The biolum strip came on revealing a lounge area with a sturdy oak-top bar separating it from a minute kitchen alcove at the rear. Its built-in furniture was compact, all light pine. Wearing thin, Greg acknowledged, following Eleanor's questing gaze. Entropy digging its claws in.

The corners of her lips tugged up. "Nice. At Egleton, there'd be five of us sharing a room this size. You live here alone?"

"Yeah. The British Legion found it for me. Good people, volunteers. At least they cared, did what they could. And it's all paid for, even if it is falling down around me."

"They were bad times, weren't they, Greg? I never really saw much of it. But there were the rumours, even in a kibbutz."

"We rode it out, though. This country always does, somehow. That's our strength, in the genes, no matter how far down we fall, we're never out."

"And you don't mind?"

"Mind what?"

"Me. I was in a kibbutz, that made me a card carrier."

His arms went round her, hands resting lightly on her buttocks. Faces centimetres apart. Her nose was petite and pointed. "Only by default. Nobody chooses their parents, and I'd say you un-chose yours pretty convincingly tonight." His nose touched hers, rubbing gently.

She grinned, shy again.

The bedroom was on his right, behind a sliding door. A tiny pine-panelled room which was nearly filled by a huge double bed, there was a half-metre gap between the mattress and the walls.

Eleanor flicked him a quick appraising look, and her grin became slyer, lips twitching. Greg leant forward and kissed her.

He cheated with her, just as he'd done with all the others. His espersense was alert for exactly the right moment. It came a minute into the kiss; his hands found the hem of her T-shirt and he was pulling it off over her head, muffling her giggles. The long skirt and silky panties followed quickly.