‘Slippery little bitch,’ Creedy said.

Whether the girl was unable to perceive the brine tank, or whether she simply did not notice it in her panic, Ida didn’t know. But she doubted that what happened next was deliberate. The child ran straight into the container’s curved glass wall.

There was a blaze of white light, a sharp bang…

And the tank shattered.

A wave of brine erupted out onto the market floor, washing artefacts aside as it surged between the aisles. Ida leapt for the safety of the nearest set of shelves and tried to clamber up among the trove. Her foot slipped, and she felt cold seawater close around the heel of her shoe. The metal stink of brine filled her nostrils. She yelped, snatching her foot away, but it was too late. Her ankle had already begun to itch.

Strong hands gripped her, pulled her up. ‘Relax, ma’am. It’s only your ankle.’

The itching became a strange prickling sensation. Ida’s heartbeat quickened.

She heard Creedy’s voice. ‘That wasn’t our fault. Hu can’t blame us for breaking that.’

‘There she is,’ said another man. ‘She’s splashing through the stuff.’

The prickling sensation in Ida’s foot intensified. She began to shiver with fear. Was this shock? How long did she have before her skin began to change? ‘I need fresh water,’ she said. ‘I need to-’

‘The guns aren’t working, sir. Our shots don’t have enough mass. We’re going to have to overwhelm her.’

Ida pulled off her slipper and stared at her ankle. She couldn’t see any damage yet, but the skin on her heel felt like it was tightening over the bones inside.

‘… for something her size?’

‘Five or six tons. But, like I said, it’s a hell of a risk. Hu is still looking for an excuse to bury us. A hole in his city pretty much fits that bill.’