‘No kidding?’ said Russ. ‘Did you lose your shit? What did it do?’

‘No. Nothing, it just looked at me.’

‘I heard of a guy, woke up one time with a snake in his sleeping bag,’ said Russ.

Bea got up. When she was behind Russ’s head, gave Dan a look – a nod – then went inside to the speaker, and turned it off.

‘You didn’t like it?’ said Russ.

‘OK,’ said Dan, beginning to stand up.

Russ didn’t follow, and didn’t stop talking, and Dan stayed in his seat.

‘I love reptiles,’ he said, as if there had been no interruption.

Bea stood, half in, half out of the house. He sloshed whisky in his glass and then in Dan’s.

‘I used to keep them when I was a kid. Yeah, I had those little, you know, what do you call them, terrapins, and for a while I kept a frog, but I really loved my snakes. I loved my fucking snakes, they were awesome. I know, right? Paging Dr Freud! my sister used to say. But oh, man, they’re insane! They don’t obey the rules whatsoever. The way they move, or reproduce – I mean, snakes have two dicks. Excuse me, I apologise, we just met, I know, but it’s true. Come on! Two dicks, man!’

Dan laughed, a reflex, and Bea’s hand tightened on her phone.

‘Plus,’ said Russ, ‘you have no fucking idea what they’re thinking. They freak everyone the fuck out. I used to take them into my sister’s room and scare the crap out of her. I had heated tanks for them and shit, and you gotta feed them mice, right? Frozen mice.’ He laughed, and reached for the bottle again.

‘OK, it’s time to go,’ said Dan. He stood up and Russ’s expression changed. It went as blank as a stone.

He looked from one to the other, the smile wiped from his face. There was a silence.

‘OK,’ he said.

Very slowly, he picked up his backpack. He put his tobacco and papers into the side pocket. He got up and turned towards the hotel. In silence, they followed him through the sitting room and into the hall. They were almost at the door. He stopped.

‘Forgot my speaker,’ he said.

He went back past them and they waited.

‘Why don’t you go into the kitchen?’ said Dan quietly. ‘I can handle this.’

He looked at her steadily. She felt the change in the air. It made her feel better and worse that he was ready to fight, both shielded and helpless, like holding a knife and fearing an axe. She shook her head. They heard Russ’s footsteps and he came into the hall.

‘Got it,’ he said.