He cleared his throat as a prelude. ‘We were up there to launch a communications satellite,’ he said. ‘That’s what I thought. But it was like some joke was being played on me, like I wasn’t being let in on something. They were grinning … I think the rest of the crew knew. Hes Adams definitely knew what was going on. We launched the satellite okay. Then I saw some figures on the screen, co-ordinates I thought at the time. And a series of numbers. There was one sequence that kept repeating itself. I tried to memorise it, but it was way too long. I remember how it started, though: Ze/446. I wondered about that, but nobody seemed too bothered. Then I asked Hes – Major Adams – about it, and he laughed.’ Stewart’s face was so intent at this point that Dreyfuss felt nothing would tear the older man’s eyes off him. ‘I knew then that something was wrong. And I felt that I wasn’t intended to get off the shuttle alive, because I’d been stupid enough to tell what I’d seen to the one man aboard who knew what it all meant. Then later,’ he continued, swallowing, ‘when we were dying and everything went haywire, Adams started choking me. He was mad, screaming at me, “Coffin’s got to be buried!”’

Stewart looked startled at this, then sat back in his chair, as though he were thinking hard. He folded his arms and seemed to require no more from Dreyfuss for the moment. Dreyfuss was thinking too, thinking how hungry he suddenly felt.

‘Now hold on,’ Stewart said at last. ‘Let me see if I’ve got this straight …’

‘Got what straight, Mr Stewart?’ asked Parfit, stepping into the room.

Stewart looked embarrassed, but recovered quickly. ‘Just asking the major here some questions about the flight.’

Parfit looked towards Dreyfuss. ‘And does the major want to be questioned?’ he asked.

‘The major wants to be told he can get out of here,’ Dreyfuss said, remembering now that he was angry with Parfit, who had left him here for so long.

Parfit made a sweeping gesture with his arm. ‘Your carriage awaits,’ he said.

Stewart was rising to his feet. ‘Wait a minute. Major Dreyfuss can’t just walk out of here. He’s under medical care.’

‘Nonsense,’ Parfit replied. He went back to the doorway, leaned out into the corridor and picked up a large paper carrier bag. ‘I hope these fit,’ he said, bringing the bag to the bed.

Dreyfuss was already on his feet. He opened the bag and brought out trousers, underwear, a cotton shirt, socks and a pair of canvas shoes.

Stewart watched him dress, but his words when he spoke were directed at Parfit.

‘You know this is crazy, don’t you? Esterhazy will blow all his fuses when he finds out.’ But he sounded as though this was not a wholly unpleasant thought.