I don’t know how they number planes. Were there eight hundred and forty planes before SA841? Eight hundred and forty pitiful journeys where the reading lights cast their limp beams over damaged cargo and the safety film stars Kurt Cobain. And what is SA? Sorry Ass? I don’t know the answer so I shall tap my feet and rock to and fro and I will count them all. From SA841 to nothing. Each one a little dedication. A little disappointment. A little journey to the here and now and when I reach nothing, I will be nothing, and all will be well and all will be over.

Wings level, the hover over, friction howl and reverse thrust. The plane touches down. In the control tower it is the last plane of Michael Davies’s shift.

This is the start of my countdown.

840

Another black scar on the runway.

839

Michael guided the plane to its gate, clocked off and an hour later pulled onto the A45 and put his foot down hard. Reaching into his breast pocket he fished out the cassette that Rose had given him. Rose was a cleaner at the airport. He put the tape into the machine and a rich Welsh voice greeted him.

“Hello, I’m Dr. Frankburg Ph.D. Before we proceed I should tell you that there will be times during this tape when I will be encouraging you to concentrate solely on my voice. This is to draw you into a state of deep relaxation. So I’m asking you now to put yourself in an environment that is free from distraction. One where it is safe to close your eyes.”

Michael Davies hit seventy.

“This tape is designed for you to overcome your fears and become a more confident and relaxed person.”

838

Rose said the tape was a head cleaner of sorts.

837

A piano played gently in the background.

“It may be that you are listening to this tape because you are feeling unhappy with life’s pressures. It may be that you are finding things more difficult to cope with. You have become more tense recently. Perhaps you are having problems in a relationship. You may have a big decision pending, or perhaps you have a stressful job . . .”

A speed camera flashed in his rearview mirror.

He cursed Dr. Frankburg Ph.D. and hoped for his sake the camera was out of film. This relaxation tape was having the opposite effect to the one intended.

836

According to Aviation World, the ten most stressful jobs ranked:

10. Air traffic controllers

9. Football players

8. Astronauts

7. Policeman

6. Surgeons

5. Taxi drivers

4. Undercover agents

3. Chief executive officers

2. Firemen

1. U.S. president

835

Michael thought it was nice to get into the top ten of anything. Even bad things.

And he was in pretty glamorous company. Except taxi drivers.

“. . . find you are talking to yourself . . .”

Michael Davies had missed a bit of tape. He rewound.

“. . . are listening to this tape because you are feeling unhappy . . .”