For several hours, nothing much happened. The train sped through the night, the carriage gently rocking, the sound of its iron wheels clacking through the enclosed space.

They had managed to open one of the trap doors in the roof of the carriage, and now kept two crates stacked below it, so that they could rapidly climb up and make their escape when the time came.

Thanks to the ventilation, it was now pleasantly cool in the carriage. They stacked some of the poached hides in a corner and made themselves as comfortable as they could.

"Okay, this is my guess," said Alice. "Chang bribed the driver of this train, and presumably someone in charge of some small station, to have the train make a little detour onto an unused sidetrack. They loaded the loot into this carriage. I guess he felt a bit nervous transporting it all the way on the truck. Even a routine police check on the way, and there would be disaster."

"So where do you think they are taking it?" asked Laura.

"Well, he said something about docks. I think they are taking it to some harbour, where it will be loaded onto a ship. My guess is the destination is somewhere in the Far East. China probably. Remember that letter you got from Uncle Vernon's office? 'Shanghai Imports,' it said. Probably Chang's front company for this kind of deal. Or, more likely, it belongs to someone else. I think he just works for them. The big boss of such an outfit would probably not take the risk of doing all his dirty work himself. What do you think Francis?"

Francis grinned wryly. "I think you are right. I also think we do not make very good detectives."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, all the time on the farm, even knowing there's no reception, we keep on carrying our phones with us. And now we are finally in a position to call anyone and everyone, and I notice not one of us thought to bring a phone."

"Yes, alas," said Laura. "Things happened so fast when the truck arrived at the farm. I actually put my phone on the bedside table in our room, specifically so I would remember it, and then managed to forget it there after all."

"Well, too late to worry about that now. We're simply going to have to manage. We'll have to wait and see when we get there. Chang said this train wouldn't stop anywhere in between, and I'm guessing he's using a quiet harbour somewhere. I don't know how we are going to get help, but we'll have to. Once the stuff is loaded onto a ship and on its way to China, it will be too late."

"I suppose Uncle Vernon will be there too," said Alice. "If we get the police to come raid the place, he'll be arrested as well."

"Yes," said Francis. "And serves him right. I don't see that he has any excuse at all for what he's done, but he can go explain it to a judge as far as I'm concerned."

The thought of their uncle, that had been a friend since they could remember, and who has now turned out to be a treacherous criminal, set them in a gloomy mood. They quietly sat on the pile of poached animal hides, waiting for time to pass.

Their sleepless nights began to catch up with them. One by one, they dozed off, despite their sense of dread and uncertainty about what the next few hours would hold.

* * *

A light shudder passed trough the carriage as it shunted off onto a side track. They were awake in an instant. It was still dark.

Francis looked at his watch.

"I think we have arrived," he said. "The sun will rise in an hour or two."

They could hear the train's brakes screeching, and could feel the carriage slowing down.

"Okay, we'd better be ready to get out of here," said Francis. "I suggest we get onto the roof of the carriage. Once the train stops, they might open the door very suddenly and surprise us in here. So I suggest we get on top, and stay as low as possible."

He clambered onto the crates they had stacked earlier. "Okay, I'll go first and then help you up. Remember, these carriages are larger than they look. It's going to be a bit scary up there, but there's no other choice. And stay low. There is a high-voltage electrical cable running up there, that provides the power for the locomotive. If you touch it, you'll be fried in an instant."

He reached up, hooked his hands over the edge, then hoisted himself up. Below him the girls watched as his upper body disappeared through the door, followed by his legs. For a long moment, he was lost from sight. Then his face appeared back in the opening.

"Right, Alice next," he said. "The carriage has a quite flat top. There's enough room up here, but stay low and don't make any sudden big moves. And we'll have to hurry. Give me your hand."

Alice reached up. Francis grabbed hold of her hands, and lifted her from above, while Laura provided anchorage for her feet below. Soon she was crouching on top of the carriage with her brother.

"And now you, Laura. You are lighter than us; I think we can pull you up."

Francis and Alice both extended a hand. Laura grabbed hold, and then they quickly pulled her to the top of the carriage.

"We should close this door again, otherwise it might arouse suspicion," said Laura. "We really should have tried to put things down there back the way we found them as well, but I suppose it's too late now."

They quickly did as Laura suggested, then crouched low on the carriage and looked around. As Francis had warned them, it looked much higher than it looked while they were traveling inside it, and less than two metres above the train, an electrical cable was suspended from supports next to the railway track. The carriage rocked alarmingly, and they clung to whatever they could get their hands on. They leaned even lower when the train suddenly sped around a sharp turn, threatening to pitch them off into the dark.

"Watch out!" warned Francis. They were approaching a low tunnel. They flattened themselves onto the roof of the carriage. The train sped into the tunnel, and for half a minute, they were engulfed in pitch-black darkness and deafening noise.

Then the train emerged into soft moonlight again, still slowing down.

They were traveling through a run-down industrial area, in between huge, dusty warehouses with grimy, broken windows, heaps of rubble, old car wrecks and other odds and ends seeming to float in waist-high weeds. Some of the old factories seemed abandoned, but here and there lights could be seen inside a building. There was no-one in sight.

"I can smell the ocean," said Laura. They sniffed. She was right: they could all smell it now, even above the oily and rusty smell of old factories and warehouses. The salty, fishy aroma of the sea filled their nostrils, and made them think of seaside holidays, lazy days on the beach, pleasant sunshine and games in the waves.

"We are close, then," said Francis. "I don't think we should stay here on the roof. We are too visible. I suggest we move to the back of this carriage, and then wait in the junction between this one the one behind it. When the train stops, we can jump off and make a run for it if necessary."