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son that she said you could come. You can’t let her down now.’
    But it was Ben who changed her mind. ‘If you promise to do something, Odge, then you have to do it, you know that. And if giving Raymond . . . whatever it is . . . will help, then that’s part of the deal.’
    ‘Oh, all right,’ said Odge sulkily . ‘ But if he doesn’t treat it properly I’ll let my sisters loose on him, and that’s a promise.’
    It was nine o’clock before the servants were settled in front of the telly and Ben could creep upstairs with his new friends.
    Raymond was sitting up in bed with his ghetto-blaster going full tilt, wriggling in time to the music.
    ‘What do you want?’ he said to Ben. ‘I don’t need you. I haven’t got any homework to do today because tomorrow’s Saturday and anyway you’re supposed to stay in the kitchen.’
    ‘I’ve brought some people to see you,’ said Ben. ‘Visitors.’
    The rescuers entered, and Ben introduced them – all except Hans who had to crawl through the door on his hands and knees and settled himself down with his eye shut.
    Raymond stared at them. ‘They look funny , ’ he said. ‘Are they in fancy dress?’
    ‘No, Your Roy—’ began Cor and broke off. He had been about to call Raymond Your Royal Highness but it was too early to reveal the full truth. ‘We come from another place.’
    ‘What place?’ asked Raymond suspiciously .
    ‘It’s called the Island,’ said Gurkintrude. Feys are used to kissing children and being godmother to almost everyone, but Raymond, bulging out of his yellow silk pyjamas, looked so uninviting that she had to pretend he was a vegetable marrow before she could settle down beside him on the bed. ‘It’s a most beautiful place, Raymond. There are green fields with wild flowers growing in the grass and groves of ancient trees and rivers where the water is so clear that you can see all the stones on the bottom as if they were jewels.’
    Raymond didn’t say anything, but at least he’d switched off his radio.
    ‘And all round the Island are beaches of white sand and rock pools and cliffs where the sea birds come to nest each spring.’
    ‘And there are seals and buzzards and rabbits and crabs,’ said Odge.
    ‘I don’t like crabs,’ said Raymond. ‘They pinch you. Is there a pier with slot machines and an amusement arcade?’
    ‘No. But you don’t need an amusement arcade – the dolphins will come and talk to you and the kelpies will take you on their backs and gallop through the waves.’
    ‘I don’t believe it,’ said Raymond. ‘You’re telling fibs.’
    ‘No, Raymond, it’s all true,’ said Gurkie, ‘and if you come with us we’ll show you.’
    Cor opened his briefcase and took out a cardboard folder. ‘Perhaps you would like to see a picture of our King and Queen?’
    He handed the photograph to Raymond. It wasn’t one of the official palace portraits with the royal family in their robes. The Queen was sitting on a rock by the sea with one hand trailing in the water. Her long hair was loose and she was smiling up at the King who looked down at her, his face full of pride. The picture had been taken before the Prince was stolen and what came out of it most was – happiness.
    ‘They look all right,’ said Raymond. ‘But they don’t look royal. They’re dressed like ordinary people. If I was royal I’d wear a gold uniform and medals.’
    ‘Then you’d look pretty silly by the sea,’ said Odge, ‘because the salt spray would make the gold braid go all green and nasty and your medals would clank and frighten away—’
    ‘Now, Odge!’ said Gurkie warningly .
    ‘Could I look?’ asked Ben – and Cor took the picture from Raymond and handed it to him.
    Ben said nothing. He just stood looking at the photograph – looking and looking as if he could make himself part of it . . . as if he could vanish into the picture and stay there.
    But now Raymond sat up very straight and pointed to the door. ‘Eeek!’