Extract

'I need you to help me. Sometimes they will speak to me but I won't get it all. They might not want to tell me everything, they might not trust me. They might', I said, 'be shy'.

A couple of laughs, some murmurs and jokes - She won't be shy! - amongst their little groups of dreamers.

'Will you help me?' I considered and they blared unevenly that they would. 'Good', I said. 'Good. It's a beautiful city you've got here. I was out today for a walk and...'

My whole body shrunk a little. I pulled in my arms, inclined my head and fixed the woman with a frown. She was looking away, at the screen behind me that carried my face and would soon be carrying hers. Then her friend nudged and she was looking up at me in alarm. She was defi nitely in her sixties, maybe higher, and I had selected her within my first few paces on to the stage.

'I wasn't going to get started yet but your father, did he die', and at this I drew my hands to my chest, 'of problems...'

She was already nodding. Already. I let her continue, with the nod and the trust bouncing back from the screen to detain the silenced others.

...continue

© Neil Forsyth and Serpent's Tail/Profile Books. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.