed "I don’t like this, but if you want to pitch in, I guess we have to let you"

"He’s so gallant, isn’t he?" Steve observed

"He certainly kno to rinned, then dropped her coat and leant forward "Now," she said, "let’s quit with the ti there is to know about these monsters What do they look like? Describe their smell What sort of tracks do they leave? Where do-"

"Quiet!" I snapped, cutting her short

She stared at me, offended "What did I-"

"Hush," I said, quieter this tier to ainst it

"Trouble?" Harkat asked, stepping up beside me

"I heard soft footsteps in the hallway a o - but no door has opened"

We retreated, co with our eyes Harkat found his axe, then went to check on the

"What’s happening?" Debbie asked I could hear the fast, hard beat of her heart

"Maybe nothing - rimly

"I don’t know It could just be an inquisitive maid But so, maybe they haven’t Best not to take chances"

Steve swung his arrow gun around and slid an arrow into it

"Anyone outside?" I asked Harkat

"No I think the way’s clear if we have to make a break for it"

I drewour next move If we left now, it would be safer - especially for Debbie - but once you start running, it’s hard to stop

"Up for a scrap?" I asked Steve

He let out an uneven breath "I’ve never fought a vampaneze on its feet," he said "I’ve always struck by day, while they were sleeping I don’t kno much use I’d be"

"Harkat?" I asked

"I think you and I should go see what’s going on," he said "Steve and Debbie can wait by theIf they hear sounds of fighting, they should leave"

"How?" I asked "There’s no fire escape and they can’t scale walls"

"No proble inside his jacket, he unwrapped a thin rope from around his waist "I always come prepared," he winked

"Will that hold two of you?" Harkat asked

Steve nodded and tied one end of the rope to a radiator Going to the , he swung it open and threw the other end of the rope down "Over here," he said to Debbie, and she went to hiot her to cli on to the rope, so she was ready to descend in a hurry "You two do what you have to," Steve said, covering the door with his arrow gun "We’ll get out if things look bad"

I checked with Harkat, then tiptoed to the door and took hold of the handle "I’ll go first," I said, "and drop low You coht after- scalp them We’ll stop to ask for their credentials later"

I opened the door and dived into the hall, not bothering with a count Harkat stepped out after ht - no one there either I paused, ears cocked

Long, tense nawed at our nerves but we ignored it and concentrated - when you’re fighting vampaneze, a second of distraction is all they need

Then so to the floor, I twisted on tohis arrow gun up

The figure clinging to the ceiling dropped before Harkat could fire, knocked him across the hallway, then kicked my sword from my hands I scrambled after it, then stopped at a familiar chuckle "Ga, I was greeted with the sight of a chunky reen hair It was my fellow Vaasped, as he grabbed me by the scruff of the neck and helpedthe back of his head, where Vancha had struck hied a finger at us "You should always check the shadows overhead when scanning for danger If I’d meant to harm you, the two of you would be dead now"

"When did you get back?" I cried excitedly "Why did you sneak up on us? Where’s Mr Crepsley?"

"Larten’s on the roof We got back about fifteen o We heard unfamiliar voices in the room, which is e moved cautiously Who’s in there with you?"

"Corinned, then led him into the room I told Steve and Debbie that ere safe, and went to theto call doary, wind-bitten, very welcome Mr Crepsley