They sat side by side on a low sofa, comforted by the sensation of each other’s legs and arms against their own. Someone put on an Emerson, Lake & Palmer record, but it didn’t reveal its secrets, if it had any, to Stephen; it just sounded like noise. Noisy noise.

‘I feel sick,’ Georgie said.

‘Let’s go outside for some air,’ said Stephen, taking her hand.

They went out through the kitchen door and around to the quieter side of the house, where they sat on the grass outside the window of Bruce’s study.

‘Any better?’ Stephen asked her, after a few minutes.

‘Yes, much,’ she said. ‘That’s awful of Hamish, to spike the drink. If anyone freaks out it’ll be his fault. I wish we could just go.’

‘We’ll have to stay here now until after we’ve peaked,’ said Stephen. He felt frightened at the thought of navigating the narrow lanes in the dark while he was tripping. ‘And anyway, we couldn’t leave Cass.’

‘Let’s just lie here,’ said Georgie.

Stephen lay on his front, Georgie on her back. They didn’t talk much. Words didn’t feel of much utility to them. The sounds of the party floated out across the late summer air.

The ground cooled and dampened beneath them as the noise coming from the house grew more raucous. After a time there was a thrum, like the buzzing of flies. Stephen rolled over and sat up. The sound grew louder, becoming a roar. He saw a number of lights flickering towards them from the lane. All at once a group of eight or more motorcycles drew up and their riders dismounted, two from each bike, removing their helmets and shaking out their long stringy hair. They were older than the people at the party, young men of perhaps twenty-two or -three. Several of them carried bottles. There were a few girls with them, barely distinguishable from the men in their leather jackets and jeans.

‘Oh shit. There was a rumour they were going to show up,’ said Georgie.

‘They’re not Hell’s Angels, are they?’ said Stephen, scared.

‘No, no. They’re just St Austell Greasers. Hamish buys dope off one of them, that’s how they’ll have heard about the party. They won’t hurt us. They’re fine, just a bit boisterous.’

But it didn’t feel fine, even from out here. Something had shifted and darkened and didn’t feel right.

‘We could go back in and look for Cass?’ Georgie suggested.