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‘YOU CAN SEE ME, CAN’T YOU?’ SAYS JOANNA. ‘I DON’T know how you do it, but you can see in the dark.’ She’s had her suspicions for some time now. The girl moves softly and silently around the dark space, never stumbling. Joanna has never seen her use a torch.

‘Yes, I can see you,’ the girl replies. ‘I have night-vision equipment. Gives me a headache after a while, but it’s useful down here.’

‘Please,’ says Joanna, ‘can we have some light? Just a torch. I already know what you look like, it can’t make any difference.’

‘We can’t, I’m afraid,’ says the girl. ‘We’re waiting for someone, you see. And I need to know exactly when she’s coming.’