“It’s time to go.”

He started packing up his things. She walked across to him, put her hand on the back of his head and kissed him on the forehead. She gave him a second kiss right on the top of his head as he began to stand.

He was always the last to leave the library. It’s likely that he would have been the last to leave anyway, but it helped that she was the last teacher to leave.

He’d seen them dancing so many times. He was happy to be in on their secret, it filled him with joy and apprehension whenever he’d see them running around. The room never seemed to quite contain them both, Snerol in particular. He’d caught a glimpse of Snerol’s bright eyes looking back at himself in the mirror more than once. He wondered whether he’d ever behold himself like that. As he truly is, I suppose.

They weren’t in the studio today. It was obvious when they weren’t. The mirrors had shrunk back and the room had returned to its normal size when the two of them had gone home a couple hours ago.

“Do you want to join them?”

“Who?”

“Nodnarb and Snerol.”

“Join them in what?”

“In the studio.”

“Ha!”

“You can join them.”

“No way, it’s stupid.”

“You have never believed that.”

“If they knew we knew they were in there, they’d never go in that room again.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Yes, I do. They go in there to hide.”

“Is that what it looks like to you? Like they’re hiding?”

“They’re always hiding.”

“Is that how you see it when they are in there?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

They started walking downstairs. Mrs Greene drew a breath. Stopped, kissed him on the forehead and on top of his head again.

“Why are you being difficult? Just tell me what you see when you watch them.”

“It’s weird, do you see it too?”

“Of course I do.”

“Does it actually get bigger?”

“The room?”

“Yeah! It’s like Nodnarb’s neck! But it’s Snerol that does it.”

“It’s because he seems himself as he truly is in there.”

“I’m cruel to him, Mum.”

“You can’t hurt him in there.”

“But what if I take it from him? What if I stop him from going in there?”

She could see that he was afraid. He was afraid of what he might say to Snerol. He was regretting the cruelty he’d already shown and was frightened of what he might say next.

“I always feel small, Mum.”

“Go in the studio with them.”

“I will ruin it for them. I will take the only place they have.”

“You’re not that powerful.”

“What if I am?”

They got in the car. She turned the key. Phil Collins was on.