Pearly had been rather sidelined by the failure of the lights and Gumbo’s elevation, but he was pleased at his friend’s reception. Gumbo could do with some flattery and appreciation of his skills, especially from women. Nevertheless, Pearly felt he should give Gumbo some guidance. ‘Listen,’ he said, bending closer for privacy and to be heard in the throng, ‘I’m on my way now. You stay and enjoy yourself. Just remember these are rather alternative people and not your average Kiwis.’

‘Alternative? What’s that mean?’

‘Well, you know, theatrical people. They can be a bit over the top sometimes, that’s all.’ Pearly wasn’t clear himself concerning his meaning. He just didn’t want Gumbo to be out of his depth.

‘They’re friendly,’ insisted Gumbo. ‘She seems a good sort.’

‘They’ll all good sorts. Just don’t get committed to doing too much too soon, that’s all I’m saying. They’re all over you at the moment, but who knows. Anyway, good to have a catch-up. I’m off,’ and with a wave and mouthed farewell to the returning Ms Winn, Pearly draped his velvet gown over Gumbo’s shoulder, which added further absurdity to the costume, and made his way out through the motley, detained briefly by a very tall man wearing a German helmet who said Pearly was the best mayor in decades, and giving a wave to Deidre Utterspan, who wore a Tyrolean apron.

To finish the day as recipient of an unsolicited compliment added to Pearly’s good humour. He wished he knew the tall man’s name, for that would give greater significance to the comment when he mentioned it to Helen. He would continue to support grants to the Repertory Society and must remember to go to The Seagull. He didn’t know what it was about, but imagined Gumbo high on a coastal promontory, his honking voice competing with the wind.

Pearly was convinced he would’ve made a fine actor. He had more important demands on his time than participation in local theatrical productions, but sometimes, when performing his mayoral duties, he had a sense of spectacle, with himself at the centre: a momentary detachment of viewpoint that allowed him to see the scene as the camera would, and his place within it. In his playing days also he’d occasionally been gifted awareness of such vision, when action seemed to slow, sound attain a hollow resonance, and he could see himself composed, accomplished and in full flight as a rugby athlete.