Jed was just about to step in and break up the bromance when the First Lady appeared with Marilyn and insisted that the President come over and meet a real-live Hollywood star, Sigourney Weaver. Ms Weaver had been spared the fate of so many of her colleagues by happening to be overseas promoting some long-forgotten kid’s film with Jon Voight and Shia LaBeouf when Brad and Clint and Arnie and Angelina were all reduced to pink mud.

‘Really?’ Cesky said, instantly losing interest in tax policy and federal–state relations. ‘I loved those Alien films. And I heard she was going to be in the new one, with those predators they had in that old Schwarzenegger movie. How cool would that be? Although, you know, it’s the Brits making it. So it’ll probably be shit.’

‘You liked those films? I loved those fucking films, man!’ enthused Kipper, forgetting himself in his surprise that he’d found more common ground with the construction magnate. ‘Especially the second one, with the Marines. It was the only one where you felt like the good guys actually had a chance. You know, right up until they got eaten.’

Here was a conversation James Kipper could really get lost in. But the ladies did Jed’s job for him, Marilyn in particular. The third Mrs Culver let the businessman have a couple of thousand watts of eyes, tits and teeth, before skilfully prising the President away and hurrying him off through the crowd, to safety, in a fashion that would’ve done his Secret Service detail proud.

‘I’ll tell Sigourney you’re a big fan, Henry,’ said Marilyn. ‘Come and meet her later. But I have to introduce Kip first, or that dreadful protocol Nazi will have kittens. Come on, Mr President.’

Culver and Cesky were left on their own.

‘Jeez, women eh?’ sighed Cesky, still a little dazed from Marilyn’s performance.

‘Henry, I don’t know how we’ve managed to keep them in their place for six thousand years.’

Cesky rewarded that crack with a raucous laugh. He threw down the rest of his beer just in time to swap it for another, which came floating past on a tray.

‘Yeah, women – can’t live with ’em, can’t live without ’em, unless you wanna go gay or something! But all joking aside, Jed,’ he said, ‘I’m fucking serious about this Blackstone. The day is coming when you’re gonna have to crack him upside the head. Knock him down so hard he doesn’t get back up again. Did you know that bastard has me blacklisted down there? All of that construction and salvage and clearance work he’s got going on, and I can’t get a taste of it. He’s a vengeful cocksucker, I tell you.’