“The Sutton Collection. Is the book rare, do you happen to know?”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s the only copy.”

“Then that’s certainly where we would keep it.”

“And it’s supposed to be somebody’s diary.”

“I see.” This time I hoped it might be so, but she said “I should think we can find it for you. May I have your name?”

Posing as my son didn’t mean I had to lie. “Semple,” I said.

“That’s a coincidence.”

Although I knew, I had to say “What is?”

“There’s someone here who used to have that name.”

“There,” I said so cautiously I was afraid it might sound suspicious.

“Yes, working in the archive.”

Even more warily I said “They’re with you now.”

“No, she’s finished for the day. Why do you ask?”

“I didn’t.” In haste, and hoping this would distract the woman from my unnecessarily nervous denial, I said “As you say, it’s a coincidence. Will my name help?”

“Let me ask.” Her voice had started to recede when it came back. “Well, here’s another coincidence. She’s here now.”

I suppressed a gasp and wished I’d been able to do that to my name. “I’ve got someone on the phone, Julia,” the woman said.

“Is it for me?” Julia said altogether too close.

“No, it’s just—”

“Is it anything I need to deal with immediately?”

“It’s nothing you need to deal with at all. I only—”

“Then will you excuse me if I scoot, Hannah? Otherwise I’ll be stuck in even more of a jam.”

“You shoot off.” All the same, Hannah added “It was just this reader had a name you’d know.”

I was afraid this might bring Julia back, and Hannah’s next remark fell short of reassurance. “Sorry about that, Mr Semple. I’ll ask for you now.”

I heard her murmur away from the phone, which sounded partly covered by a hand, and an answering voice. I had to strain my ear until that side of my head began to ache before I was convinced her colleague was a man. Her hand left the mouthpiece as she said “We’re looking for you, Mr Semple.”

Surely Julia had left by now, but held breaths had my lungs competing with my ear for aches by the time Hannah spoke again. “We’ve located your request. It was for Lumen Scientiae.”

“That sounds like him.” In a bid to appear more informed I said “It means light of science, doesn’t it?”

“More like light of knowledge, of all knowledge. That’s what he imagined he had or was going to get.” A hint of disapproval lingered while she said “Lumen Scientiae, His Life and Explorations. That was your book.”

“Thank you very much for tracking it down. Can I come in for another look?”