The passages and walkways ('an excitingly brutal brushed concrete finish') had two smells, depend- ing on whether or not the Council's ninja caretaker had been round in his van. The other one was disinfectant.

No-one liked the Joshua N'Clement block. There were two schools of thought about what should be done with it. The people who lived there thought everyone should be taken out and then the block should be blown up, and the people who lived near the block just wanted it blown up.

The odd thing was that although the block was cramped and fourteen storeys high, it had been built in the middle of a huge area of what was theoretically grass ('environmental open space'), but which was now the home of the Common Crisp Packet and Hardy-Perennial Burned-Out Car.

'Horrible place,' said Wobbler.

'People've got to live somewhere,' said Yo-less.

'Reckon the man who designed it lives here?' said Johnny.

'Shouldn't think so.'

'I'm not going too near Bigmac's brother,' said

Wobbler. 'He's a nutter. He's got tattoos and every- thing. And everyone knows he pinches stuff" Videos and things. Out of factories. And he killed Bigmac's hamster when he was little. And he chucks his stuff out of the window when he's angry. And if Glint's been let out—'

Glint was Bigmac's brother's dog, which had reputedly been banned from the Rottweiler/Pit Bull Terrier Crossbreed Club for being too nasty.

'Poor old Bigmac,' said Johnny. 'No wonder he's always sending off for martial arts stuff.'

'I reckon he wants to join the Army so's he can bring his gun home one weekend,' said Yo- less.

Wobbler looked up apprehensively at the huge towering bulk of the block.

'Huh! Bringing his tank home'd be favourite,' he said.