Jomier gets out of bed and goes to his study in his pyjamas. He switches on his computer. He googles God. There are 475 million hits. He googles Jesus. 183 million hits. Better to flick through the Bible that sits among his reference books on the shelf next to his desk – the prize for RE at school, the sourcebook for his arguments with Theo. He reads, looking for the formula that induces God to do humans a good turn. He sees no hope of a favour from the pitiless despot of the Old Testament – the Hebrew Bible. None, certainly, if one is not a Jew. And Jesus – the protagonist of the New Testament? When the Jews turn up their noses at what he has to offer, he is prepared to give it to the Gentile dogs. But he is quite as demanding as his father who spoke to Moses from the burning bush. Repent, or else. Believe, or else. Love, or else. Forgive, or else. Stick up for me and I’ll stick up for you. Nothing is for nothing. Even God expects a quid pro quo.

Fair enough. Jomier is a lawyer. He knows about negotiations. He knows how to enter a plea. He can make deals. If God will save Louisa, he will have his quid pro quo. Jomier will love, believe, repent and forgive. He will forgive the civil servants in the Lord Chancellor’s office who turned down his application to become a QC. He will forgive Judith for what she said about Louisa. He will forgive Max for stealing Tilly. He will forgive Tilly for going off with Max.

Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Jomier goes to bed at four in the morning. He sleeps through the alarm set for eight and is woken by the telephone at ten past nine. It is Jimmy. Louisa is being moved to Chad’s later that morning. Perhaps Jomier would be able to visit her that afternoon?

Jomier gets dressed and goes down to the kitchen. He is hungry after eating so little the night before. He eats his usual weekday breakfast of orange juice, coffee, muesli, wholemeal toast. He reads The Times. He has recovered his appetite. He has recovered his interest in the outside world. He ascribes this to the deal he struck in the early hours of the morning. He now sees that there is some point to prayer. Whether or not one believes in a God, let alone a God who intervenes in the lives of human beings, praying is a way of doing something when nothing else can be done. He is also pleased that, should Louisa ask whether he has prayed for her as she requested, he will be able to tell the truth. Not only has he prayed to God, he has negotiated with him – like Abraham at Sodom, or a character in a novel by G. K. Chesterton or Graham Greene.