‘I’m pleased to hear it.’

‘I should think that you as the Head of the department must find that particularly satisfying. Well, of course, that rather puts the ball in our court. The more freedom Vulgurian gives us, the more careful we must be not to abuse it. I’m sure you see that.’

‘Yes.’

‘Of course, these things wouldn’t matter quite so much in the normal course of events. But with the Queen coming down for the opening the Institute’s going to be rather in the glare of publicity. So academic freedom apart, we must take jolly good care we don’t drop our friends at Amalgamated Television in the soup in any way. I take it I’m making myself clear?’

‘Clear as mud.’

‘Jolly good. A word to the wise, eh? I knew you’d take the point.’

‘Oh?’

‘I mean, people talk a lot of nonsense about scientists being difficult people to get through to. But I say, if a chap’s a decent chap, he’s a decent chap be he a scientist or a nigger minstrel.’

‘I see.’

‘Of course you do. I mean, I wouldn’t have mentioned it at all, only you know how careful these television companies have to be about public opinion. So when I heard what you were up to over there in the new wing . . .’

‘Up to?’

‘I mean, I know it’s all done from purely scientific interest.’

‘I’m not up to anything in the new wing.’

‘No, well, strictly speaking . . .’

‘That’s the whole point.’

‘Well, yes, I see that. You mean, you never were up to anything anyway?’

‘I keep telling you – I’m not doing anything at all in the new wing.’

‘Well, I tried to explain that to Sir Prestwick.’

‘Good.’

‘I mean, I told him right away. “Look,” I said, “I don’t know where you’ve got this from, but let me assure you here and now that Macintosh is not up to anything at all in that new wing.” ’

‘I mean . . .’

‘ “I know Macintosh pretty well,” I said, “and I can tell you he’s just not that sort of chap.” ’

‘I mean, it’s not as if I haven’t explained . . .’

‘Well, that’s exactly what I told Sir Prestwick. “It’s a lot of rubbish,” I told him, “and you can jolly well go back to whoever you got it from and tell him I said so.” ’

‘Yes . . .’

‘I mean, Sir Prestwick’s a nice chap and all that, but I sometimes feel he’s not terribly sound. Too much of a yes-man. Always agrees with both sides. Well, it can’t be done.’

‘No.’

‘There we are, then. I knew Sir Prestwick had got it back-to-front all along. Nice of you to drop in and help clear it up.’

As Macintosh got up to go, Nunn noted in his diary: ‘Mac. v. co-operative.’

‘Just one thing,’ he said. ‘Strictly off the record, of course, but if you ever did get your jolly old machines turning out dirty books, I’d be rather interested to have a look at them.’