‘I’m sorry to drag you away,’ said Alleyn.

‘It’s all right. We’d come to a deadlock. To go on. Or not.’

‘A difficult decision?’

‘Yes. As a matter of fact I was going to ask you how much longer…’ said Morris.

‘We’ll have finished here tomorrow. Possibly tonight. The body has been removed to the mortuary and the op corner is now being examined. We’ll clean up.’

‘I see. Thank you.’

‘How will the actors feel?’

‘About going on? Not very happy but they’ll do it.’

‘And the new casting?’

‘There’s the rub,’ said Peregrine. ‘Simon Morten is Macbeth’s understudy and the Ross is Simon’s. We’ll have to knock up a new, very simple fight, a new Macduff can’t possibly manage the present one. Simon’s good and ready. He’ll give a reasonable show, but the whole thing’s pretty dicey.’

‘Yes. What sort of actor is Gaston Sears?’

Peregrine stared at him. ‘Gaston? Gaston?’

‘He knows – or rather he invented – the fight. He’s an arresting figure. It’s a very far-fetched notion but I wondered.’

‘It’s – it’s a frightening thought. I haven’t seen him acting but I’m told he was good in an unpredictable sort of way. He’s a very unpredictable person. A bit on the dotty side, some of them think. It – it certainly would solve a lot of problems. We’d only need to find a new Seyton and he’s a tiny part as far as lines go. He’s only got to look impressive. There’s a tall, dark chap…My God, I wonder…No. No,’ repeated. And then: ‘We may decide to cut our losses and rehearse a new play. Probably the best solution.’

‘Yes. I think I should remind you that – it’s a dazzling glimpse of the obvious – the murderer (and who he is I’ve not the faintest notion) must be one of your actors or else a stagehand. If the latter, I suppose you can go ahead, but if the former – well, the mind boggles, doesn’t it?’

‘I can feel mine boggling anyway.’

‘In the meantime I’d like to know what the story is, about the Macbeth superstitions and why Props and Simon Morten go all peculiar when I ask them.’

‘It doesn’t matter, now. I’d asked them not to talk to each other or to anyone else about these – happenings. You’ve got to consider the general atmosphere.’

And he told Alleyn, sparingly, about the dummy heads and the rat’s head in Rangi’s marketing bag.

‘Have you any idea who the practical joker was?’

‘None. Nor do I know if there is any link with the subsequent horror.’

‘It sounds like an unpleasant schoolboy’s nonsense.’

‘It certainly isn’t our young William’s nonsense,’ said Peregrine quickly. ‘He was scared as hell at the head on the banquet table. He’s a very nice small boy.’

‘He’d have to be an infant Goliath to lift the claidheamh-mor two inches.’

‘Yes. He would, wouldn’t he?’

‘Where is he?’