He’s in the library after lunch. He’s impressed with my job. He nods and smiles yes, he will talk with me. Somewhere where he can smoke. There’s only one place—the special smoking container.

The room’s illuminated by an icy fluorescence. It’s small. The air is thick and stale. Torn plastic chairs rim the space. There are frayed and coverless magazines on a rickety coffee table. The thin carpet’s pockmarked by burning butts.

I don’t smoke. If I did, that container would make me quit.

The Chinese man tells me his name is Shen and he lives in Chengdu. He asks about Sydney and am I near the water and do I live in an apartment block? I ask him why he’s leaving Antarctica and he says can he buy a gun in Australia, can he go into a supermarket and buy one? I tell him no. He says he’s a Chinese citizen and maybe he could. I tell him I don’t think so. I feel stupid. I contemplate turning off the tape-recorder and walking away. I ask him what it’s like living on the Chinese base and he says it’s very hard and very lonely. He takes an old coin out of his pocket. It’s round with a square in the middle of it and it’s very beautiful. He tells me it’s five hundred years old and he gives it to me. He goes to kiss me on the cheek and his hand grazes across my breasts. I push him quickly and gently and firmly away. The door opens. Jim walks in with an unlit cigarette in his mouth. He stops, surprised. I blush and tell him I was just interviewing Shen and the interview’s over and that I’m going.

That night Shen’s taken under escort to the ship. Word goes round the station. He’s to be looked after by the ship’s doctor. I don’t see him again until I’m back on board. I’m too embarrassed to ask Jim if he had anything to do with it.

Max tells me he’s mesmerised by Anya’s dancing.

‘It’s amazingly sensual. She loves being the centre of attention. Good on her. She’s having a great time.’

I want him here. Away from her. I carry the mindfuck of Anya’s dancing and her parka and her smile to bed with me every night. It makes me want to hurt myself and Max, it makes me want to say something stupid.

‘Don’t be too mesmerised by Anya’s dancing, Maxy.’

I slip it into the next call. Living so close to other people is teaching me to speak out and get things off my chest. Max’s response is swift.