‘Nowhere really, I just have to go to work. I’ll be back before you know it. You won’t even notice. Never been inside a house before, you said, right? Well, then, there’s all sorts of things here for you to discover and explore. You’re in for a treat!’

He paused, checking her reaction. She seemed to be listening. He decided to continue. ‘State of the art, that’s what this is. An environment that screams Utopia, nothing but luxury and relaxation all around.’ He was really warming to the theme now. ‘That’s right, Theo, think Heaven on Earth. Welcome to the pinnacle of human civilization—equipped with all the latest marvels of the Revolution.’

‘I’m comin’ with yer.’

‘And every one of them at your finger—what did you say?’

‘Said I’m comin’ with yer.’

Albert could hear a whistling sound in his ears. He forced himself not to shout, to keep the calm, friendly expression on his face. ‘You can’t—’ he began, then stopped. His voice sounded funny. He tried again, and realized he had been talking through gritted teeth. Rectifying the oversight, he willed a smile on to his face and went on, ‘You can’t come with me. I have to go to work.’

‘Yeah, so, I’m comin’ with yer.’

‘Didn’t we just discuss this? You can’t be seen. So I’m going to work, and you’ll stay here, OK?’

‘What work d’yer do?’

‘Well, I … actually … Nothing really.’

‘Yer don’t have work?’

‘Not really. No.’

‘Will it make a difference if yer goes or not?’

‘Um … no.’

‘Then why go?’

Albert was starting to feel faintly embarrassed and more than a little annoyed, not the least because these were questions he’d asked himself, too. ‘Because that’s how it is. Now be a good girl and stay at home.’

‘Gah! You gotta be daft, Mac! I ain’t staying! There’s nothin’ to do here!’

‘Well, there’s plenty to eat and—’ He stopped abruptly, a crafty look coming into his eyes, disappearing a second later as he realized he couldn’t see what he needed, the fulcrum of his plan. Dratted thing! When one didn’t want it, it was always around, getting in the way, pretending it was hungry when he knew perfectly well it didn’t eat, mewing, barking, cooing and a hundred other things, and now, when he desperately needed it to engage this child, it was nowhere to be seen. He opened his mouth, to call out to it, and then realized that since he hadn’t named it, he didn’t know what to say.

So he whistled instead. A moment later he heard the metallic clank clank as the sim-pet burst into the room, barking, programmed ecstasy oozing out of every pore on its metal body.

Theo looked hard at it. ‘Say, what’s that?’