Peter sits staring straight in front of him.

Then Henry gives a start. ‘Here he is.’

Someone’s outside.

No, it’s someone hurrying past.

They remain sitting as before. Peter goes on staring fixedly in front of him.

But at last they can hear the footsteps they are waiting for. John comes in. His features are hardened already, so they give nothing away. He closes the inner door so that they can speak freely.

Perhaps Peter can see it despite the attempts to behave as usual. Something in him seems to hint at it. John sits down before he says a word. Henry asks him first, his voice trembling, ‘Have you heard anything?’

‘Yes. There will be no more news now,’ answers John.

Both of them experience that cruel shock that can never be avoided at such moments.

‘No more news?’ says Peter.

‘No.’

‘Are you sure?’ asks Henry in dread. ‘Couldn’t it simply be that…’

John interrupts him: ‘They’ve put up notices about it already. As usual.’

Silence falls. The room is bare and uncomfortable. No one has been here to improve it for a long time. The men using it have never noticed. They are merely beneath this roof.

Finally Peter asks, ‘What do they say then?’ ‘The usual.’

Then it is silent again. Now there’s this other matter, that concerns those who live on in the struggle.

Peter asks, ‘Have you heard anything else?’

John’s face lights up a little. ‘Yes. I’ve heard that he held his tongue.’

It’s important news. Important for them, who might otherwise have found themselves in the greatest danger, and important for Stig. Testimony to his strength.

They look at one another with embarrassment. It is difficult for them to accept such a sacrifice. They cannot help but feel embarrassed. Their defences are intact. How would I have held out? they ask themselves, shuddering.

Peter gets to his feet and stands to attention. ‘Very well,’ he says, as if to himself, as if taking a burden upon himself in addition to those he is already bearing. He stands there, solemn in the uncomfortable room.

John and Henry remain seated. They are too embarrassed to rise. Peter is different. He can do this, and it comforts them, and they are grateful that he should perform this ceremony. But they cannot do so themselves. They would only look shamefaced. At this moment Peter is the leader.

‘Thank you, Stig,’ says Peter, and sits down.

Again, complete silence. Yes, the other two are thinking, and thank you, Peter, for honouring him. We would have liked to have done that too.

They have no reason to doubt the truth of John’s message. There are people in the most unexpected places inside the centre who are in contact with people outside and beneath it. Stig has certainly kept silent. John is bound to have been informed by the right source.

He has something else to say.

And they can see that he has. He is not so experienced a leader yet as to avoid hesitation. They assume that he has been given an order that is not particularly pleasant.