‘This way!’ shouted Twoface. He ran to the end of Tinderbox Alley and jumped on to a wall, his nose-protectors falling off his noses as he tumbled over it.

I looked behind me and spotted a cloud of multicoloured Nom Noms zooming towards us through the air. ‘NOT!’ squawked Not Bird, waggling his thimble beak-protector off his beak.

He flew up to the Nom Noms and opened his mouth. ‘NOM . . . nom?’ screeched the Nom Nom at the front, disappearing into Not Bird’s mouth.

‘Looks like somebody’s ready for their lunch!’ cried Jamjar, jumping over the wall with Splorg as Not Bird flew forwards and swallowed the whole cloud.

‘Exkeelent work, Not Bird!’ I said, scrabbling up the wall. ‘OOF!’ I blurted, tumbling over it and looking around.