Neville the Less

  * * *

  Not too much later, the Lightning Bug swung past another outcropping in the ocean and, by the surprising spectre that occupied it Neville knew it to be the ghastly island called Apollo Dungeon. He would have guessed it anyhow, even without the Ragged Man - likely the very poison-addled, watching-one Shoomba had described - who sat upon its shore, cross-legged, picking the legs off scorpions and eating them, one by one.

  “Be too late to stop soon,” the man called, waving a spidery shell at them. “Sure you want to go ahead?”

  “We’re sure,” ‘Soon called, answering as though it was nothing to find a Ragged Man questioning them from a tiny island in the middle of the ocean. “We’re following the night geese. Did you see them?”

  “South,” said the man, pointing. “Only for the very foolish, that way. Or the very wise. Which’re you?”

  Afsoon looked to the sky and the sliver of moon caught in her eyes. Then she looked at Neville and the moon slipped back into the sky. She was waiting, he realised, for him to answer; to make his commitment public.

  “We’re looking for the Island of Nobodies,” he called.

  “Oh? Well best be on the lookout then, eh! Tricky place to find, that is!”

  “Okay. Thank you.” And remembering Shoomba’s eerie tale of this man’s self-appointed task, Neville couldn’t resist asking, “Are you watching the invisible world?”

  In reply, the Ragged Man gave an exaggerated wink that twinkled even in the darkness and, “It’s a wild one tonight innit?” he said.

  Neville would certainly have asked if people’s secrets could be seen there or if the Things that’d moved into Under had come from there. But it was an awkward, complicated question and before he could think how to frame it, Afsoon cried out impulsively, “Dive in the water and swim out! You can come with us! You don’t need to live with such awful creatures!”

  “Too right I don’t!” the Ragged Man answered, popping a scorpion’s tail into his mouth and chomping down. “Which is exactly why I’m staying here!”

  And by then it was too late anyhow. Too late for more questions, too late for more answers as the Lightning Bug slid on into the darkness. Neville reminded Afsoon of the story Shoomba had told of this Ragged Man and she declared herself glad they’d left him behind.

  “In Afghanistan, scorpion-men and demons go hand in hand,” she said.