‘Nunn?’ interrogated Sir Prestwick keenly. ‘Nunn? Nunn? Is that Nunn? Am I through? Nunn? Nunn?’

‘Speaking, Sir Prestwick.’

‘It’s Wining again, Nunn. Nunn, what happened? Something happened. I couldn’t hear you. Were we cut off?’

‘We must have been.’

‘Look, Nunn, could you hear me?’

‘Not a word, Sir Prestwick.’

‘Then you missed what I said about Rothermere being extremely upset?’

‘Yes.’

‘You heard it?’

‘No, I missed it.’

‘Well, look, I’ll say it again. Rothermere is extremely upset.’

‘I’m sorry to hear that.’

‘Yes. Well, he’s upset about the possible repercussions, you see. As I explained before – perhaps you didn’t hear – it’s not that he wants to interfere in any way with the Institute’s traditional academic freedom. He believes – and of course I fully agree – that it should be completely inviolable. Completely.’

‘I appreciate that feeling, Sir Prestwick.’

‘But there are the possible repercussions to be considered. Do you see what I mean?’

‘Oh, entirely.’

‘I’ve made myself clear?’

‘Oh, absolutely, Sir Prestwick.’

‘We understand one another, then?’

‘I think we do.’

‘No hard feelings?’

‘Far from it.’

‘A nod’s as good as a wink, eh, Nunn?’

‘Any day, Sir Prestwick.’

‘Well, that’s settled, then. I hope I didn’t sound too stuffed shirt about it, Nunn. You know how it is. Rothermere’s been very up in the air. Blames me for not finding out and letting him know, which puts me in rather a spot. He says he can’t think what object there is in my being on the board if he still has to find out how his money’s being spent by listening to the gossip at parties. I can see his point, of course.’

‘Listening to the gossip at parties?’

‘Yes, he heard all about the present stink at some party he went to. I told you about it. Or did you miss that bit, too?’

‘I must have done.’

‘Well, some B.B.C. woman told him about it at a party. That’s how he found out. It was particularly aggravating that someone in the B.B.C. knew more about Amalgamated’s affairs than he did.’

‘I see.’

‘So of course he was furious.’

‘Of course he was.’

‘Justifiably, I think.’

‘Oh, entirely.’

‘It’s just the repercussions were thinking of, Nunn.’

‘Exactly.’

‘I mean, it’s not that we personally think there’s anything wrong in having computers that conduct religious services . . .’

‘Computers that conduct religious services?’

‘Didn’t you hear anything I said before, Nunn?’

‘I certainly didn’t hear anything about computers conducting religious services.’

‘Well, that’s what Rothermere’s so upset about. Your people are apparently planning to fix up these computers in the new Ethics Wing.’

‘Are they?’

‘Well, according to this woman in the B.B.C. She said you were going to have computers praying down there . . .’

‘Praying? Computers praying? Whatever will these scientist chappies think of next?’