Gill arrived ten minutes later, along with Alice Chambers, and Boyband, the blond man I had seen talking to Tiernan, now carrying a clipboard. He looked cold in his California outfit. There was a second man with them, muscle-bound, younger than Boyband, who seemed to have no particular role. I realised that he was probably a bodyguard. Had he been around for all Gill’s time in Cork or had he just arrived? Alice moved towards the front of the room, intending to do another introduction and thank-you, but Gill waved her away. Boyband stationed himself, looking attentive, on a chair midway up the room and Security guy took up a menacing pose by the door. It was ridiculous, overkill, completely unnecessary and, if he started talking to his wrist, I was in danger of laughing out loud.

Or maybe not. I could see that the students were impressed by the show of power and importance, and that Gill had them before he opened his mouth.

He was dressed very differently now. It looked like he’d gone to a costume store over lunch and hired a movie director outfit. Instead of the dark suit, he was wearing board-shorts that came to mid-calf, and an oversized grey marl Seeing Things CREW sweatshirt. All of the students knew that Seeing Things had won five Oscars. Some of their mouths had fallen open. Gill’s long hair was tamed by a blue and purple bandana, worn like a kerchief and tied at the nape of his neck, and he carried a vintage brown leather flying jacket – sheep fleece lined – on one finger, over his left shoulder. He threw the jacket on a chair, and his eyes surveyed the room, and the people in it, in a lazy, knowing arc. He rubbed his right hand back and forth across his mouth. The room was so quiet I could hear the scratch of his stubble.

Then, Gill started to talk, in a low voice at first. The students leant forward, as one, to hear better.

‘Ah, I’ll introduce myself, first, I guess. Though I think that maybe you all know me, am I right?’

Nods, shuffles and few muffled ‘yeahs’ from the students.

‘Maybe I’ve gone deaf,’ Gill shouted. ‘Do you fucking know me? Yes or no?’

‘Yes,’ they shouted back, eyes shining and smiles wide, like a litter of golden Labrador puppies who’d got hold of an entire of roll Andrex.

‘That’s more like it,’ Gill said. ‘Now, tell me why you’re here. You, the pretty one in the green uniform, you, missy, what’s your name and why are you here?’

The St Al’s girl went pink.

‘Um, Carmel, here to learn, like,’ she said.

‘Excellent answer, young lady, sorry, Carmel, I mean. Now don’t be shy, I’ll be back to you later.’