‘What ya in fer?’ demanded the bleary-eyed weasel.

The animal wore a torn shirt and scruffy trousers. His paws were bare. He was leaning against the close-set bars that separated his cell from that of Xandra and Lex’s. He grinned, displaying sharp, needle-like teeth.

Lex sidled closer to his sister.

‘Um,’ said Xandra. ‘We’re not sure.’

‘I is in fer thievin’.’ The weasel grimaced. ‘Jewels, mostly.’

‘Really?’ said Xandra, not knowing what else to say.

‘Yeah … really. If the coppers ’adn’t of caught me, I’d be livin’ the high life.’

Xandra thought he was rather shabbily dressed for a jewel thief.

‘’Em high society animals think they is so smart,’ he continued, tapping a finger to his nose. ‘But I knows things. Likes how they hide stuff in ’em hollow books. And how they never lock their upper windows. And how servants is quick to tattletale if yer threatens ’em just so.’ The weasel snapped at the air in front of him.

‘How interesting,’ said Xandra, trying not to show her fear.

Lex shuddered.

The weasel squinted at them. ‘I could teach ya. How’d ya likes a career in jewel thievin’?’

‘No thank you,’ said Xandra, trying to be polite.

The weasel hissed, closed one eye and glared at them. ‘Gots me eye on ya.’ After a few moments, he turned around and leapt up onto his top bunk.

‘I don’t want to stay in here,’ Lex whispered to Xandra.

‘Me neither.’

Xandra looked around their cell. Aside from the bunk bed, there was a small table with a jug of water, and a chamber-pot in the far corner. It smelled like the pot hadn’t been changed since the last occupant.

Two of the cell walls were made of brick. The back wall had a little highset window – too high to see through.

Lex began to pace the length of the cell. ‘What are we going to do?’

‘I don’t know,’ admitted Xandra, her mind racing at the impossibility of it all. ‘I guess we just have to wait and see what happens.’

And wait they did. Lex paced and talked about rifts in time and space. Xandra wrung her hands and fretted. Not only were they trapped in some bizarre world, but she was here without her wheelchair.

She felt so utterly helpless.

It was a feeling she was unused to.

It was a feeling she hated.

A couple of hours later, Lightfoot returned, accompanied by a llama.

‘It’s your lucky day,’ said Lightfoot, as he unlocked the cell and stepped back to allow the llama to enter.

The llama was dressed in a black jacket and high-collared white shirt, with tan trousers, waistcoat and cravat. His outfit was completed by a top hat.

‘Goodness me,’ he said, staring at Xandra and Lex. ‘How extraordinary. As I live and breathe I never thought the day would come, when I would see a real live human.’

The twins looked at the llama. Xandra’s mouth dropped open. She knew she was in a world of talking animals. And yet, each new animal continued to take her by surprise.

‘Do pardon me,’ he said. ‘Where are my manners? My name is Archibald Baxter Caractacus Dunlevy, representing the Royal Cryptozoological Society. At your service.’ He doffed his hat and bowed. A shaggy tuft of tawny hair fell over his right eye. Straightening up, he tossed his head back and quickly returned the hat to his head, holding the hair in place.

Xandra regarded the llama. He was the first animal they had encountered who had been nice to them from the start.

‘My name is Alexandra Volodin,’ said Xandra, deciding to use her full name just as the llama had done. She figured it would be the polite thing to do. She elbowed her brother.

Lex jumped to his feet. ‘Ah … and I’m her brother, Alexander Volodin.’

‘Gender variants of the same root name,’ said Archibald, ‘meaning to “help” or “defend”. Fascinating that your parents chose to do that.’ He paused for a moment to scratch his chin. ‘Assuming, of course, that you do have parents.’ He leaned forward. ‘You do, don’t you?’

Xandra and Lex nodded.

‘Of course you do,’ said Archibald. ‘I dare say that everyone at the RCS will be most excited to meet you. I have always insisted that humans, once upon a time, did exist. Many scoffed. But I maintained my position against much opposition. And to have you here in the flesh, confirming my theories … that you not only existed … but that you still do. Well, that is … that is most exciting. There are so many questions that I would like to ask. Where have you come from? Where have you been living? How did you get here to Londinium? How did –’

Lightfoot cleared his throat loudly. ‘Begging your pardon, but I really must interrupt at this point and ask that perhaps you could continue this conversation outside of the incarceration cells.’

‘Yes, of course,’ said Archibald. ‘Please do excuse me. It’s just that this is so exciting.’

‘If you say so, sir,’ mumbled Lightfoot.

Archibald turned back to the still astonished humans. ‘Now, I believe that, ah … Miss Volodin, isn’t it?’ Xandra nodded. ‘That Miss Volodin is incapable of walking. With your permission, I have arranged some personal transport for you.’ He turned back to Lightfoot. ‘Sergeant, if we could summon –’

Before Archibald could finish, Lightfoot blew his whistle.

‘Oh my goodness,’ said the llama, lifting a hoof to his ear. ‘That was rather loud.’

The door at the end of the corridor burst open. With a gush of steam and a clanking of gears, a chair walked in. Xandra and Lex gaped in wonder as the chair scuttled down the corridor towards their cell. A white sheep in a black chauffeur’s uniform trotted alongside it. As the chair arrived at their cell door, the sheep reached over and stabbed at a button on the armrest. The chair came to a halt, the sounds dying down to a low puttering.

‘Thank you, Smithers,’ said Archibald. ‘We’ll take it from here.’

The sheep tipped his cap and left.

‘May I present, the Ambulator Mark 3,’ Archibald declared. ‘It is the very latest in personal transport for those who are … for animals who cannot … well … for those in your situation.’

The cushioned chair was high-backed, with large, wide armrests. Brackets, gears, pistons and cogs were contained within a cage-like construction of metal rods beneath it. Below that were four hinged metal legs, each with three long claw-like appendages. It was an astonishing and ungainly contraption.

I’m supposed to use that? Xandra wasn’t sure she wanted to. Nevertheless, she allowed Archibald and Lightfoot to help her onto the Ambulator. It was surprisingly comfortable.

Archibald explained its operation to Xandra. There was a lever embedded in each armrest. One controlled forward and backward movement, the other controlled left and right direction. The llama pressed the start button.

With a cough and a splutter, the mechanics of the ambulator sprang into action. Steam vented from each side as Xandra pushed the lever. With a jerking motion, it almost threw her out of the seat. She yelped and grabbed at the armrests. Great start! she thought. Discovering a seatbelt, she attached it before continuing. It was a bit scary, but also quite thrilling. Although it took some stopping and starting, she managed to drive the contraption out from the cells, past the astonished faces of the rhino police and onto the streets of Londinium.