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‘Yes, sir.'

‘Black, please. And a morning paper if you have one.'

‘Very good, sir.'

The gentleman stopped him leaving, resting a hand on his arm.

'Tell me, why do you have the fire burning, even when it’s summer?'

‘Gives the place a cheerful atmosphere,' Arthur told him morosely

‘Ah, yes, that would explain it.’

The two American boys came into the room, They gave Arthur a cheerful greeting and sat down with the large gentleman.

‘Hmmm, That looks good,’ David said 'We'll have that twice, if that’s all right?’

'Of course, sir.'

'And coffee. '

'Tea for me. '

'Jack, you're turning into an Englishman!'

'Can't drink Diet Pepsi all the time.'

Arthur stomped out of the room, wondering as he went whether he was quite as suited to the catering trade as he had always thought.

Stevens waited until the pub's owner had left and then leant across the table to speak to Jack and David.

'I got in touch with my office first thing this morning. The chap who owned the coach that crashed has just bought another. I was told that he'd bought the first coach to help his brother set up in business, but this can't be the same reason, because his brother died in the accident. Then again, it was Constable Hughes who told me that. '

David laughed. 'Yeah, well we know how much we can rely on his word, don't we? But there's something I wanted to tell you - I've remembered something that one of my kidnappers said while I was locked up in the cupboard.'

Stevens paused midway through putting a fork through his bacon. 'Oh yes?'

‘Yeah. Jack, you know those stones we were looking for?’

‘Of course I do.'

'Well, I think we got hold of the wrong end of the stick. I heard him talking about the stones, but he didn't mean just any old stones, he was talking about a stone circle.'

'What, you mean like Stonehenge?'

'Exactly like Stonehenge.'

'But you said that the centaur had come from between stones,' Stevens said.

'Hey, I was just saying what I heard. Maybe these centaurs live underground and they have a tunnel that comes up in the middle of a stone circle.'

'Doesn't sound very likely.'

'Well, it's a start, isn't it?'

'I suppose so.'

Stevens reached into his pocket. 'Here, I've got a map of the area. Stone circles are usually marked.'

David and Jack moved to the next table and spread the map out on it. Jack spotted the circle first.

‘There it is! Look, it's in that valley that we couldn't get into. You know, the one with the big gate and the warning signs.'

'Right!'

'Let me look.' Stevens leaned across. 'Well, who'd have thought it? That's where I've got to go this morning. Look, this farmhouse is called Dinorben. That's where Emrys Hughes lives.’

'Emrys Hughes?'

'The man who owns the coach. You can come with me and we'll see what he has to say about all this.'

‘Damn and blast! We could be waiting here all day!' Stevens exclaimed, slamming his fist down on the bonnet of his car. After arriving at the gates, they had waited hopefully for someone to turn up and let them in. They had been there now for twenty minutes and Stevens was becoming impatient.

'Take it easy,' David said. 'Why don't we just reverse a few metres and hit the gates at speed. That'll get us through.'

'Thank you for that oh-so helpful suggestion, but I am meant to be a police officer.' He reached inside his car and pulled open the glove compartment, taking out a portable phone. 'Hate the bloody things.

Danger to driving, but I suppose they do have their uses.' He tapped out a number. 'Yes, hello, is that Gwydyr police station? This is Inspector Stevens. I called in yesterday, you remember? Good. Can you find out the phone number of a Mr Emrys Hughes for me please. Thanks very much .... Bloody nuisance, the whole business.:: Yes, sorry, he lives in a place called Dinorben, Llanfer Ceiriog. Quick, Jack, I’ve got a pen and pad in my car. Jot down this number, will you?’ He reeled off a telephone number. 'Thanks very much. Bye.'

Jack handed the pad over and Stevens dialled the number. He stood tapping his foot on the ground until the phone