‘The conversation began with Lopez saying: “Maybe we can trust the Novice, I didn’t sign up to all this in order to start killing Consuls”. Then Foulnap said that he was with Lopez on this, and Logan said: “We can’t risk any of us being discovered, besides, Aurora’s in town”.’

Jonesy and Toccata looked at one another.

‘Go on.’

‘Then Foulnap asked: “How did she get wind of us?” and Logan said: “We don’t know that she did. I’ll deal with Worthing, you deal with Mrs Tiffen”. He then gestured for me to leave the room and we did, and he then said: “You should have listened to me earlier and just let it all go”. And I then asked him if he could tell Sister Zygotia where she could find my body, and he told me not to be overdramatic. And that’s when the elevator doors opened to reveal Aurora. He was dead five seconds later.’

I finished my account and fell silent. Toccata peered at me carefully, but when she next spoke it wasn’t about Logan.

‘Was that word for word?’

‘Pretty much.’

‘You must have a very good memory, Worthing.’

‘Second prize in the Swansea Town Memory Bee. Six hundred and forty-eight random words memorised after only two readings.’

‘Did Logan know about this?’

‘I think it’s why he employed me.’

Toccata and Jonesy looked at one another again. There was something going on, something I wasn’t aware of. Mind you, I could have guessed that from all the way back in Cardiff.

‘So,’ she said, ‘why didn’t you just keep your mouth shut as Logan asked?’

‘Because I’d sworn to uphold the law.’

‘No, you hadn’t: you’d sworn to uphold the sanctity of the sleepstate and ensure the most favourable outcome is enjoyed by the majority.’

‘Isn’t that the same thing?’

‘Not the same thing at all. What if Logan was on to something bigger? Something so big and so righteous and so important that your death would have simply been side-issue collateral, a necessary yet barely regrettable loss on the road to the most favourable outcome?’

‘Was he?’

‘It’s hypothetical, Worthing. Work with me on this.’

‘Then yes,’ I said, ‘I could have done what he’d asked. Let Foulnap take Mrs Tiffen, gone on as if nothing had happened. But I didn’t. I did what I felt was right.’

‘The road to Spring is littered with well-intentioned morons,’ remarked Toccata, ‘but I’m satisfied you were acting upon conscience.’

She stared at me again.

‘You met her today, didn’t you?’

‘Yes, ma’am,’ I said, relieved we were moving away from the subject of Logan’s death, ‘she stopped three nightwalkers from eating me. Oh, and she had a message: Queen’s knight takes bishop.’

I decided to leave out the ‘being eaten alive by slime’ part of the message.