"Needle," she said. "Hammer and needle."

"Death," he said.

"Empty," she said.

He leaned forward and seized her. He pulled her up, up his body. She had grown perhaps an inch. Her head rested on his chest. He put the knife, cool, against her throat.

Ruth was quite still.

"Can I die if you kill me?"

"Believe it. Didn't Adamus die?"

"I don't know."

"Didn't Anna? Didn't Alice?"

"Did they?"

"If they didn't, why do I have you, Ruth, by the neck?"

He heard and felt her swallow. She did not struggle to resist. She said, "Thank you for doing it in private. When you've done it, will you hold my hand? It doesn't take long, does it? Just so I know you're there."

Malach let her go.

She fell straight onto the carpet. She had believed him.

He left her.

He locked the door.

He put the knife onto a little round polished table.

Then he walked into the second beautiful modern bathroom and vomited the bitterness of centuries and two thousand lies.

CHAPTER 28

IT WAS NOT HER LATE NIGHT AT THE library. At a quarter past six, Stella walked out and up the road, towards the supermarket, which today was open until eight.

After she had met Nobbi, after Nobbi began to stay with her for the evening, Stella had bought a big freezer. She stocked it carefully. She liked to cook for Nobbi.

The supermarket was comparatively empty. Stella manhandled a trolly and wheeled it up the aisles under the hard fluorescent lights.

She took some fruit first and a can of pilchards for her own supper, two cartons of orange juice and some crusty rolls. Then she moved among the tins, selecting tomatoes, lentils, kidney beans. When she knew he would be coming, she went to the delicatessen, gathered white gourds of garlic and fresh vegetables.

At the frozen-meat section, she leaned deeply into the vats, drawing out a leg of lamb, fillet steaks, a wedge of bacon.

Anyone seeing her would think she was shopping for a family.

Well, one day. Perhaps.

She did not often think of it. She rationed her daydreams. But there might come a time, after he had got his daughter settled. He would leave Marilyn all his worldly goods, and he would come to Star. She would support him until he could build his business up again.

It did not matter to her if he came to her with nothing. She only wanted him.

Stella for Star. That was the first thing he had said to her when he stepped into her flat for the first time. He was carrying a box of chocolates. Stella hated chocolate, but she loved the ones he brought. She kept them until the sweets turned white, and then she kept the box, which had kittens on it. Marilyn, apparently, liked kittens. She had been known to say, wasn't it a pity they had to get bigger.