‘There are children all over the place,’ said David. ‘Children like you. We just have to find them. That’s what Jester was trying to do. Our plan is to organize the whole of London.’

‘By organize, you mean rule?’ said Blue.

‘Call it what you like,’ said David. ‘But if we’re to stand any chance of creating a secure and prosperous new world to live in, we all have to work together. And for that we need a figurehead.’

‘That lot of zombies?’ said Blue scornfully, pointing to the grown-ups on the dais. ‘They’re gonna look great on the stamps.’

‘They’re a symbol,’ said David. ‘That’s all. Before, when we had a queen on the throne, she had no real power.’

‘At least she could walk and talk,’ said Blue.

‘As I say,’ David went on. ‘Nobody needs to know just how sick they are.’

‘So if they’re, like, the Royal Family, what does that make you then?’ asked Whitney. ‘The prime minister?’

‘I am a sort of lord chamberlain,’ said David.

‘A lord what?’

‘The person who puts the king’s will into practice. When the king is weak, the chamberlain has the power. In times of crisis you need a strong person in control. But the Royal Family can unite everyone and provide a link to the past.’

‘We don’t want no link to the past,’ said Whitney. ‘We don’t want no new royal family. You think this is going to make things easier? This bunch of idiots on the throne? You’re crazy.’

At this David stormed over to Whitney and shouted into her face.

‘I am not crazy! I am the only person who can pull this country back together. I am your only hope for a secure future.’

Whitney grabbed David by the throat and put her face very close to his.

‘Don’t you ever shout at me again, boy,’ she said, her voice cold and calm. David’s face went scarlet.

The four guards levelled their guns at Whitney. She gave them a look of utter scorn.

‘Do you even know how to use those things?’

‘Do you want to risk finding out?’ said David, his voice tight and high.

Whitney let him go.

‘What you gonna do with us if we don’t want to go along with this?’ she said. ‘Execute us?’

‘Wait, wait, wait,’ said Jester, holding up his hands. ‘Hold on a minute. This hasn’t got off to a good start. We didn’t expect you to get so upset about all this.’

‘Then why didn’t you tell us about it before?’ said Blue.

‘The time wasn’t right. We wanted to show you the palace first. All we’ve achieved.’

‘This is too weird,’ Maxie muttered.

‘Look,’ said David, rubbing his throat. ‘All this arguing is getting us nowhere.’

‘I don’t want no one telling me what to do,’ said Blue.

‘Fine,’ said David. ‘Nobody’s going to tell you what to do. If you’d only listen.’

‘I’m listening.’

‘Good. OK. This is how it works. I don’t order anyone about. I just organize things. Everyone has their own job. Franny’s in charge of growing food, for instance, Rose is in charge of the medical facilities, and so on. What I’m proposing is that you, Blue, would be our commander-in-chief, our general. You would train the troops and lead them. Everyone else here would keep the job they have now. You’d still be in charge of your own people. Things wouldn’t really be that different.’

Blue grinned.

‘General Blue?’ he said. ‘I like the sound of that.’

‘One thing?’ said Ollie, who up until now had said nothing.

‘What?’

‘This army? What’s it for?’

‘To fight grown-ups, of course,’ said Blue.

‘Jester told us the grown-ups had all been driven out of the area.’

‘It’s true,’ said David. ‘But there are other problems.’

‘Like what?’ said Ollie.

‘Like St James’s Park,’ said David.

‘Where’s that?’ asked Achilleus.

‘Just over the road,’ said Maxie. ‘It runs all the way down to Trafalgar Square.’

‘So what about it?’

‘We want to expand our farming activities,’ said Jester, ‘and turn the whole of St James’s into fields. But there’s a group of squatters who’ve set up a sort of camp there and they don’t want anything to do with us. We need to sort them out.’

‘These are kids, right?’ said Maxie. ‘Like us?’

‘Kids, yes, but not like us. They’re not organized. They just run wild. They’re a real threat. If we can sort them out –’

‘Sort them out?’ Maxie interrupted. ‘What does that mean? You want us to attack them?’

‘I don’t think it’ll come to that. I think a show of strength would be enough.’

‘We don’t want to fight no other kids,’ said Whitney.

‘We might have to,’ said David. ‘If we want to control all of London.’

‘No way,’ said Whitney.

‘You should see them,’ said Franny angrily. ‘We had amazing stuff planted there, they just ripped it all up and then attacked us when we went to try and sort it out. We’re stuck here in the palace gardens now. And with all these extra mouths to feed…’

‘You got us here as mercenaries, didn’t you?’ said Maxie, giving David a withering look.

‘Jester tells me you’re really good fighters.’

‘Yeah, what’s the problem?’ said Achilleus. ‘We’ve had to fight to survive. If these other kids are causing problems, we sort them out. It’s what we do. I’m with you, David.’

‘What about the rest of you?’ said David.

‘I need to think,’ said Blue. ‘Maybe see these kids for myself. It’s a lot to take in, man.’

‘We are not fighting other kids,’ said Whitney.

‘I’ll decide,’ Blue snapped. Jester suppressed a smile.

Maxie turned to Ollie.

‘What do you think?’

‘We need to talk.’

40

Sam had had a bad time, slipping in and out of sleep and troubled by half-waking dreams. It didn’t make it any easier having his hands locked together. Although he could just lie down on the seats, the handcuffs bit into him and rubbed his skin.

He was woken by a sound from outside. Something scraping along the roof of the carriage. It moved, and stopped and waited, then moved again. Little cautious movements like an animal would make. The carriage creaked slightly. Sam stared up with gritty, sore eyes. They were playing tricks on him in the half-light and he kept thinking he could see something coming through the roof. Some dark and twisted animal, unfolding out of the shadows. Then he would blink and it was gone.

He felt groggy and confused. Cold. Helpless.

After a while he became aware of another sound. Like some small creature whimpering. He realized eventually it was one of the twins crying.

It was the boy. Sam talked to him and tried to comfort him. His name was Jason. He was very weak and wanted his mum and dad. Sam didn’t really know what to say. He wished he had someone to comfort him, but at least it took his mind off his own troubles for a moment.

Suddenly there was a roar and a thud and Sam nearly jumped out of his skin as the door slid open. Nick came in, carrying a plastic basin. In the permanent night-time world of the tube station Sam had no idea what time it was.

Nick looked round at the four kids.

‘Who needs the loo?’ he asked. Jason said very quietly that he did. Nick unlocked the end of his chain from the handrail above and led him to the bucket at the other end. Jason could hardly walk; his legs were flabby and weak. Nick almost had to carry him.

Nick stood over Jason as he went to the toilet. Sam didn’t think he could go to the loo with someone watching him, and was determined to hold it in as long as he could.

Afterwards Nick slopped some food from the basin into four plastic bowls. It was porridge. Made with salt and water. Sam put his to the side to eat later.

‘Best eat it now, kiddo,’ Nick commanded. ‘I need the bowls back.’