“He usually come towards the end of the season,” Fred says.

The fakir rises in one piece from his bed of nails. Applause from the audience.

His back is red raw as he exhales fire from his mouth. Then he says, “Thank you all. Now please continue to enjoy the evening with the traditional ensemble of Alpine horns.”

Eight elderly men with immensely long horns come onto the stage and try to breathe some life into a lugubrious and monotonous piece.

A man who could be assumed to be the hotel manager comes up to the table and addresses Jimmy Tree, but Fred, Mick and Lena listen in to the conversation.

“Excuse me, Mr Tree, but we have a new guest in the hotel. Her name is Joyce Owens. She has just won the title of Miss Universe. She is a great admirer of yours and would very much like to meet you.”

“O.K., fine with that.”

The manager makes a sign and out of a dark corner of the garden appears Miss Universe.

They all wait for her in a state of excitement, but Miss Universe is an outright disappointment. She is wearing a cheap baggy jumpsuit that distorts her figure, making her seem overweight. She has bad skin, tired and unwashed hair and, although it is dark, is wearing purple-tinted sunglasses in vulgar frames that appear too large for her face. In addition, she has a grating voice when she shakes Jimmy’s hand.

“Pleased to meet you. I’m a huge fan of yours. I literally went crazy for you when you played that Mr Q.”

Jimmy Tree raises his eyes to heaven. He can take no more of Mr Q.

“I go to see all the Transformers films, but that one’s my favourite.”

“Thank you. And do you go to see any films that aren’t about robots?” he asks sarcastically.

“Of course! I’ve got my whole life ahead of me and I want to become an actress. I don’t want to get stuck in the beauty business.”

Jimmy sniggers. “And what else do you go to see? Cartoons?”

Miss Universe stiffens a little. “I go and see whatever I want.”

“Excellent, Miss Universe.”

She now becomes very serious. “Do you know something, Mr Tree?”

“What’s that?”

“I like irony, but when it’s full of venom it loses its potency and reveals something else.”

“Oh, so what does it reveal? Let’s hear it.”

“Frustration. In this case yours, not mine.”

Jimmy stiffens. “Me? Frustrated, Miss Universe?”

“I’m happy to have participated in Miss Universe, but are you happy to have played Mr Q?”

The actor has no answer to this.

A feeling of embarrassment has fallen over the gathering.

Jimmy holds out his hand to Miss Universe, almost as if admitting defeat. She does not shake it and leaves.

Boyle smoothes his hair down with the palm of his hand and Jimmy watches him. Then, to break the ice as his eyes follow the rapidly disappearing Miss Universe, he says, “The arrogance of youth is intolerable.”