He leaned against the counter and when the girl turned to Garvald from serving the others, cut in quickly in a soft Irish voice:

‘Two teas, me dear.’

He challenged Garvald to say something, a slight, mocking smile on his mouth, arrogantly sure of himself. The big man refused to be drawn and looked into the fog again as rain spattered against the window.

The Irishman paid for his teas and joined his companion at a corner table and the small man glanced furtively across at Garvald.

‘What do you think, Terry?’

‘Maybe he was hot stuff about a thousand years ago, but they’ve squeezed him dry in there.’ The Irishman grinned. ‘This is going to be the softest touch we’ve had in a long, long time.’

The girl behind the counter yawned as she filled a cup for Garvald and watched him out of the corner of her eye. She was used to men like him. Almost every morning someone crossed the road from the place opposite and they all had the same look. But there was something different about this one. Something she couldn’t quite put her finger on.

She pushed the cup of tea across and brushed the long hair back from her face. ‘Anything else?’

‘What have you got?’

His eyes were as grey as woodsmoke on an autumn day and there was strength there, a restless, animal force that was almost physical and she was aware of her body reacting to it.

‘At this time in the morning? You’re all the same, you men.’

‘What do you expect? It’s been a long time.’

He pushed a coin across the counter. ‘Give me a packet of fags. Not tipped. I want to taste them.’

He lit a cigarette and offered the girl one, the two men in the corner watching him in the mirror. Garvald ignored them and gave her a light.

‘Been up there long, then?’ she said, blowing out smoke expertly.

‘Long enough.’ He looked out of the window. ‘I expect I’ll find a few changes.’

‘Everything’s changed these days,’ she agreed.

Garvald grinned and when he reached out, running his fingers through her hair, she was suddenly breathless. ‘Some things stay the same.’

And then she was afraid and her mouth turned dry and she seemed utterly helpless, caught in some inexorable current. He leaned across the counter quickly and kissed her full on the mouth.

‘See you some time.’

He slid off the stool and with incredible speed for such a big man, was out through the door and moving away.

The two men in the corner went after him fast, but when they reached the pavement, he had already disappeared into the fog. The Irishman ran forward, and a moment later caught sight of Garvald walking briskly along. He turned a corner into a narrow side street and the Irishman grinned and nudged the small man with his elbow.