‘I’m Emma,’ said the girl. ‘We just moved in here. I think we’re going to the same school.’ She looked around the yard. ‘So . . . who are you talking to?’

‘No one,’ said Stefan, feeling embarrassed.

‘Yes, you were,’ said Emma. ‘Was it that monster on the wall? Because he looked really angry.’

Stefan smiled. ‘It was,’ he said. ‘That’s a Grand Slam Beast and I just beat it in the Australian Open Final.’

‘Cool!’ said Emma. ‘I love games like that. I’m coming over.’

Emma disappeared behind the fence.

Before Stefan could say ‘Grand Slam’, she came running through the side gate.

‘So who’s your next opponent?’ she asked.

The afternoon sun had dipped some more and the shadow on the wall had changed its shape.

‘It’s the Lobbing Lizard,’ said Stefan. ‘And I’m about to play against him in the Wimbledon Final.’

‘Wimbledon is a big tennis tournament in England,’ he explained.

‘Cool,’ said Emma. ‘I’m going to be the Queen of England.’ She made her voice sound very posh.

‘In the name of the Queen, I order you to beat that beast!’

‘Yes, Your Highness,’ said Stefan. ‘One royal butt-kicking coming right up.’