"No," says Emma, sharply again. "No, I want everybody to stay here. There's no time to go after her."

She turns and strides across the room, toward the door. "We can still do this tonight."





It will be some minutes yet before they discover the hacked-apart root, which will mean that they can't do it tonight after all.

By the time anyone checks the pavement below the broken window, nothing will be left but the glass.