‘Responsible for arguably the most spectacular discovery of the twentieth century. Dunkle Materie, or in plain English, dark matter. But for forty years no one took him seriously – just like our guy. No, the part that is hard for me to believe is that Marvar did this in a university lab over what sounds like a weekend.’

‘There are surprises. Surprises happen.’ Hissop was leafing through his notes. ‘There was widespread underestimation in the West after the Second World War of Russia’s capability to make bombs. Then in the 1960s the Russians achieved great advances in fusion with the tokamak. We’ve probably committed the same miscalculation with North Korea. But up until this moment,’ referring to his digital watch, ‘ten-thirty-seven a.m., Monday, twenty-eighth of February, two thousand and blah blah, no one has found a simple way to achieve fusion – and definitely not without massive government backing.’

‘So if it isn’t bullshit,’ said Updark, ‘the next question we have to ask is this. If he has indeed found a way, then has he done so on his own, or is another government now involved? And if our errant asteroid hasn’t done it on his own, has he done a bunk? And if he hasn’t done a bunk, has he been taken, and if so by who?’

He folded his arms and sat back. ‘Roly, could you ask Lorna if we might trouble her for a moment?’

Chapter Nineteen

WHILE HISSOP WENT OFF TO fetch Lorna, Updark unfolded his arms and helped himself to one of her flapjacks. His attitude was less peevish, more reconciliatory, as if he was thinking that Dyer might be softening up a bit, but had first needed to be told things in order to play the game.

‘Fusion research has been declassified since 1958. Inter-cooperation is the name of the game. Want to know the cynical reason? Because no one has the knowledge, it’s so bloody difficult. But the moment it looks like someone is going to make a dollar out of it, then cooperation will be flat on its face. Right now, there’s a race on in Livermore, in Cadarache, in Moscow, in Beijing – in various places around Oxford, too.’ He spoke in the confident voice of this city, the baritone that commanded ships and government ministries and embassies.

‘These things always come much quicker than you think. That’s why everyone lives in terror of the other side’s advantage. There’s not a scientist on earth who wouldn’t stamp on his grandmother’s neck to be first with the discovery.’

His teeth clamped down, scattering flakes of oatmeal. He pondered as he slowly ate, a ruminative expression settling on his face.

‘Has Marvar beaten them to it? If so, does that mean Iran has the knowledge? Because this would change the whole game of marbles.