‘ Doesn’t help.’

‘What about what’s-his-name, the one we’ve got doing Housekeeping?’

‘ Zuccaroni? ’

‘No, the other one.’

‘ Zen? ’

‘That’s it.’

‘ But surely he’s… ’

‘What?’

‘ Well, I thought there was, you know, some problem about using him.’

‘Really? I haven’t heard anything.’

‘ I don’t mean anything official.’

‘Well, as long as it’s not official I can’t see that there’s any problem. A kidnapping, too! Wasn’t he something of a specialist? Couldn’t be better.’

‘ If you say so, dottore.’

‘It’s perfect. Ideal from every point of view. The only thing that would ruin it is delay. And that’s why I’m going to leave it in your lap, Ciliani. I want Zen and the relevant paperwork in my office within the hour. Got that?’

‘ Uh.’

‘Caccamo?’

‘ Uh.’

‘Ciliani. You seen Zen?’

‘ You tried his office? ’

‘No, I’m too stupid to think of that. Of course I’ve tried his fucking office.’

‘ Hang on, isn’t he away somewhere? Treviso? ’

‘Trieste. He was due back this morning.’

‘ Did I ever tell you about this girl from Trieste I met the time I was doing beach duty down at Ostia? She was sunbathing totally nude behind a dune, and when I… ’

‘Fuck off, Caccamo. Christ, this is all I need. Where has that son of a bitch Zen got to?’

ONE

‘No! I don’t believe it! It isn’t possible!’

‘It isn’t possible, but it happens. In short, it’s a miracle!’

‘Just a few hundred metres away from the station and they stop! This is going too far!’

‘Not quite far enough, I’d say!’

‘For the love of God, let us out of this damned train!’

‘“And yet it does not move”, as Galileo might have said. Ah well, let’s be patient.’