‘When the paramedics arrived and saw what had happened to you they assumed your neck was broken when you fell backwards. It was not, although it’s going to be stiff for a long time to come. The impact was a severe one, though, and you’ve had concussion. And there’s a big bruise on your breastbone. That’s where Spoder punched you.’

‘Spoder didn’t get hurt, did he?’

‘No, he’s all right. He says his hand is sore, but when I asked him about it he said it was already feeling better. I think he didn’t want to admit he’d hurt himself.’

Time passed pleasantly, or as pleasantly as is possible when connected up to drip feeds and monitoring equipment in a hospital bed. I was so happy to be alive! So happy to be with Jo. I never let go of her hand. We talked quietly of this and that: memories, plans, hopes. Nothing that would be important to anyone else.

Finally, I said: ‘Jo, what followed? I mean afterwards. Did Jeksid shoot anyone else? What did Frejah do?’

‘Things happened really quickly. Everyone was so shocked by the gun going off that it completely broke the tension. Jeksid threw his gun on the floor, and was complaining about a painful shoulder. Spoder grabbed the gun and disarmed it, in case. Then he went across to the woman – that was Frejah Harsent, I later found out.’

‘Yes.’

‘He took her gun away too. She was meekly compliant. For a long time they both obviously thought that Jeksid had killed you.’ She reached into the shoulder bag she had brought in with her, and produced two pieces of tempered metal with shaped points. ‘Spoder wants you to have these as souvenirs.’

‘What are they?’

‘He said they were the firing pins from their guns. He removed them. Both weapons are useless without them.’

‘But what happened then?’

‘Nothing at all. Someone called an ambulance. I think that was Spoder. Whatever was going on was over. Frejah Harsent and Jeksid stood around, not saying anything, looking embarrassed. Then they shook hands! Even before the ambulance arrived they went out to her car together, that ostentatious black thing with all the antennae, and she drove away with Jeksid in the passenger seat. That’s how quick they were to leave. After the paramedics had assessed you and injected you with painkillers, they told me I should follow them to the hospital in about an hour’s time. We knew by then you were not about to die.’

I gulped. How does one respond to that sort of information? Jo added: ‘I was still in my robe, so I rushed around and managed to dress properly before I drove to the hospital.’

‘And Spoder – was he shaken up by the shooting?’ I said.