Chapter EightSqueezing through the huddle of boys to get a better look, Ben gazed in astonishment at a single step, half-buried in the earth. Without pausing, Paul went straight to it, sweeping away the soil, little gasping noises escaping from his mouth every few seconds. He turned in triumph. “It's like Howard Carter, and that first step they found on the Tutankhamen dig. Come on, all of you, get the tools and let's find out where this leads.”
An explosion of activity followed, with everyone working in a frenzy. Nothing else mattered, all differences set aside, and Ben, aware of Neville beside him, worked as hard as anyone, sweat springing from his forehead, teeth clamped in a grimace, straining every muscle to clear away rock and soil to expose a set of well worn steps, broad and grey
