‘O isn’t evil,’ I snap back. I can’t believe I’m defending her.

‘Neither am I. Welcome to the real world, darling.’

I’m getting angry now and that’s warming me up. My voice still shakes but I say: ‘OK, here’s what I’ve got and it’s not much. You are trying to get me to resolve my cognitive dissonance so that I can feel like a winner. If I give in to you, I’ll have to tell myself you’re really not that bad – otherwise I’m bad by association. If I give in, I’ll have to make it all right. But it isn’t all right. And I’m not giving in.’

‘Then you’re stupid, Chaz, because I’m going to win.’

‘Why is it always about winning?’ I flare. ‘Zero-sum games are so last century, mate.’

‘I’m repeating myself, but I’ll say it one more time like on Teletubbies. Again, again!’ And his voice rises to a falsetto, then drops to baritone. Dripping with irony. He says: ‘You’re stupid. Get it through your head – I’m in control here. You’re a talented dreamhacker, by all accounts. But you lack direction, you lack discipline, you’re afraid to hurt anyone. You’re a mess. And while I’m willing and able to get rid of you, you are not capable of getting rid of me. It’s not in you. People like you are a disgrace. You should just stay home because you don’t have what it takes. In a minute I’m going to get bored.’

‘And then what? You’re going to murder me with your bare hands?’

‘No. You’re going to fall asleep.’

‘No, I’m not.’

‘Yes, you are. You always fall asleep when things get hairy. Do you think I don’t know this? It’s perfectly obvious. Your narcolepsy is psychosomatic in the sense that when the going gets tough, you literally pass out. Classic.’

I am not going to pass out. I’m not even a little bit sleepy, yay me! Yet I’m suddenly aware that I have no more O to run backup on me.

‘You can’t get out of this flat,’ Martin said. ‘I’ve secured it completely. At the moment, I’m the only one who can call out through the firewall.’