Alex wakes handcuffed in a dark room. He feels guilty for not stopping Sayle. He is led to Sayle’s office. Alex feigns ignorance, but Sayle demands the truth. Alex explains everything, and Sayle is both amused that MI6 sent a 14-year-old boy and amazed at how much Alex knows. Sayle says that he grew up loving England, but he was bullied by schoolboys for his short height and received racist and xenophobic treatment. The worst bully became the current prime minister. Sayle says that he plans to use the Stormbreakers to spread a genetically modified form of the smallpox virus and kill England’s schoolchildren as revenge for his mistreatment. Alex tries to reason with him and chastises him for trying to murder children. Sayle disregards him, telling him that he is like the boys who bullied him. He leaves and tells Mr. Grin to kill Alex.

Alex sits handcuffed on a chair. He remembers that he has cream from Smithers that melts metal, but he cannot reach it. Soon, Mrs. Vole arrives and, to Alex’s surprise, takes off his handcuffs. She tells him that she works with MI6. They go up the stairs toward a statue. Mrs. Vole twists the statue’s arm, causing the stairs to disappear under Alex.