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you’ve hurt your hand,’ said Midge. ‘It looks like a burn.’
    ‘It is a burn. What do you prescribe, Ursula?’
    ‘Nothing.’
    ‘Trying to bring home a point to Edward, I picked up a red hot coal.’
    ‘Was he impressed?’ said Midge.
    ‘Stuart has moved in on me, he arrived yesterday with all his stuff. He’s terminated his grant, and his digs, he didn’t have to, typical youthful selfishness at someone else’s expense. And of course Edward’s been at home since that business. I’m cooking for those two loutish boys now, and one’s a vegetarian!’
    ‘You love cooking,’ said Midge. ‘Oh dear, the cheese soufflé will be spoiling. Stuart will have to miss his drink.’
    ‘Drink? He doesn’t drink,’ said Harry. ‘He’s like a camel as far as serious liquid refreshment is concerned.’
    ‘I must go,’ said Willy.
    The door bell rang. Midge went.
    Willy turned to Thomas. He was red in the face, as if near to tears. Ursula came to him and took his arm. Willy said to Thomas, ‘How absolutely lovely Midge looks tonight.’
    ‘Yes,’ said Thomas, ‘she is so warm, a life-giver.’ Thomas sounded insincere, almost ironical, but one never knew with Thomas.
    Ursula led Willy to the door and out of the room. She returned. ‘I don’t know whether it was Midge or the whisky or the camel!’
    Stuart Cuno walked in.
    Stuart was as tall as Edward but more robustly made. He had a large pale face and pretty lips and blond hair, golden like his father’s used to be, but cut shorter. His eyes were a light amber brown, almost yellow, like the eyes of an animal. Someone had once likened Stuart to a plump white grub with a big head emerging from an apple, but the image was unjust. Stuart was physically abrupt, ungainly, not at home in space, but not unimpressive. Meredith followed him in.
    Stuart, ignoring his hosts, was saying to Meredith, ‘Yes, we’ll fix a day, now I’m settled in we can go running again.’ Stuart and Meredith had been fellow joggers for more than a year. Meredith nodded his head slowly and emphatically several times.
    Midge called them in to dinner.
     
     
    ‘So you think only religion will save us from the wrath to come?’ said Ursula to Stuart.
    Dinner was far advanced. Meredith had retired to bed. They were eating cheese. Edward, to whom everyone kept turning with kind bright attention, was mainly silent, but had been forced to make a few simple remarks.
    ‘It isn’t religion he’s got,’ said Harry. ‘You can’t have religion without God.’
    ‘But he said that nothing was more important than the future of religion on this planet.’
    ‘I think he should have a uniform,’ said Midge.
    ‘I suggest a sheet,’ said Harry.
    Stuart smiled.
    ‘You can tuck into the cheese,’ said Midge to Stuart. ‘I’m terribly sorry I forgot to make you a proper vegetarian dish.’
    ‘I’ve eaten plenty,’ said Stuart. It was true. He was always hungry. ‘The cabbage was marvellous,’ he added.
    ‘Edward, do have some cheese,’ said Midge, ‘it’s the kind you like.’
    ‘But what exactly is it you’re so afraid of?’ said Ursula. ‘Of course there’s nuclear warfare and atomic waste and all that, but you seem to be simply afraid of science.’
    ‘Doesn’t science prove free will nowadays?’ said Midge.
    ‘I think you hate science,’ said Ursula, ‘and that upsets me.’
    ‘But of course I’ve had no education,’ said Midge, ‘and I can’t understand these things.’
    ‘Don’t show off!’ said Harry.
    ‘You hate mathematics because that’s the future,’ said Ursula. ‘Actually the human race will be finished off by molecular biology, but we keep that dark.’
    ‘I’m tired of this century,’ said Harry. ‘I want to start living in the next one.’
    ‘Isn’t it true that science proves free will?’ said Midge to Thomas. ‘They used to think that everything was like a machine, and now they think it’s all random.’
    ‘I don’t think either of