That’s odd, thought Alfie, looking at his watches both showing the time as 6.49pm. It should have frightened him, but actually it calmed him down. Alfie was so convinced that his watches worked, and couldn’t possibly both fail at the same time, that the more likely explanation was that time had stopped. In some way. Which was good news just at the moment, as it meant that he was no longer getting further and further out of step with his routines.

It occurred to him, in fact – as he had frozen in place with his arms still raised – that if time had stopped he might be stuck, unable to move, which could get very uncomfortable. But, actually, he unfroze his arms and got down from the kitchen table easily.

He wasn’t quite sure how best to handle the current situation. But he knew that whatever weirdness was going on was something to do with him saying that he would do exactly what he liked. Not just saying it: shouting it.

And he knew that when he’d said it he’d meant it. In a different way to the way in which Mrs Stokes had been saying it. She had meant: Yes, dear, you just do whatever. I want to watch TV. But Alfie, in his anger and frustration, had meant: OK, I will do what I like – EXACTLY what I like – just watch me!

But, when he had shouted it, what he had liked the idea of – what, in other words, he had wanted to happen – was indeed for time to stop.

And that’s what had happened.

So maybe … maybe …