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prompt Edgar offered. “ The Shadow is Jung’s term for the dark side of ourselves. And in my case, it’s had one or two extra advantages. I’ve picked up a few cameo roles from film production companies – and not least when the BBC’s been filming up my way.”
    “Isn’t that cheating?” Juliet asked. “Earning money from it?”
    “Not if you’ve got an Equity card it isn’t.” He leered at Juliet, displaying his ghastly dentures once more. She could only speculate that he must have a very well-stocked stage make-up kit.
    He grabbed the cheeseboard, smearing it with grimy marks.
    “No, James,” cried Laura. “Wash your hands first.”
    “If you say so, lady.” He scraped his chair back, lurched to his feet, and sloped across to the sink, where he began to run the hot water.
    “So,” Juliet said, when he returned with cleaner hands. “You were Craig’s mentor, were you?” She struggled to suppress the laughter bubbling up in her.   
    “Oh yes,” James said, becoming serious. “I met a need in him, one of the many unmet by his father, I might add.”
    Silence fell. She looked at Edgar, then at Laura and Al, thinking they might deny this picture of their leader as emotionally insecure. But they said nothing. She fought a brief temptation to spring to Don’s defence. 
    “French dressing for your salad, honey?” said Al. “Help yourself.”
    “Thanks, I will.” As she reached for the bottle, though, she kept half an eye on James. He was now plastering butter on his bread.
    “What perfect manners,” mused Laura. She turned back to Juliet. “Listen, my dear, you’ve yet to experience Dynamic Meditation. When you do, Craig will change you just as he’s changed all of us.”
    “Not too much I hope, while I’m here,” said Juliet, “for I’m really quite happy the way I am right now.”
    Edgar gave a bark of amusement. “Your goals will change if you become one of us.”
    “I think that’s unlikely,” said Juliet.
    “When we give ourselves to him he changes our lives,” Laura told her.
    “I’ve been meaning to question you about that. What does it mean exactly?”
    “Simply that we throw off our self-limiting beliefs,” said Laura. “We wipe out negative messages from the past. And never speak of them again.”
    “In fact we forget them,” said Edgar. “That’s why my initial interview is so important. I can’t possibly let people give themselves to Craig without offloading their past onto me first.”
    “That’s an extraordinary statement,” said Juliet. “So each person tells you their story and then forgets it?”
    “Yes.”
    “But how can anyone forget their past? James clearly doesn’t.”
    James chortled. “I’m the exception that proves the rule,” he said.
    Juliet wasn’t quite clear how.
    “For the rest of us,” said Laura, “this process of forgetting starts when Craig begins his work on us. He’s pulled me apart and reshaped me.”
    Juliet glanced at the faces of the others but they remained impassive. How could she take this seriously? She decided to probe a little further.
    “You make Craig sound very physical,” she said.
    “I wish.” Laura giggled for some while.
    Suddenly Juliet’s attention was drawn to Sam. His face had reddened. What was that about?
    “Well, all right, not with me anyway,” Laura admitted, “yet.”
    Nor Sam either, if his face was anything to go by. Juliet stored her observations away, together with the questions they raised. Plenty here for her to investigate later.
    “Here you are, have some Branston pickle.” Al cut into the conversation in a very deliberate way. A large jar with a fork in it landed in front of Juliet.
    “Thank you, Al. So, Laura, what exactly is your relationship with Craig?”
    Silence fell heavily. Laura stared at her. So did the others. Then Laura said, “Here in this group we all share love equally, and nobody is to have an exclusive relationship with anyone else.”
    “But all men are