‘Jus’ hold on a moment, Mac.’ She was searching her pockets, rummaging through them one after another. Eventually she gave a triumphant whoop and with a flourish and all the air of a maestro unveiling her magnum opus, fished a small, misshapen piece of coal out of her pocket. ‘Here Mac. I want you to have this.’

He took it from her, his expression revealing nothing but the gravity that an occasion like this demanded. ‘Thank you, Theo.’

‘It’s my lucky stone.’

‘Then you should keep it.’

‘No, I want yer to have it.’

‘Are you sure?’

‘Yep. It’s a baby diamond, y’know?’

‘Really?’

‘Uh huh. My grandad gave it to me. He said if I squeezed it hard enough, it would become a diamond.’

‘That was very clever of him.’

‘Yeah, he’s pretty smart. Was. So I keep it, y’know, and squeeze it when I can, and one day I’ll have a diamond.’

‘And you deserve one. But I can’t accept this.’

‘Sure you can. Grandad always said, if you got something you can’t give away, that’s the first thing you should give away.’

Albert looked down at her. Yet again he wanted to say something, but the words wouldn’t come. He felt a lump in his throat, choking him; only this time, it was a pleasurable sensation. He blinked and swallowed, looking down at the little brown face.

‘Well? Yer gonna take it?’

‘If you’re sure you want me to have it.’

‘Jeez, Mac, you really are funny! That’s why I gave it to you.’

‘Then I thank you, Theo. This means a great deal to me.’

‘’Sall right,’ the girl said indifferently, but her eyes shone with pleasure.

Albert pocketed the piece of coal, ignoring the ugly black smudges on his palm. He dropped down on one knee, so he was looking her right in the eye. She stared back at him unblinkingly.

‘It truly was an honour to meet you, Theo.’ He stuck out his hand. She took it and solemnly, like heads of state at a historic first meeting, they shook. He stood up, holding her gaze. ‘What happened to you at home, Theo?’

‘What? Nothin’!’

‘Did they hit you?’

‘No!’

‘Ill-treat you?’

‘No! No! You crazy?’

‘Then tell me, Theo,’ he said seriously, ‘What can possibly be so terrible about your home that you’d rather die than go back?’

‘Oh, yer jus’ don’ get it!’ she said impatiently. ‘It’s not—’

It was then that his communicator began buzzing. He pulled it out and looked at it, and his eyes narrowed into slits and the frown creased its way across his forehead.

SUE WANTS TO HAVE A CONVERSATION.

‘Yer look funny, Mac. What is it?’

‘One moment, Theo,’ he said, setting the communicator down on the table.