They went out, each on his own line, leaving Helena, Adam, and the ghost of Bennington, on the stage.

Helena spoke again to vacancy. ‘It must be clear to you, now. It’s the end, isn’t it?’

‘Yes,’ Clem’s voice said. ‘I understand you perfectly. Goodbye, my dear.’

They looked at the door on the left. Alleyn took out his watch. Helena made a quick movement as if to prevent the departure of an unseen person and Poole laid his hand on her arm. They brought dead Ben back to the stage by their mime and dismissed him as vividly. It seemed that the door must open and shut for him as he went out.

Poole said: ‘And now I must speak to you alone.’ There followed a short passage of dialogue which he and Helena played a tempo but with muted voices. Jacko, in the wings, clapped his hands and the report was as startling as a gun shot. Poole ran out through the left-hand door.

Helena traced a series of movements about the stage. Her gestures were made in the manner of an exercise but the shadow of their significance was reflected in her face. Finally she moved into the window and seemed to compel herself to look out. Poole re-entered.

‘Thank you,’ Alleyn said, shutting his watch. ‘Fifty seconds. Will you all come on again, if you please?’

When they had assembled in their old positions, he said: ‘Did anyone notice Mr Poole as he waited by the door for his re-entry?’

‘The door’s recessed,’ Poole said. ‘I was more or less screened.’

‘Someone off-stage may have noticed, however.’ He looked from Darcey to Percival.

‘We went straight to our rooms,’ said Parry.

‘Together?’

‘I was first. Miss Tarne was in the entrance to the passage and I spoke to her for a moment. J.G. followed me, I think.’

‘Do you remember this, Miss Tarne?’

It had been at the time when Martyn had begun to come back to earth. It was like a recollection from a dream. ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘I remember. They both spoke to me.’

‘And went on down the passage?’

‘Yes.’

‘To be followed in a short time by yourself and Mr Bennington?’

‘Yes.’

‘And then Mr Doré joined you and you went to your rooms?’

‘Yes.’

‘So that after Mr Bennington had gone to his room, you, Mr Percival, were in your dressing-room which is next door to his, Mr Darcey was in his room which is on the far side of Mr Percival’s and Miss Tarne was in her room—or more correctly, perhaps, Miss Gainsford’s—with Mr Doré, who joined her there after looking in on Mr Bennington. Right?’

They murmured an uneasy assent.

‘How long were you all in these rooms?’

Jacko said: ‘I believe I have said I adjusted this infant’s make-up and returned with her to the stage.’