‘I imagine only a few top boffins do. It’s think-tank stuff for corporations and government departments,’ Nancy said. She would come closer to comprehension than anyone else present since she had a first-class degree in mathematics. Pearly considered that only really brainy people were good at maths. He supposed she used it to ensure that their transport business was more successful than other people’s by working out cost and pricing structures, and he’d heard that she knew the high school’s finances inside out, had even been asked by the department to give advice to other boards of trustees.

‘I’ll contact him,’ volunteered Pearly when discussion of Andrew was over. ‘I’ll invite him to give a speech at the dinner and to stay with us if he’d like to. Maybe we could set up a school prize in his name and announce it during the reunion? It would be a nice bit of publicity.’ Pearly was accomplished in coming up with such suggestions, and it was received well. He moved the discussion on then, as a chairman should, and asked for reports from the heads of the various sub-committees. He’d installed Gumbo as responsible for the condition of grounds, and managed to sideline Hugh Porteous as chair of the group organising souvenirs and giveaway bags. Pearly had ensured that he had capable people around him to whom he could delegate responsibility. He was pleased Andrew Nisse would be able to come to the school celebrations: he’d add significance to the occasion, and Pearly had no fear of being overshadowed. He remembered Andrew as unassuming, on the fringe of things and with a sidelong smile.