I know without turning around that Hellyann is crouched down with us. Her smell really is pretty pungent and I try not to breathe. This is probably a good thing, because every breath we take in the cold air sends up clouds of condensation, which would reveal our hiding place.

The Geoffs park their car about ten metres away and when they kill the engine, I hear two car doors open then slam shut, and footsteps in the fresh snow getting closer.

‘Look, Dad: there’s one here, and some more there. Look!’

Some more what?

Iggy slowly rises up till he can see through the side windows of the Land Rover, which are lightly dusted with snow.

Geoff Jr says, ‘See that? They’re leading to the Woodland Walk. It’s definitely been here.’

Footprints! They’ve seen Hellyann’s footprints!

The Geoffs take another couple of steps closer, and we are hardly breathing now. I think that if my heart beats any harder they’ll hear it.

I hear the click of a cigarette lighter and, a moment later, the smell of tobacco is followed by a prolonged, juicy cough. The cougher then hacks up a lump of throat matter and spits it. It lands with a splat behind us, while Geoff Senior chuckles and says, ‘Hur-hur, nice one, son! Proper tramp’s oyster, that one.’

Behind me, Hellyann goes snff snff at the smell of tobacco smoke, and I turn, putting my finger to my lips. She imitates me – perhaps she doesn’t understand what the gesture means. Anyway, she is being quiet – I think she realises that we’re scared.

The younger man says, ‘Dad? We could be, you know … mistaken. I mean, it was dark and everything.’

The older Geoff sighs. ‘Listen, son. We know what we saw. The observatory’s got the biggest non-military telescope in the country, and it picked up something in the sky and it wasn’t flamin’ Santa Claus. Not only that but we saw them splashes. We were on the scene straight away, and we saw that … that thing. I tell you – if it hadn’t been for those damn kids …’

So they had seen her? That doesn’t sound good. Geoff Jr answers his dad with another bout of coughing, then says, ‘But, Dad. If the RAF had picked it up, they’d have been snooping round already.’

‘Geoffrey, son. We’ve been through this. Maybe they did see something but ignored it. Maybe they’re waiting to see if it happens again. Maybe they saw nowt, or the fella working their telescope was on his Christmas break. We just don’t know, do we? Thing is, what we saw was worth investigating.’

‘Dad? I know you don’t want to hear this but …’

‘You’re gonna say we should go to the police, aren’t you? “Notify the authorities?” You, son, have got your mother’s streak of cowardice. We have the chance of earning a fortune as the father-and-son team who captured a flamin’ extraterrestrial, and you want to throw that away? I dunno what’s wrong with you. Imagine the fame, Geoffrey!’

I suddenly feel bad. What Geoff Sr is describing sounds vain and selfish. But it is very similar to what I was thinking not long ago. Whatever thoughts I am having are scattered when Suzy stretches her neck out. I see it before Iggy and can only watch in horrified silence as she goes bok-bok-bok-baaak!

Iggy tries to clap his hand over her beak, but it’s too late.

‘What the blazes was that?’ I hear Geoff Sr say, followed by the sound of his footsteps as he approaches.

At the same time, there’s a rustle behind me, and Hellyann is off at a crouching run, heading for the Woodland Walk path.

‘Blimey! There it is, Dad – look!’ cries Geoff Jr.

‘Let the dog out!’

I hear their car’s hatchback door pop open.

‘Go, Sheba! Go seek! She’s got the scent – look! Go, Sheba!’

I hear, rather than see, Sheba rush off into the forest followed by Geoff Jr waving a torch, and find myself hoping with all my heart that Hellyann will get away. I don’t have much time to think about it, though, because a second later, Geoff Sr is towering over Iggy and me as we cower in the shadow of the Land Rover.

‘You’s two again, eh?’ he growls. ‘I think we need to have a little chat. Gerrin’ me car.’