But no one heard the rest of the sentence because the engineer had pulled all the plugs and hit the switchboard with a hammer.

Johnny and his friends had gathered around the radio.

‘You get some real loonies on these phone-ins,’ said Wobbler. ‘You ever listen to Mad Jim’s Late Night Explosion?’

‘He’s not mad,’ said Yo-less. ‘He just says he is. And all he does is play old records and go “yeah!” and “yowsahyowsah!” a lot. That’s not mad. That’s just pathetic.’

‘Yes,’ said Wobbler.

‘Yes,’ said Bigmac.

‘Yes,’ said Yo-less.

They all looked at Johnny. They all looked like people with something on their minds.

‘Ahem,’ said Wobbler.

‘Er,’ said Bigmac.

‘That was them, was it?’ said Yo-less.

‘Yes,’ said Johnny. ‘It was them.’

‘It didn’t sound like normal radio. How can they use the phone?’

‘I don’t know. I suppose some of them knew how to use the phone when they were alive. And maybe being dead’s a bit like . . . electricity or something.’

‘They nearly said your name,’ said Wobbler.

‘Yes.’

‘Who was that one singing?’

‘I think it was William Stickers. He’s a bit of a communist.’

‘I didn’t think there were any communists left these days,’ said Yo-less.

‘There aren’t. And he’s one of them.’

‘You know, any minute now Rod Serling is going to come walking in here with a big book,’ said Bigmac. ‘You know. Like in The Twilight Zone.’

‘How come they know what’s on the radio?’ said Yo-less.

‘I lent them Grandad’s transistor.’

‘You know what I think?’ said Yo-less. ‘I think you’ve started something.’

‘That’s what I think, too.’

‘Nah!’ said Wobbler. ‘Come on! Voices on the radio? I mean! That’s just mucking about. Could be anything. Kids ringing up and messing about. Oh, come on! Ghosts don’t phone up radio stations!’

‘I saw this film once where they came out of the telephone,’ said Bigmac, winner of the All-Blackbury Mr Tactful Championship.

‘Just you shut up! I don’t believe you!’

It was very, very chilly inside the phone box.

‘I must say, electricity is very easy to master when you’re dead.’

‘What are you doing, Mr Fletcher?’

‘Very easy indeed. Who shall we talk to next?’

‘We must speak to the Town Hall!’

‘But it is a Saturday, Mrs Liberty. There will be no one there.’

‘Then try to find young Johnny. I don’t know what he means about trying to find famous people buried in the cemetery. WE’RE here, after all.’

‘I’ll keep trying. It’s amazingly easy to understand.’

‘Where’s Mr Stickers gone?’

‘He’s trying to listen to Radio Moscow, whatever that is. On the wireless telegraphy apparatus.’

‘I say, this is rather invigorating, you know. I’ve never been out of the cemetery before.’

‘Yes. It’s a new lease of life.’

‘You can escape from almost anything,’ said Mr Vicenti.

There was a faint cough. They looked around. Mr Grimm was watching them through the railings.

The dead seemed to sober up. They always became more serious in front of Mr Grimm.