“You have no idea, do you? Suppose that is fair enough. Okay, how was this pitched to me?” Gabriel paused, as if trying to recollect a long forgotten memory. “You ever seen Doctor Who? What if I told you the world isn't a million miles off that stuff?”

“You're some sort of time traveller!?”

“No, you plonker. What is it with you and questions? Listen. The world is not just populated by normal humans. We aren't talking bloomin' ET, so don't go off on one. You heard of mutation? Well, about eleven hundred years ago we discovered some humans had a mutation that meant they displayed certain characteristics. We aren't talking anything major like Spiderman or that rubbish. You'd never know if you bumped into one in the street. Well, you would.”

“The guy in the bathroom wasn't particularly human.”

“Ah, yeah. That's where it gets a bit more complicated. We don't have all the time in the world to go over this now, but these people only appear like that to a few who can see them. They are normal to the rest of us.”

“Only a few people - like me? I mean, what I saw looked like an extra from Star Wars.”

“You like your movies, don't you? Shouldn't be surprised, you're the type,” Gabriel said. “So what did you see, cos you'll need to be a little more specific. Scales? Fur? Fangs?”

This was some sort of prank. A television crew was poised to jump out at any moment, an involuntary guest on whatever reality TV show they were flogging now. Dixie had to be behind this, he would love to watch Henry getting embarrassed like this. But he had seen something and he would have sworn it was real.

“Green skin, hairy ears,” Henry said with a raise of his lip.

“A Grol then, interesting folk the Grol. Don't worry, there aren't that many different ones to learn.”

“A...”

“Grol.”

“Is that an alien or something, but it only looks like that to me?”

“No, your supposed to be smart aren't you? Try to keep up. I said no aliens. They are human, like you and me.” He stopped for a second and smiled. “Well, not like you and me. Essentially human, with some added extras. These characteristics, well, they can take on different shapes - like the Grol.”

“Bloody hell. So am I one of these too?”

“Kind of, but it's not something to freak out about. You, Henry Fellows, are an Inquisitor.”

“A what?” Henry said.

“Do you really need to pointlessly interrupt? This is an info drop, I speak and you listen. As I was saying, you are an Inquisitor.