A dull intermittent sound that only Fred hears at first forces him to open his eyes. But the sun is shining directly at them, so all he can see is a small black disc that sails into view against the sky from below and then falls down again. Then again the sound and again the black disc sails into view.

It is enough to make Fred curious and decide to take a look. He sets off and Jimmy and Mick Boyle follow him.

37

When they get to the tennis court Fred, Mick and Jimmy are struck dumb by what they see.

With tremendous effort, the overweight South American is doing something extraordinary: with his left foot he launches a tennis ball to a great height, and then without letting it touch the ground when it falls, he kicks it back up again twenty metres or so into the air. A yellow tennis ball against the sky.

It plummets down and he kicks it back up again with a natural skill that both impresses and elicits admiration.

Mick, Jimmy and Fred cannot believe their eyes. And not without reason.

Then, after five or six of these acrobatic miracles, the man is tired out and stops. He is struggling for breath.

Jimmy locates the briarwood walking stick leaning against the wire-mesh fence. He fetches it and quickly takes it over.

The South American is extremely grateful. He is dripping with sweat, and without saying a word sets off walking slowly with his stick.

Jimmy, Fred and Mick remain rooted there, standing on the tennis court watching the world’s most talented retired footballer as he battles to leave the field.

38

English-style flowered wallpaper. Beside the wall, as on every afternoon, a small table holds a splendid silver tea service.

A woman’s handbag smashes into the tea service. Everything ends up on the floor. As it falls, the handbag opens. It contains nothing.

After a second, disturbed by the event, the Queen’s emissary manages to say in a feeble voice, “Your Majesty, you almost hit me!”

“Yes, Mr Bale, I meant to almost hit you.”

The emissary sighs with exhaustion, as if the whole universe were going to hell in handbags.

39

At dinner, the German couple is silent once more. They eat with composure, looking elsewhere.

The hippy mountaineer is disconsolate, his hopes dashed as he eyes Lena, who sits at a table with Fred and Mick, paying him no attention.

Jimmy Tree is dining with Mark Kozelek and other friends. They are laughing at the actor, who is doing a perfect impression of Marlon Brando.

The evening meal is sushi. Everyone is eating with chopsticks.

Fred, Mick and Lena are eating in silence.

As usual Lena has a message to pass on. “The French called again. They keep on about that book of memoirs . . . your work, your life. What should I say?”

Her father reflects. “Tell them . . .” Then he has no idea what else to say. Silence. Lena and Mick wait for him.