‘At the same money? No. Increasing surely?’

Belluno pushed a finger under his glasses and wiped an eye. ‘At the same figure, except higher expenses. Umberto has paid for everything so far, you know; his little flat in Rome, the car … even his clothes. All from Umberto. Very generous after only one modest appearance in one film.’

‘And what happens to him now? Hagel? Could he sue?’

There was a silence which strangely seemed to emphasize the gentle motion of the ship beneath their feet. The jar of Agapanthus tilted slightly, a finger of thin light probed round the bulkhead springing across the Hockney sailor like a surgical torch.

Belluno found a bonbon in his pocket, started to unwrap it noisily. ‘He is unable to fulfil the terms of his contract. He cannot possibly be fit and ready …’

‘And trained properly,’ Grottorosso’s voice was smooth as liquid fudge across the cabin, ‘to perform his duties on the date stipulated.’

Minerva removed the butt from her holder, pressed it into an ashtray. ‘And we can’t postpone? Go back … no? Because of the Vienna dates …’

‘And also because of Ludwig Bommel, who is to play Prokesch: his dates are very tight, he has a play in Berlin, we cannot juggle with the Schiller Theatre, you see.’ He put the bonbon into his mouth, folded the wrapping paper into a neat ribbon, and slid it into his pocket.

‘Another slight error, Minerva, if you will forgive me,’ Grottorosso said. ‘The Expert: Peverill. He has a very extraordinary mind. Not pleasant. He was enraged by my scenario: enraged. Especially about the character of Prokesch. He said that it was obscene, vulgar, salacious, inaccurate, cheap and God know what else! Dio Mio! I was aghast. I sat in horror at the things he had to say. This man, my dear Minerva, has a most unhealthy mind. Like a sewer. He quite lost control, you know. I could hardly believe that he was English at all! Such a stream of invective against me, against the film; I couldn’t move. And I, a guest in his house! Unbelievable. If I had not had the strength of my convictions over these two days, I would have been completely undermined. Completely. Yesterday I had all that I could take. I had to leave very quickly, as soon as it was possible; I was as polite as could be … they are your friends, I know, but I simply had to leave. It was most embarrassing, eh Nando, embarrassing?’

Belluno shifted the bonbon across his mouth, wiped his lips, nodded silently.

‘Another foul-up on my part,’ said Minerva. ‘Oh God. I really have bombed this time, haven’t I? Not favourite aunt any longer, not “The Flavour of the Month” now, eh?’

Grottorosso stretched his legs before him, rubbed his thighs, saw the blood stain on his sleeve, touched it lightly. ‘Poor Hagel. How sad. Well: everyone makes a mistake from time to time.’