Serrin was growing more annoyed by the minute. Why had they brought him all this way just to beat around the bush? Looking down, he saw that he’d dolloped marmalade onto what remained of his eggs. He decided to brazen it out. It didn’t taste good.

"Our client offers one thousand nuyen per day, plus expenses.” The fat man sat back, looking smug. The tiny gem glittered in his mouth, adding fake glamour to his crocodile smile.

“Fifteen hundred,” Serrin said curtly. ‘‘The work may seem easy, but experts don’t come cheap.” Serrin thought he might be pushing his luck, but he wanted to test the responses of these unflappable suits. To his surprise, Smith agreed at once.

“Very well. You drive a hard bargain, sir. Fifteen hundred was the limit allowed by our client. You will begin work tomorrow. At five o’clock this afternoon, we will have delivered to you a list of the sites we wish you to survey. You will spend an initial period of one week conducting surveillance and then report to us, both orally and in writing, in nine days’ time. We are authorized to give you this.” Smith handed Serrin a roseate hard plastic rod that he’d retrieved from the recesses of his immaculate Saville Row suit. “This is good for twelve thousand nuyen, plus three thousand for travel and other incidental expenses. You will not need to provide receipts unless you exceed that sum and wish to claim the balance from our client. Your hotel bill will be covered by our client, who wishes you to stay here each night rather than in Cambridge, where your research will be conducted. That will help prevent detection of your work. You can confirm the sum the credstick authorizes in the credit analyzer in the hotel lobby if you wish.”

The suits were rising to their feet now, Smith sweeping away some toast crumbs from the expanse of waistcoat stretched over his ample belly. Jones shook Serrin’s hand with exactly the same pressure Smith had applied. “Please enjoy your day. We look forward to seeing you again.” With that, the men swept out of the suite.