I followed him, surrounded by his three men, into another room. I noticed there were no windows; the floors were concrete and covered with broken glass and other debris. The tiles had been pulled up and smashed. Long, bright neon lights were positioned precariously. A man in blue doctor’s scrubs was standing there with two assistants, all of them masked. In the middle of the room stood the sort of temporary operating table they use on battlefields, along with medical instruments on steel trays. I was looking around for my old body. Maybe it was being kept in another room and they’d wheel it in. I couldn’t wait to see it again, however crumpled or corpselike it might seem.

“Where’s my old body?” I said to the man I assumed to be the doctor. “I won’t get far without it.”

He looked at Matte, but neither of them said anything.

“I see,” I said. “There’s no body. It’s gone.” I sighed. “What a waste.”

“Tough luck,” he said. “You’re going to eternity. When I’ve sorted this out, my brother and I are off to Honolulu for a family reunion. The only shame is, he’ll remind me of you.”

I noticed, on the floor, what looked like a long freezer on its side. It was large enough for a body the size of mine. There was a wooden box, too, big enough for a dead brain. Brains didn’t take up much room, I guessed, and were not difficult to dispose of.

“Can I have a cigarette?” I said.

“That’s what did for my brother.”

“My last,” I said. “Then I’ll give up. Promise.”

“Glad to hear it,” said Matte. “Okay. Get on with it.”

One of the men handed me a cigarette. “Arsehole.”

“You, too,” I said.

The man made a move toward me. Matte said, “Don’t damage him! No bruises, and don’t cut him up.”

I said, “I’m going to undress now, have a smoke, and then I’ll be ready for you.”

“Good boy,” said Matte. “You wanted a death and now you’re going to get one.” When I removed my jacket and shirt, Matte looked at me approvingly. “You look good. You’ve kept yourself in shape.”

“Look at my dick, guys.” I was waving it at them. “Wouldn’t you like to have one of these?”

Matte said, “What the fuck’s that aftershave you’re wearing?”

I lit my lighter, and moved backward.

“It’s petrol,” I said. “I’m soaked in it. Never had petrol in my hair before. You come near me, pal, and this body you want goes up in flames like a Christmas pudding. And you, too, of course.”