"You're late." "Sorry, it was unavoidable." "Trains on Sunday, you know what they're like." "Unavoidable?" "I don't believe it." "I've eaten all the food." "You've eaten all the food." "Now, that's serious." " Is this all there is?" " Told you." "What are all these candles for anyway?" "It's spooky." "Is this what you used to get up to with him every night?" "I just like it, that's all." "You gotta stop it." "It looks like you're grieving." "Grieving for a relationship." "Must make it ten times worse." "Thank you, Richard." "I've been waiting here for the last six hours just to hear you say that." "It is all I need." "It is what you need." "Come on, I'm going to get you out of here." "This place is bad for you." "There's nowhere to go round here on a Sunday." "Oh, now she can't even leave the house!" "Come on, Natalie, there's no need to overdo it." "Wait!" "Wait!" "Just wait." "What's that for?" "You can't even go down the street without one." " Well, I was giving up till..." " Come on." "Get off!" "Richard, stop it!" "I don't like seeing you unhappy." "Well, I am unhappy." "I'm incredibly unhappy." "I mean... you buy a flat with your lover and then he leaves you within two months." "Six and a half weeks, actually." "There's not many worse things." "No." "Now Mum and Dad are both gone, you're the only person I can tell." "Which is terrible." "I haven't seen you for ages." "I'm sorry." "I've been really busy." "Students aren't busy." "It's a good course." "Planning pretend cities." " I'm very happy." " I bet you are." "Raving it up in London." "Stop playing with those." "What are you doing?" "You should always look in these wherever you go." "You can judge a town by what's in these tomatoes." "Stop it." "That's disgusting." "Bloody hell, it's a tooth!" "Nat, come on!" "You're out of condition, come on." "Come on!" "Take this coat off." "Take your coat off!" "Too much smoking, look at you." "Come on!" "Jesus!" "Will Richard make it better?" "I wish I could wake up and be happy." "Just... one morning it would be gone, this feeling, and never come back." "You could make that happen." "Get out of town." "Start all over again." "A new career?" "I'm too old to start again." "You're not too old, don't be stupid." "That job was never what you wanted." "A buyer for that bloody awful store?" "You wanted to be artistic." "I'm not artistic." "No, but you want to be." "Kiss me." "Come here." "I'm sorry." "I just needed something to hug." "Even you." "Even my little brother." "Go back to sleep." "And you haven't made me feel better, so don't look so smug." " Shit!" " Hey, hey!" " It's me." " What's the matter?" " I've left my wallet in your flat." " So go and fetch it." "I haven't got a key." "Please, I don't want to miss the train." "I don't believe this!" "You appear out of nowhere, use my flat as a hotel, I hardly see you..." "Natalie... just this time." "Please?" "I have to get permission." "I have to ask my 14-year-old boss." "There!" "The things I do for you, I can't believe it!" "Listen..." " How's the job?" " Now he asks!" "It's horrible, I've become a secretary." "My boss is terrified I'm going backwards." "I looked for somewhere creative to work, trendy, and see what happens, I feel like I'm 150 and six years old." "Stop it!" "OK, OK, I can do anything." "You told me so it must be true." "You're not listening." "Oh, no, I am, look, it's just the train." "Look, I've been meaning to talk to you." "Now I try and do it here." "This is stupid." "Go on, then." "Go." "Go!" "I'm sorry, I'll miss the train." "And you better write or I'll kill you." "Ring too, Scotland's not that far away." "I may be busy." "No, you won't." "Building a new town, that's nothing." "You'll have plenty of time." "Come on, where are you?" "Oh, Richard, be there." " Hello." " Richard." "Natalie, it's you." "It's only my sister." "Only?" "Who's that you're talking to?" "My, er..." "My secretary." "We're, um..." "We're all alone here." "I suppose you're in the middle of screwing her." "As it happens, yes, but this is not a regular occurrence." "Jesus, you're incorrigible." "It's four o'clock in the afternoon." "We're celebrating our last few days of freedom." "They finally finished the office." "This place is like out of a horror movie." "Maybe it's time to move on again." "You always make it sound so easy." "Well, I've got a new job." " Another one?" " This one's on the continent, if I get it." "What, you mean you'll be going abroad?" "Maybe, yeah." "Listen, Natalie, um..." "I've gotta put some clothes on, so I'll call you tomorrow, OK?" "Promise." "It might be an idea to get dressed." "Walking about naked in the middle of your office, that's ridiculous!" "I don't like this conversation." "Get out, let me out!" "Frankly, I'm amazed to see someone like you here." "The cut you'd be taking in salary is immense." "I mean, all these jobs you've done - pan-European, Brussels..." "Oh, take no notice of that." "It was just luck and I wasn't happy doing it." "So, you think you're gonna get this job, do you?" "Not at the moment, no." "You mean you only get the terrific jobs and this isn't one of them?" "No, I mean, this interview's going rather badly, so..." "Oh, I don't smoke, I just play with them." "I've changed." "Erm..." "I saw there was more to life than planning new roads." "I discovered the environment." "A bit late..." "I'm not putting this well." "I've seen so much incompetence among developers - bad planning " "I want to do something about that." "You realise we have no money to speak of." "There are no planning controls in this part of the town." " All we can do is hound." " A sort of urban Greenpeace?" "I'll let you know." "I'll call you." "No." "Tell me now." "I prefer to cut the bullshit, and I imagine you do too." "Hello, Urban Alert." "OK, hang on." "Richard." "Richard!" "Phone call for you." " I can't take it." " It's your sister." "Oh, shit, yeah, I was meant to..." "I suppose I better take it." "Hiya." "You've been back six weeks." "You haven't called." "I did call." "I left a message on your machine." "Yesterday." "Want to come over?" " Meet Sinclair." " Who?" "Don't do that." "Sinclair." "Since you didn't manage to make it to the wedding." "Food." "Food's up." "Hiya." "Come to lunch on Saturday. 1 pm." "Yeah, sure." "I'll try to make it." "OK, bye." "Families!" "I wanna get a job in the West End." "Oh, yeah, what sort of job?" "No, no, not that!" "I mean, just a job job." "I'm beginning to think... we've made a real mistake." "Hm, could be." "I don't usually eat the food I deliver." "Come on, risk it." "Ah, come in." "Come in, come in, come in." "Sit, sit, sit down." "Miserable at convention." "Delighted to see you all here." "I'm sure you'll give us a clean bill of health." "Now..." "You know you said on August the 4th..." ""Our new block will be an asset for the whole area, we want to share it."" "Exactly." ""We are proud of it and as is the regular practice in America," ""the public will be allowed to see the full glories of our foyer at any time," ""and there will be public tours of the building every day of the week."" "But getting in here is more difficult than entering Fort Knox." "That promise was crap, wasn't it?" "I'm not aware of having made that statement, but, um... it's a small matter." "Absolutely." "Talking of small matters, let us move on to the matter of Threepenny Street." " Well done." " Yeah, well, Colin doesn't look too pleased." "What do you expect, applause?" "From him?" "Shit, I was meant to go and have lunch with my sister!" "Forget it, it's too late now." "She's married some boring guy." "I was meant to meet him." "Why don't you go?" "You're unbelievably late." "I know." "There's practically no food left." "I've eaten all the food." "What?" "Don't you remember?" "Nothing." "This house is... extraordinary, Natalie." "I thought I'd come to the wrong place." "Do you want to come in, or are you going to admire it from out there?" "The brother!" "This, at last, must be the brother." "Yes, at last, it is." "I've been eyeing that last piece of pudding, wondering if I could possibly eat it, and now you've turned up." "Sit, sit." "Have some cold soup." "It's all your fault we've eaten so much." "I've heard so much about you." "Most of it extremely interesting." "It's lovely to meet you." "Take no notice of that, it adds to the flavour." "This is the estate." "Very impressive." "I love it here." "I thought when we moved here, we'd stand out, eccentrics amongst all these rich pricks, but not a bit of it, the place is full of madmen - dreamers, psychopaths, bank managers who wanna be painters," "deep freeze merchants who wanna be poets." "We're really rather boring and normal and restrained in comparison." "I see you're reading Proust." "Volume 12?" "!" "Or is that just for our benefit?" "If you carry that around, people think "Jesus, I feel so guilty, I've never read it."" "I'm afraid, though it's nauseating too, I've read the entire thing in French." "Stop showing off, Sinclair." "Rubbish, he's enjoying it." "Apart from anything else, it makes me feel so ignorant." "He must see the car." "Very predictable, I know, and it's very vulgar showing it to people, but... it's a magnificent car, I just can't help it." "I do believe I have to confess in spending money and not just hoarding it." " Of course." " And fortunately, there's a lot of money in being able to tell people what's going to happen - business trends analysis - and the wonderful thing is you can make an awful lot even if you're wrong." "Most people don't realise that." "But I'm not wrong." "Not often." "Come on, Nats, tea time." "Oh, no, Sinclair, not more eating." "What about your diet?" "The diet starts tomorrow." "Tea is definitely overdue." "So, what do you think?" "Well, it's amazing, and everything is wonderful." "And Sinclair?" "Oh, he's... great." "Does he ever stop talking?" "Not when he's eating, as you will see." " Does he ever let you say anything?" " Yes, of course." "Once a week at least." "And how did you get to speak like this?" "I've always spoken like this, haven't I?" " Why are you wearing this?" " What do you mean, why?" "You wore it that night when I visited you in your flat, you remember." "I don't think so." "Oh, a brother and sister reunion." "I intrude, I withdraw." "You'd forgotten it was her birthday, hadn't you?" "Nat's birthday." "Blow them out separately, one by one." "Not like that!" "Go on, darling, do it." "A wish for each one." "Can we sing it yet?" "Shh, I don't know when we can sing Happy Birthday." "What are you waiting for?" "Go on." "OK." "They've made a new kind of cream dispenser." "Market research revealed people hated cream coming out of plastic things like toothpaste, so they made this cow - not unlike this one," " except I think you squeeze its udders." " Oh!" "Come on, darling, haven't you finished yet?" "That took long enough." "Anybody'd think you hadn't done it before." "I never realised the Home Counties were so beautiful." "All this so near the city." "Yes." "All sorts of things happened here." "This was the site of a great Victorian party." "They had columns of elephants here." "What about your new job?" "Oh, it's fine." "They're very serious." "You mean they don't laugh at your jokes?" "And my boss looks rather ill." "No, it's OK." "The office is decaying, which is amazing, but they're quite efficient." " Are you happy?" " Oh, yes." "Yeah, but this isn't you, is it?" " This house and everything." " Oh, it's me all right." "It's very much me." "Really?" "Even though you never get to speak?" "You do remember, don't you?" "You keep saying that." "I don't know what you mean." "Do I pass?" "What?" "Do I pass?" "Do I meet with the brother's approval?" "Oh, yes." "Very definitely." "It was like being inside a colour supplement." "Pretty women draped about the place, golden-haired children, food available on every surface." "Were you envious?" "Envious?" "No!" "No." "Well, maybe a little." "No, it would drive me mad in less than a week living like that." "Are you close, you two, you and your sister?" "Not particularly, no." "Not at all." "My parents separated when she was a teenager." "She went to live with Dad." "And now she's married a rich man." "A complete cop-out." "She applied for a job, he was the boss." "She didn't get the job but she got him." "Anyway, you must come and see." "Is that some kind of an invitation?" "Yeah, maybe." "Oh, thanks!" "How can I resist when it's put like that?" "I don't know what you two are up to - chat, chat, chat, always at it." "I want those figures at the end of the day, do you understand?" "Jesus!" "What on earth are you doing here?" "We were just passing, on the way to a wedding in Greenwich." "Just couldn't resist dropping by, having a peek." "Sinclair's here." "Can he come in?" "Sinclair." "Over here." "He feels a little overdressed for this place because of the wedding." "Forgive this intrusion, Richard." "I feel ludicrously incongruous for a place like this." "It's fine, don't worry." "Nats was so keen to have a nose around." "So this is what you wanted." "Yes, so it appears." "What plans are these?" "Oh!" "This is interes..." "This is very interesting." "I know about this, as it happens." "I feel there may be a solution which nobody has mentioned, because they're all so obsessed with the river frontage." "Shouldn't that phone be answered?" "Yeah, probably." "Sinclair, we've got to go." "Yes, just one moment." "This is extremely interesting." "You don't belong here." "This isn't you." "Oh, yes, it is, very definitely." "I need to see you properly, talk about something." "I'll make an appointment." "Can you fit me in?" "Sure, why not." "Yeah." "Good." "Sinclair!" "Do I keep this?" "No, I believe we need that." "You are four hours late!" "Sorry, I had to go shopping for Sinclair." "Is this deliberate?" "I've been stuck in here for hours." "I couldn't go out." "You were late for lunch, even later than this." " So it is deliberate!" " What's the matter with you, Richard?" "I might have been able to watch the cricket but it's been raining, for fuck's sake..." " Shh." "Relax, for Christ's sake!" " It's only just started." "You're wearing that again." "Is that on purpose too?" "Maybe this time, yes." "Anyway, this isn't much of a greeting." "You haven't even shaved." "I'm sorry." "Don't know what that was for." "Can I... have a glass of water?" " Is it through here?" " Yes." "So, this was what was for lunch, was it?" "Come on..." "This is..." "OK." "It just happened." " We won't mention it again." " I knew you'd say that." "I don't know why it happened, but it's stopped, it's over." "Let me look at your flat." "Oh, it's a bed." "Don't want to go up there." "How many girls have been up there recently?" " Hardly any, I've been very celibate." " Really?" "This is nice." "I spent my savings on this place." "No, this is not a good idea." "Please, Richard, I shouldn't have started this." "We don't mention it, just..." " go and sit over there." " Is that an order?" "Just... sit." "So, is it convenient?" "Convenient?" "This flat, for buses." "For buses?" "Yes, buses." "Yeah, I should probably think there are some buses." " What number buses?" " I don't know." "Um... small buses, you know those ones that beetle about." "Hoppers." "Hoppers." "You've got some crumbs." "No, Richard." "Gonna stop me, aren't you?" "You're gonna stop me." "I don't know." "Come on, stop me." "I'm just lying here, not doing anything." "I'm not touching, I'm not doing anything." "OK." "OK, what?" "Are you clean?" "Are you clean everywhere?" "Yeah, of course." "I don't believe it." "Maybe you are." "Please." "Oh, please." "Oh!" "Stop me, please." "Please!" "I knew you would." "Shit." "I, er..." "I'm just putting a tape on." "I..." "What's that noise?" "It's the scaffolding." "Must drive you mad." "No, I like it." "Don't know why." "And to think we never even really liked each other as kids." "OK, that's the last bit." " What do you mean, last bit?" " It just happened." "And we don't mention it?" "Don't know what got into us, etcetera." "Precisely." "It's never gonna happen again." "Anyway..." "it's your fault for being away so long." " It's always my fault." " Of course." "I'm gonna make the carrots... with..." "lots of butter." "They'll be the best I've ever tasted, I'm sure." "I tried to stop it happening and it's finished." "Oh, by the way..." "Sinclair wants to have lunch with you." "Sinclair?" "Jesus!" "You mention that now." "Sure." "There's no problem, is there?" "Here you are!" "Good." "I've just gotta drop something off." "Come with me." " These lifts are interesting." " Are they?" "Yeah, they've become such a common feature that people hate them, they much prefer the old claustrophobia, and now they all have to pretend they don't suffer from vertigo." "And they feel so exposed, everybody can see them." "Imagine coming out of a truly terrible meeting and seeing straight down there." "It's frightening... but nobody admits it." "Last delivery, I promise." "These ashtrays are interesting." "They're ridiculously large." "People proclaim their importance in such a crass fashion." "What would a historian make of these ashtrays?" " You're interested in everything, Sinclair." " Oh, yes, lifts, ashtrays, this secretary here, you." "You stay there, he's expecting me." "All done." "Simple." "So many people pretend they're busy, don't they?" "Meetings about meetings." "Most of it's bullshit." "It's just a way of protecting themselves." "I like to get to know people." " Of course." " I like to find out about my clients." "I like to poke around in their personal lives." "I can tell you, there's some pretty interesting things going on." "There's so much cocaine being taken." "Drink too." "Sudden hysterical temper tantrums flaring up." "We're having one of our great picnics soon." "They're not to be missed." "You must be there." "Natalie didn't want you to come for some reason." "Hiya." "What's the matter with you?" "What's happened?" "What's going on?" "It's about Colin." "He's sent a memo." "Yours should be somewhere." "He's ill." "I thought so." "I knew he might be." "Hi, it's Colin." "Yeah." "Yeah, well, don't stare." "Don't do that." "Sorry." "I didn't know he was gay." " He isn't." " He's not?" "He's had it for some time." "I knew, actually." "He's letting the office know because he may be spending more time in hospital." "And don't worry." "Hey, hold the lift!" "Can you hold the lift, please?" "Thanks." "Hiya." "I want to see those Threepenny Street plans by the end of the week, OK?" "Yeah, of course, I'll make sure that happens." "Now, don't forget." "I've got a full diary, so the sooner the better." "Understood." "Have a nice..." "Have a good weekend." "The sun is getting hotter every year." " I heard in New Zealand..." " New Zealand?" "...people have been burned and they've never been burned before." "Wouldn't it be interesting, if because of the greenhouse effect, people started using parasols again?" "So we ended this century using them, just as they did at the end of the last." "You could market them, Richard, make a fortune." "Of course, there will be winds of 170mph too, storms like we've never seen." "They won't be much use during those." "These miniature hurricanes will get more and more common." "Twice a year at least." "Trees are going to become quite a rarity in southern England." "So, you're a disaster freak, are you?" "No." "These are just facts." "I wonder if your hair will ever be its real colour again." "Did you know her before?" "Before?" "Before Sinclair, of course." "He's changed her completely, apparently." "I wonder if she's really clever enough for him?" "I need to go for a walk." "Look for mushrooms... but don't kill us." "You know the ones to pick." " You shouldn't be here." " Don't be silly." "Natalie!" " I need to see you." " Shh!" "Listen, we agreed." "We agreed nothing and you want to see me." "We can't just pretend it never happened." "Can't we?" "Don't you wanna talk about it?" "Ask why?" "No." "Is it because... our parents are dead?" "Is it because we didn't see each other for a long time?" "There isn't a reason." "That's right." "I wonder what those two are talking about." "Me, I shouldn't wonder." " Sinclair's coming." "He can see!" " Just think..." " I don't want him to think." " You're my sister, what can he think?" " Shh!" " Natalie!" "Maybe we need a proper meeting to clear this up." "Exactly." "I'm not coming to you again." "It's just possible..." " Occasionally I go out of town for work..." " Oh, yes, the employment agency." "Thank you." "Nearly made me change my mind." "Sometimes I go away to interview people." "Maybe I could say I'm doing that." "Yeah." "Don't whisper like that." "I don't want us to look as if we're plotting." "But we are." "I'm just making normal arrangements with my brother, who's making fun of my job." "Tell her she doesn't need to do that job." "Pokey little agency, it's ridiculous." " I'm a partner in it now." " Oh, makes all the difference." "Tell her she doesn't need to work for work's sake, meeting morons every day." "She won't listen to me." "We can meet in Sinclair's parents' flat." "What?" "Are you crazy?" "What are you trying to do?" "Don't worry, they're away on a cruise." "I've got the keys." "I sometimes use it when I'm in town." "It's being redecorated." "It's a bit grotty but it's somewhere to talk." "But this won't be for a fortnight, Richard, if at all." "I can't wait that long." "Oh, yes, you can." "Yes, you can." "Oh!" "Ohh!" "Oh!" "Ohh!" "Oh!" "I do love you." " Of course you do." " Do you love me?" "Of course I do." "Even though you know it's just me?" "What do you mean?" "I don't know." "It's only me." "Go on, then, I don't mind." "You can read it." "I can see you edging towards it." "Just one chapter." "It's the only thing that shuts me up, isn't it?" "I may have to go away one weekend." "I don't know, it's not decided." "No problem." "It may be cancelled." "Before that, I worked for Tesco's." "Deputy store manager." "Quite a big branch just off the M25." "And then before that in Guildford, I was acting deputy manager at..." "I, erm... need to get copies of this." " I am on time, aren't I?" " Yes." "For once, you are." "Jesus!" "It's like Rosemary's Baby, this place." "It's enormous." "Sinclair's grandfather made a fortune out of margarine before the First World War." "They had three flats like this once." "Margarine?" "So long ago." "I never realised the money went back that far." "I love these old apartment blocks." "We're just going to talk, OK?" "Talk." "OK?" "Get things..." "Get things out in the open." "We shouldn't." "Stop me, stop me, stop me." "OK, OK." "OK!" "It's so warm." "It's great." " Why do you think..." " No whys." "You don't know what I was going to say." "It's all right." "Just get under the sheets and sleep." "Where are you going?" "Oh, Selina." "Selina!" "You've forgotten something, have you?" "Yes, yes?" "There's your bag." "This is my brother." "Sleeping." "Sleeping like a baby." "Shh." "Up in town on business, giving myself a treat, going to the theatre." "Here, working." " Bye-bye." "Bye-bye, Selina." " Ciao." "Shh." "Bye-bye, Selina." "Yes, yes." "Don't..." "look so worried." "Sometimes I feel this big with Sinclair." "No, this big." "Even this big." "It's nice to be able to tell someone at last." "That's all that's going on here." "Understand?" "Of course." "What happens if he tries to ring you?" "He won't." "Not tonight." "Fortunately, he's out." "Tomorrow I have to remember." "Out, really?" "I wonder what he's doing, what he's up to." "Maybe he's cheating too." "This isn't cheating." "Absolutely not." " Anyway, that's an American expression." " Is he faithful?" "Faithful?" "Yes, I think he is." "Well, it's never really occurred to me he wasn't." "We can see." "He always goes in on Saturday mornings to work." "Even when we have people over for lunch, he insists on going in." "Nothing stops him." "We can... take a look at him tomorrow." " Don't they know you here?" " I don't think so, no." "I hardly ever come." "We'll see." "I wonder... if you could see if Sinclair Bryant is in his office." "Mr Bryant?" "One moment." "What're you gonna say if he is there?" "This is silly." "No reply." " What?" " There is no reply." "I don't know." "I don't know what I feel." "Shit!" "What's the matter?" " Shh, just be... quiet." " What's wrong with you?" " Stop!" "Stop!" " What the fuck's wrong?" "Just be quiet." "You're meant to be in Nuneaton." "Come on." "Come on!" "Do you like it?" "This is important." "Don't distract me." " Hello?" " Sinclair." "Natalie, great!" "I was just wondering when you'd ring." "How are you?" "Fine, but tired." "Fine." "How's the hotel?" "It's a little gloomy but the rooms are very big." "Those big old provincial hotels can be very depressing." " How's the food?" " Food!" "You would ask that - the food." "Well, it's excellent." "I'm just going out for a quick bite now, and then I'm going straight to bed." "Very early tonight, OK?" "OK, darling." "Oh, how are the beds?" "Beds?" "Beds are..." "I've got a single." "Average, I'd say, quite nice." "Right." "OK, bye-bye." "I'd hate to have a real affair." "Lies, deceit, all that." " You don't feel..." " No questions." " I told you they were forbidden." " You're so calm!" "We're doing something illegal." "A major taboo." "Could go to jail, and you just seem to find it mildly relaxing." "We're not doing anybody any harm." "We're not sticking needles into our arms, killing ourselves with drink." "Just enjoy it, the last moments." " What if it wasn't the last moments?" " What do you mean?" " We could go off together somewhere." " Like where?" "I don't know." "Mexico?" "People always go to Mexico in stories and things, don't they," " when they're fugitives?" " But we're not fugitives." "And how would we live?" "There are plenty of ways of making money." "We could write a blockbuster novel." "You know, the sort you buy in airports - that's easy enough." " I mean it." " Shh, stop it." "We can't go anywhere." "Don't think it, not even as a joke." "Being single." "What about it?" "It's not as simple as it used to be." "Suddenly feeling older, are you... my little brother?" "Shit!" "Christ!" "Be calm, be calm." "Be calm." "No, no, we'll have no rip-offs." "Ahh!" "Natalie." "Hello, could you give me the number of the Royal George Hotel, Nuneaton, please?" "I want to speak to Mrs Natalie Bryant, please." "You are in Nuneaton, are you?" "Look... could you give me the name of every hotel in Nuneaton, please?" "It's urgent!" "There's a flood in the kitchen." "Let's get this straight." "The hotels... all the hotels..." "Stop talking to yourself." "There is an explanation." "There must be." "Oh, this is too much to do, this!" "Stop it, stop it." "Do things logically." "This place can have hardly changed in 50 years." "It's like a time warp, isn't it?" "Yes." "Be nice to stay here, wouldn't it?" "No!" "We don't need to go back yet." "Don't you see?" "We really don't." "Listen, Richard." "Richard, listen to me." "Now, we don't see each other..." "Listen!" "We don't set eyes on each other until you're going out with someone." " Get yourself a girlfriend." " You're setting me tasks now!" "I'm not seeing you till that happens because you're getting addicted." "It only happened twice - that's not addiction." "You see, I fancy you, and I love you as a brother, that's all, and you fancy me and you're beginning to love me as a lover, and that's going to end badly, messily, unless we're careful." "So maybe I've always fancied you a little, and... probably I should never have done anything..." "Shh." "So I find myself a girlfriend and then what happens?" "Can I see you?" " You won't want to then." " But if I do?" "We'll see." "Strange bargain." "But simple." "Richard." "Come into the church and feel no guilt." "Come on, I dare you." "Oh, you do look beautiful." "I mean it, I promise you." "Oh, Richard, please!" "Please don't try to make it more." "I don't want it to be more." "Oh, you're in here." "So it appears." "I went on an orgy of shopping." "You had the time?" "I had most of the afternoon off yesterday, between meetings." "I went on a spree to kill the boredom." "Well." "It's lovely." "Very useful." "It's not meant to be useful." "I had a disaster with the washing-up machine." "It doesn't matter." "You're hopeless with anything mechanical, Sinclair." "How was the hotel?" " Sorry?" " How was the hotel?" "It was gloomy, I told you." "Huge and draughty." "What was it called?" "I told you what it was called." "I just wanted to avoid it in the future." "You've never been to Nuneaton, never likely to go." "What is this?" "It's fine, I don't need to know." "I was just curious." "The Royal George." "And it is a good idea to avoid it." "Right, good." "I'm glad you're back." "So am I." "Thank you!" "Not before time." " I wish we were getting somewhere." " So do I." "You haven't been to visit Colin in hospital yet, have you?" "No, I will." "I will, I promise." "Well, you keep putting it off." "Is there something else?" "Jessica..." "What are you doing tonight?" "I've been meaning to ask you for some time." " What's that twinkle for?" " What twinkle?" "I don't believe this, Richard, the vanity!" "Just get out of here before I lose my temper." "I was just asking you out." "I thought you were meant to be an expert." "You seem decidedly rusty to me." "Rusty?" "Certainly not." "What's the answer?" "No." "No!" "I've never seen anyone so obviously thinking about another..." " Another what?" " Well, I was gonna say another woman, but it's more likely to be a 15-year-old girl, isn't it?" "Who is she?" "Are you at a loose end tonight because of her, or are you trying to forget her?" "Hiya." " So, you remember me?" " Of course." "Come on, I'm here now." "Just a minute, I've forgotten something." "Terrible, eh?" "I can never decide which flavour to use." "What do you use?" "I prefer strawberry Elite." "You're safer with strawberry Elite." "Sorry to keep you waiting." "Oh, fresh air at last!" " Fresh air?" "This is fresh air?" " Oh, yeah!" "When you've had people grabbing at you all day, this is wonderful." "Oh, free at last." "It's not like it used to be round here, is it?" "What d'you wanna do now, apart from that, of course?" "I'm not sure I wanna do that." "Not just yet." "Can I just be with you a bit, can I?" "Maybe." "You know what you're like?" "You're like someone who's trying to make an alibi for himself." "Perhaps I am." "An alibi for what?" "Not murder, anyway." "Something infinitely worse than that." "I promise you, Inspector, it wasn't me." "It wasn't me!" "It's the one with the yellow socks." "I keep telling you." "Shh, stop it." "You always know what's going to happen." "Don't tell me." "But I tell you..." " Hello." " It's me." "Listen, we can arrange to meet." "Your condition's being met." "Fulfilled." "Richard." "Who is she?" "Just somebody I know." "Slightly." "Why, are you jealous?" "Doesn't sound like a proper one to me." "I can't talk now." "I'll think about it." "That was Richard." "He's got himself a new girlfriend." "He's calling with progress reports at this time of night?" "He must be drunk." "Yes..." "I think he is." "It's not right, is it, that it should be as hot as this in England?" "Are you worried, Paula?" "Worried?" "What about?" "Oh, you know, anything and everything, the end of the world." "Why bother?" "Nothing much you can do about that." "And sex." "What about it?" "Oh, this is nice." "Let's just do this." "No more." "You mean it's better than nothing." "No, it's too warm to do any more." "Do you think about sex a lot?" "Some days I think about nothing else." "Around four o'clock usually." "It used to seem so simple, didn't it?" "Except you're probably too young to remember." "But now..." "There's a man at work who has AIDS." "Poor guy." " I'm sorry." " Yes." "I suppose soon almost everybody'll know somebody who's got it." "Yeah, but him being right there, now, in a strange way, it's almost like a sign from I don't know where, that what I'm doing is right." "And what are you doing?" "Just trying to escape." "Where's there to go?" " Aha!" " Where are you going?" "Tell me." "What do you have to do?" "I've found a simple way." "It's better than any drug, any desert island." "Really?" "So, what do you need the alibi for?" "Nothing very much." "I'm just in love with someone." "I need to ask you something." " Hello?" " Hello, it's me." "Alan." " Yes." " Darling, it's me." "I'll be a little late." "No, no, I'm fine." "Look, I'm busy at the moment, I'll call you back." "... should be there just after you, in case you're wondering." "I won't be a minute." "This is from my home answering machine." "We had a burglary last week and I just want to see if there's anything there - any... wrong numbers, anything that doesn't sound right." "I'm going to be late." "I'll be back by eight, maybe before." "I thought you weren't coming." "Erm..." "I nearly..." "I nearly didn't." " Is this new?" " No, not very." "We're not going up." "If you've got anything to say to me, you can say it here." " Here?" " Yes." "Go and sit over there." "You're always telling me where to sit." "So, what do you want?" " I want to touch you." " I don't want you to." "I did what you said." "Your task." "I don't believe you." "I don't believe anything's changed." "Why did you come here today, then, if you don't want to?" "Sinclair's been asking about the hotel I stayed in." "Really?" "Did he believe you?" "I think so, I don't know." "Good." "Then this can last all summer, then, can't it?" "At least..." "No, Richard, you see, you really need it and I won't have that." "If this is an addiction like you say it is, then maybe I'm prepared..." " Don't say that." " Say what?" "The rubbish you're about to say, that you're prepared to die for it, because that's crap." "You want..." "You want to pretend this is all going to end tragically, something enormously final, because you find that idea exciting." "No..." "That's not true." "I need you, Richard, I really need you, as a friend." "A friend?" "What the..." " Come on, Natalie, just give me the key..." " Get off, Richard!" "Get off!" "Get off me!" "Get off me!" "For Christ's sake!" " We don't want somebody reporting us." " No, we don't need to go to jail, do we?" "Hadn't you better get back to work?" "No, my boss is very ill." "I told you, he's got AIDS." "Yes, I'm sorry." "Have you seen him yet?" " No." " That's very cowardly." "Why not?" "You've got to go at once." "You keep setting me tasks." "Why not?" "I'm your sister, after all." "And if I do go?" "I make no promises." "You can have one kiss, just one." "I shouldn't, but one kiss can do no harm." "Keep away from me till the end of next month, then you will have proved something to me." "Hiya." "Hi." "So..." "I, erm..." "I didn't know what to bring, so I brought a couple of books." "Great!" "Thanks." "There's a..." "There's a third one in here but it's got a bit messed up - a Biro burst in my pocket." "I was wondering whether to give it to you but it's the most fun of the three." "No, give it to me, fine." " Sorry, it looks awful." " No problem." " You can go when you like." " I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." "It's like someone made you come." "My parents haven't been to see me." " Really?" "I'm sorry, that's..." " Just like them." "True to form." " Probably should've brought fruit." "Sorry..." " Stop apologising, it's nauseating!" "Stop wiping the book like that, it's driving me crazy!" "I'll read it with the stains, OK?" "Right?" "Right." "Listen, are you allowed out of bed, out of here for an afternoon?" "Yes, if I want to." "It can be negotiated." "I've got a meeting with Lapanshaw Mercantile, you want to come?" "I could brief you on the way." "I think those are all the important ones." "Look at it, it's like fighting with a peashooter, what we're trying to do." "Might get one extra zebra crossing, better than nothing." "I can remember when they first announced what was gonna happen here." "It was gonna be this great new city, the new Venice." "Modern but magical, one of the wonders of Europe." "Yeah, I can remember that too." "And look what happened." "You're becoming an architectural reactionary, Richard." "No." "No, a modernist, definitely." " I've always thought I was." " Are you?" "This is incredible, isn't it?" "You're the one that's ill, yet you're the optimist." "That's because you're determined not to be, aren't you?" " Aren't you?" " Maybe." "Let's see what we can do about that, Richard." " Sir, I'm terribly sorry..." " No, no, no, it's OK, Peterson." "Go on." "Sorry to have kept you waiting, gentlemen." "Colin was able to make it after all." "How good of you to come." "Um, we are a little pressed for time." "In that case, let's not waste any more of it." "Richard." "Right." "It appears there have been some interesting developments in the last few weeks." "You made a statement saying that you had absolutely no intention of going back on plans for providing housing on the site, and then just a week after that, there's a secret meeting between you and two civil servants from the Department of the Environment." " Untrue, untrue." " We have a memo to prove it." "It says, "Meeting with Lapanshaw Mercantile" ""about whether they will be held to promises."" " Could I..." " Gentlemen, please, don't be so eager." "You'll see it all in due course when we publish in five days' time." "Now, I think you should just listen." "After all, you are getting a sneak preview of it before it becomes public." "I think that's very generous of us." " Don't you, Richard?" " Definitely." "Very... considerate." "Mm, it is curried tuna, is it?" "Have a taste." "What do you think?" "Yeah, it is." "Mm, have a taste." " Go on." " No, thank you." "I..." "No, no, at least..." "I've got my sandwiches, thanks very much." "No, no, thank you." "That was great." "Yes." "The sandwich was nice, anyway." "I'll get you back, then." "Yes." "I suppose you'd better." "It's very early, I know." "I'm sorry." "We're already up." "Is Natalie around?" "Natalie's gone out already." "She's not here?" "No, she's not." "Come with me." "It's very convenient, you being here, because I'm not going to work this morning." "Definitely not." " Where are we going?" " Just a little trip." "I hired this for myself, but it's perfect you should be here." "Oh, no, I don't like boats." "Don't worry, I know absolutely nothing about boats either but he does." "Fernando does." "He comes with the boat." "You've gotta come, Richard." "Relax, you're here now." "Yeah." "Other people's children are wonderful, aren't they?" "Yes." "Do, um..." "Do you and Natalie plan?" "Oh, yes, someday." "Natalie doesn't feel ready at the moment... as I'm sure you know." "Relax, Richard." "Jesus, why is it so hot?" "You know... dinosaurs roamed around here more than anywhere else in England." "There was a sort of dinosaur rush hour at certain times of the day along this river." "Great herds of them wading along here." "So, what will remain of our world, Sinclair, in a couple of hundred years?" "We spend too much time thinking about the end of the world." "It isn't going to happen... today." "I promise you." "Not before lunch." "I'm a professional forecaster, remember." "Come on." "I know a secluded spot." "Secluded spot?" "Fernando'll stay here." "He prefers eating on his own." "No, I'm sure Fernando would love to..." "Is he going to kill me, do you think?" "You can have anything but the lychees." "You didn't know I was coming." "You couldn't have." "No, of course not." "So this was all for you?" "Sure, why not?" "Probably full of corpses." "She's having an affair, isn't she?" "If you mean Natalie..." "Who else would I..." "Don't give me dumb replies, Richard, it insults both of us." "If you mean Natalie, then I'm sure that she - she isn't." "She's lying to me all the time." "When people lie to you, you suddenly can't think of anything else." "You've spotted little signs, have you?" "Of course there's little signs." "Didn't need to, she's been carrying around a giant placard saying, "I'm fucking somebody else."" "So, who is it?" "You tell me." "I don't know." "I don't believe that." "Sinclair, I can promise you, she hasn't talked to me about it." "You know I'll find out." "Yeah..." "I know." "I've got a plan now, anyway." "You have?" "Oh, yes." "They must have known you were here, Richard." "They've tracked you down." "What on earth are you doing here?" "Surprise visit." "I had to see you." " We'd agreed." " I don't care what we'd agreed." "What's going on here?" " We're leaving." " What do you mean, leaving?" "And I want the house to look nice..." " for the last weeks we spend in it." " Where are you going?" "America." "We're gonna live there, in Connecticut." "What do you mean, "live"?" "Live, you know, take up residence, change of scene." "For a few years or so." "This time I had to say yes." "I've had offers of work before, of course, but in my line of work it can't be avoided, but this was suddenly irresistible and we succumbed, didn't we?" "It wasn't just the money." "The house, the timing, everything seemed right." "We've got to talk about this." "We have to." "Of course." "Nothing can change, you understand?" "There may be some things for you here, Richard, if you want them." "We can't possibly take everything." " There you are!" " You said the other bloody hotel." " I said here." " We can't talk here." " People are having tea, they can't hear." " Why are we here?" " You're expecting me to cause trouble?" " Yes." " We're going somewhere else." " No, no!" "Sinclair's meeting me here in a little while, by the way." " What you doing?" "What's this for?" " Look, just keep still." "You can't go in without a tie, they'll throw you out." " Natalie..." " Keep still!" "It's the hottest summer since Queen Victoria's jubilee." "It was always like this when we were living in Cavendish Street." " Is it because of me?" " No." "Time for a change." "Sinclair wants to get out of England, the economy's going down the chute." "And working in an employment agency is not exactly the answer to my dreams." " You're running away now." " No!" "Sinclair's a wise man, he's... a little overwhelming and maybe I thought I couldn't cope but..." "I love him and he's right." "If they knew about us..." "You find that idea exciting, don't you?" "Not particularly, but... if they knew, they'd be surprised." " That's true, isn't it?" " You broke the rules!" "There was no agreement between us, Richard." "You know that, my love." "What is this, Richard?" "Come on." "I'm just asking you very simply... please, don't go yet." "I've helped you constantly, after all." "So many times." "Please, do this for me!" "Look at you." "My love, what's happened, you've lost your inner confidence a little bit, that's all." "You could do anything if you put your mind to it." "Remember?" "You know that." "I'll ask you one more time." "Please." "I should never have let this happen." "It was a terrible mistake." "Couldn't handle it, could you?" "Stop it!" "Richard!" "Richard!" "I don't believe you're this hooked!" "It's not that serious, Richard." "This is my beautiful brother here, who's funny, not afraid of anything." "Just let it go, Richard." "Let it go." "It's simple, it's easy." "It'll be gone soon." "It won't happen." "I'm not gonna let you go away." "Oh, really?" "So, how are you gonna stop me?" "I will stop you." "And we're not safe here." "You brought me here because you thought you could handle me." "Well, you're wrong." "For God's sake, let go." "Hello, you two." "You didn't say Richard was gonna be here as well." "English tea, I'm really gonna miss these." "Cucumber sandwiches." "Gonna be the last one we see for quite a while." "Oh, er, I've just gotta phone work, check on a couple of things." "We're having a great time." "Being lazy, saying goodbye to London, going to shows, tourist attractions we've never seen." "Keeps Natalie occupied." "These notice boards are often surprisingly interesting." "See what's going on elsewhere in the hotel." "...give it some time." "Natalie, I promise, I'm not kidding, you cannot go!" "Get out of here!" "Richard, I told you, there's no going back." "I cannot answer for what will happen if you try and leave." "Stop being melodramatic." "You're determined to make something happen." "Natalie, this is me!" "Look, you know that I've never been desperate about anything." "I never expected this to happen either, but it has." " Richard..." " Look, just come with me." "Natalie..." "Stop it!" " Richard!" "Stop it!" " Just to talk." " Come to my flat." "Get rid of Sinclair..." " Is the lady all right?" "Yes, yes." "For God's sake!" "What on earth happened?" "Where did you go?" "She just wanted some change." "In one hour." "I'm warning you." "Natalie!" "Oi, what you doing!" "Oi!" "Richard?" "Come here." "Come on." "Come on!" "Come on!" "Come on!" "Silly boy." "You took vitamin pills as well." "More vitamin pills than sleeping pills, it looks like." "It's not the best way to kill yourself." "I came back for the tie, actually." "Well... partly for that." "It's rather a good one." "You've messed it up." "You wanted to frighten me, did you?" "You half managed it." "You're precious to me, Richard." "I don't want you to hurt yourself, but I'm not going to let you destroy us both." "Understand?" "Come on, pull yourself together." "I don't love you when you look like this, all messy..." "Please, Natalie, whatever you do, don't tell me to pull myself together." "OK." "OK." "Now, if you behave yourself... and you're brave enough... you can come to our going-away party." "Sinclair's hired some gardens." "Do you want to do that?" "I'll see, Natalie." "I think you'll manage it somehow." "Stop staring at them, they'll be going soon." "It's OK." "I don't mind." "I think we should keep them here." "In memory." "You don't sound too sure." "No, I am." "We should." "You'll do well running this place." "High praise!" "Thank you." "Come with me tomorrow." "Please." "If there's anything you've been longing to say to us for years, but felt you never could, now is the time." "Don't hold back, anything, insulting, shocking, spiteful, gross..." "This is turning itself into a speech, definitely forcing itself into a speech, so, the only way to stop myself..." "Look at them." "They're like presiding royalty saying goodbye and good riddance to all of us." "Why do you mind so much?" "She's a tartar now." "And what's more, you should see his table manners, they're X-certificate." "Frighten children off eating for days." "He loves being teased." "What on earth do you think..." "Get off!" "Richard, how dare you!" "Where are we going?" "Richard, you're mad!" "I want to kill you." "Ow!" "No!" "No!" "Fucking..." "so fucking easy for you!" "I hate you!" "Fucking bastard!" "Ahh!" "Get off!" "Ahh!" "Ahh!" " You used me." " Used you?" "To get a little excitement into your marriage, make it take fire again, make you feel strong, help you find yourself." "A little bored, were we, in your wonderful house?" "Just..." "Just play with this, shall we?" " All refreshed again, are we?" " Please, Richard!" "And now we think we no longer need him, let's just throw him away." "But what about me?" "What has happened to me?" "!" "I hate you!" "I won't allow you to..." "Stop this, Richard, I'm warning you!" " What if you were pregnant?" " But I'm not!" "The child would have an enormous head, probably." "Stop this, Richard!" "You're gonna stop this!" "I'm sorry." "I didn't mean to use you." "Maybe I did use you." "Now we're even." "Are we?" "I love you." "I knew you'd want this to end with one of us dying." "Trust you to get both of us nearly killed." "I'll tell you a secret." "What secret?" "Is it over?" "It's not going to erupt again?" "Not for the moment." "We're not going away." "Sinclair's deal fell through, but we still wanted to have the party." "Serves me right, doesn't it?" "Something tells me it's the end of the party." " Does that feel OK?" " Yes." "You look as if you've been in mortar fire, you two." " We have." " You know, don't you?" "I know a few things." "I know that there was something extraordinary between you two, something that had to be purged." "I don't want to know any more." "There is a limit beyond which I can't go." "I don't want to hear it." "It's enough that the worst is over." " You think so?" " It's over." "It's getting less intense, isn't it?" "You're being so calm, Sinclair." "It's amazing." "I'm amazed myself, but somebody had to be calm around here." "I mean..." "I could start screaming." "Maybe I will." "Delayed shock." "Who knows?" "I don't think so." "I hope not." "Told you he was wise, didn't I?" "So, Sinclair... you know everything... what's gonna happen, then?" "To us or the human race?" "Both." "I haven't a clue." "Bonfires, look." "That's autumn." "Those fires, always the typical end to summer." "I certainly wouldn't call this summer typical." "No." "Could be a good idea we're not going away after all." "Might have begun to miss this."