Jonathan Ah well you have the air …

Helen Yes?

Jonathan Of someone who … Maybe some future date.

Helen You think so?

Jonathan Oh yes. At some future date the Party will call.

Helen Well actually…

Jonathan Yes?

Helen No, nothing,

Jonathan Please.

Helen There has been talk. My work …

Jonathan Your work?

Helen Yes, my work has been noticed.

Jonathan Straightening out the single mothers? Dealing with the dealers?

Helen I do what I can. My work in local government…

Jonathan Normally so thankless.

Helen My work’s been noticed and my constituency suggested I come in for a day, shadow, get a feel for the place.

Jonathan And how does being a shadow suit you?

Helen Very … informative.

Jonathan And inspiring?

Helen Yes I suppose so. Yes, and inspiring.

Jonathan Excellent. So much to sort out. So much we could do better. Someone like you …

Helen I hope so.

Jonathan Can’t be far off.

Helen And you’re … ?

Jonathan Another day pass.

Helen I see.

Jonathan Not shadowing, advising. Doing what I can. An outside eye.

Helen Right.

Jonathan You’re very curious to know what it is aren’t you? My advice, and really I shouldn’t …

Helen I understand.

Jonathan But since you’ve confided in me it would / be churlish …

Helen No, no –

Jonathan … not to reciprocate. You see the thing is, the world is going to end.

Helen laughs.

Jonathan Yes, I know. That’s the problem, denial, it’s a big problem.

Helen I’m sorry, I really didn’t mean to …

Jonathan Denial is a major factor. But at last there are those at the top listening.

Helen I’m sorry, I said I’d be in the tea room …

Jonathan The big boys have accepted the possibility, then of course, we’ve got to ensure that it’s all managed as smoothly as possible.

Helen I promised I’d be …

Jonathan Can’t have a wobble in the last few hours can we? Can’t have everyone going off-message and throwing us all into confusion as we reach the end.

Helen I’ve got to go.

Jonathan Don’t you … Listen to me. You won’t hear anything more important than this alright? You can shadow, you can fact find, but this is … You listen.

Helen I really don’t think / I need to hear …

Jonathan Because this has got to be the People’s Armageddon, you see? We want to make sure that everybody has been listened to, that every social and racial grouping is represented in the events of the last few days. Exclusion must be avoided.

Helen Listen. I have a sense of humour, I understand jokes, and I’ve enjoyed this enormously. I’m sure tomorrow in the middle of a very dull meeting about street lighting I shall look back on this meeting and smile to myself, so thank you for that.

Jonathan Are you patronising me?

Helen Well, yes I probably am.

Jonathan Yes, you are and of course you’re right, best thing to do.