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around now, you see.’ He glanced sadly at the planked window. ‘We were fond of this shop. But the owner, Greymatter Charles, decided he needed no protection, and look what happened.’
    â€˜What did?’ Edgehill said. ‘I was never clear on that. Nor about the other two shops.’
    â€˜They thought if they banded together, formed a kind of cooperative, they’d be able to look after themselves,’ Dean said. ‘You’d imagine someone called “Greymatter” would have better judgement than that, wouldn’t you? But “Greymatter” – the name might have been a joke, meaning the reverse, like “Slim” for some fatso.’
    â€˜We have a note showing your routine, Larry,’ Pellotte said. ‘That kind of very rudimentary information. Address and so on. Kept entirely confidential, believe me. You’ve heard of data security? Meet Dean, its greatest fan.’
    â€˜Just a basic fact store,’ Dean said. ‘Nothing worrying in the least. Adrian would hate to be thought of as some Big Brother figure, wouldn’t he, watching everyone on Whitsun, creating dossiers? Again, not at all his way.’
    â€˜My timetable is pretty simple and easy to chart,’ Edgehill said.
    â€˜We’ve observed that,’ Dean said. ‘I don’t say this is unwise. You’re in a non-hazardous occupation. Why should you fear interference?’
    â€˜Well, I should be moving on,’ Edgehill said.
    â€˜And possibly a mention of some other factors,’ Dean said.
    â€˜Which other factors?’ Edgehill said.
    â€˜That Tate item on your show, certainly a triumph,’ Pellotte replied. ‘Most of the panel people had it so right in their discussion of the Retrospective, Larry. On the whole, very well-selected contributors.’
    â€˜Which other factors?’ Edgehill said.
    â€˜Several of the people you get on there are quite knowledgeable, and all credit to you, Larry,’ Pellotte said. ‘I gather you’ll offer an occasional panel place to Detective Chief Superintendent Esther Davidson’s husband, Gerald. Fine idea. Distinguished bassoonist.’
    â€˜The data shows he gets around a bit too much, but, still, an undoubted artist,’ Dean said.
    â€˜Often these actual practitioners can talk so forcefully, are so down-to-earth and precise,’ Pellotte said.
    â€˜Mind, we were glad you didn’t have that slimy fucker, Rex Ince, on the panel last time,’ Dean said. ‘He’s the sort who just has to snipe and niggle, doesn’t he? So predictably negative. Hardly what we might call aesthetic. No decorum. Talks like he’s the only fucker in the fucking world who ever heard the fucking words “perspective” and fucking “ambience”.’
    Dean, behind the wheel, had to lean forward to get these insights past Pellotte and to Larry through the window.
    Edgehill said: ‘We try to vary our—’
    â€˜Ince is sad,’ Pellotte said. He gave a small wave of his right hand to scatter tolerance towards Rex Ince.
    â€˜To quite a degree, Adrian believes in that famous adage,’ Dean said.
    â€˜Which?’ Edgehill said.
    â€˜â€œLive and let live”,’ Dean said.
    â€˜Fine principle,’ Edgehill said.
    â€˜Yes, to quite a degree,’ Dean said, ‘except when some totally unreasonable, sneaky, insolent fucker has to be countered, obviously.’
    â€˜Which unreasonable, sneaky, insolent fucker?’ Edgehill asked.
    â€˜Obviously, “live and let live” doesn’t necessarily mean someone like, for example, Ince. He’s Cambridge, isn’t he? A fellow of one of the colleges. A don, as they’re termed,’ Dean said. ‘Mind, I’m not necessarily against Oxford and Cambridge – or “Oxbridge” as they’re called together – though we’ve run across someone else from Oxbridge lately