The longer he waited, the more certain Patrick felt: he was no longer willing to make himself ill just to keep his job, no longer prepared to submit to one man’s will. After an hour of waiting, he finally decided to leave – and, just then, the secretary told him Desjoyaux was ready to see him. He entered his boss’s office with a calm, almost regal step. Desjoyaux told him to sit down without even looking at him, without even apologising for the one-hour wait. Everything was normal in the kingdom of contempt. Yet the strange thing was that if you didn’t know him, you’d think Desjoyaux looked quite friendly. His body was tall and thin, but his head was perfectly round; a jovial face placed, as if by mistake, on an austere pedestal. Patrick knew the boss’s orders: he was not to speak first. So he sat down in silence and waited for the man behind the desk to deign to raise his head. The comedy of power could begin.

Most discussion of bullying takes the viewpoint of the victims. But what is the psychology of the bully? What is he like at night, in darkness? Does he savour his power, without the faintest twinge of guilt? Desjoyaux would be a wonderful central character. I’d love to find out about his private life, his sexuality, his children (if he has any). Does he like to read? And, if so, is he more Proust or Céline? Camus or Sartre? This is another problem with reality; I am not omniscient. When the book comes out, someone is bound to tell him that he’s mentioned. Maybe he would like to balance out the caricature of him that I am sketching? I would like it if some of my characters could give their version of events afterwards.

‘How are you, Martin?’ he asked at last.

‘Fine. Thank you.’

‘Not too stressed?’

‘No, I’m okay.’

‘You can tell me anything. You know that, right?’

‘Yes.’

‘So you’re really not too stressed?’

‘Work is pretty intense at the moment, but I’m okay.’

‘Well, seeing as you’re not too stressed, can I give you some new clients?’

‘…’

‘No response?’

‘I was thinking. You’re the one who makes the decisions, of course, but in my opinion I already have enough on my plate. Especially since Lambert was fired.’

‘You think we shouldn’t have dismissed him?’

‘He was good at his job.’

‘Not as good as you.’

‘…’

‘And Martinez? What do you think of Martinez? You think he’s a good employee?’

‘Yes, of course.’

‘So, as far as you’re concerned, “everyone is good, everyone is nice” … is that it?’

‘No … no,’ said Patrick, increasingly embarrassed. ‘But you’re talking about my colleagues, and I know they work hard. That’s all.’

‘And if you were in my place and you had to fire someone, who would it be?’

‘Sorry?’

‘If you had to choose one person to fire, who would it be?’

‘I can’t answer that. I don’t know …’