Burial

30

In Nathan's pigeonhole that morning was a tatty buff envelope.

Because PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL had been scrawled across it in red ink, Angela hadn't opened it for him - she'd placed it on top of his other post, internal and external.

Sometimes, people were offended by one of Hermes' cartoonish and lewd greetings cards. The complaints often came in envelopes like this.

He opened the envelope and unfolded the letter inside.

DearN

Naturally I understand your reaction.

Here are some transcripts of further conversations. At all times, only a single voice (1) appears on the tape. I should reiterate how unusual that is.

Tape 1, Monday, 12 am

Duration: 17 minutes

Bob, I'm here

you bastard (Jew bastard?)

cold here

Tape 1, Monday, 3.40 pm

Duration: 9 minutes

didn't get there

Bob!

Tape 1, Tuesday, 7 pm

ft Duration: 3 minutes

my eyes

my teeth

Tape 1, Tuesday 11.30 pm

Duration: 1 minute

oh god

horrible

: The office door opened. Nathan jumped.

It was Justin. He leaned, cross-armed, in the doorway -- working ,, at being rakish and hungover. 'Christ. You look awful.'

Nathan crushed Bob's letter in his fist. 'Cheers.'

'Can't take the pace?' He walked in, closing the door behind him.

His perfumy bulk took up much of Nathan's little office and the smell -- stale booze and tiny breath mints and too much Issey Miyake - was intimate and revolting, like busy airport toilets. Nathan breathed through his mouth.

Justin said: 'Just like old times.'

'Yep.'

'Before she tied you down.'

'She didn't tie me down.'

'Anyway. We should do it again.'

'Yeah.'

Justin said, 'Cool,' and left the office without bothering to close the door. Nathan leaned over to close it, then called Bob from his desk phone.

'Bob. It's me --'

'Did you get it?'

'Yes, I got it. What the fuck did you think you were doing?'

'Did you read it?'

'No,' said Nathan, and glanced through the office window. The new graduate trainee stood, infinitely bored, at the photocopier.

Every few seconds, he was scanned by a bar of light.

Then Nathan said, 'Listen, Bob. We've been through a lot of stress, all right? I mean, really a great deal of stress. And stress does funny things. It's dangerous. What you need, you need to get away for a while. Get away for a few days. Book yourself a holiday.'

'Don't patronize me. You're the one who's denying the evidence.'

'Evidence

of what? A voice you think you can hear on a blank iŤ3V

tape? Jesus Christ, have you got the slightest idea how mad that sounds? I mean, even the faintest inkling?'

In the silence that followed, Nathan could hear Bob, breathing through his nostrils, until he said: 'I know about this stuff Nathan wanted to light a cigarette. Instead, he pressed on his temples with his thumb and second finger and spoke very carefully.

'Okay. We're not going to agree about this. We're just not. So answer me one question. What bearing does this have on the rest of-- the project?'

'Are you referring to the recovered materials?'

'Yes, I am referring to the recovered materials.'

'Well, obviously it changes everything. We can't just destroy them.'

Nathan stood up so abruptly the telephone lifted from the desk and hung there, spinning on its cord.

'And why not?'

'Because we need to give her a proper burial.'

'And how do you propose to do that?'

'I don't know.'

'Bob, this is totally unacceptable, this is completely unacceptable.'

'It's completely non-negotiable.'

'There's no way I'm doing this.'

'There must be a way. Even if it means we go to prison.'

I'm afraid I don't see how that would improve the situation.'

She's haunting us. Do you know what that means?'

What are you talking about?'

She's lonely. And she's angry. She's really, really angry.'

Incredibly, Bob began to snivel.

Nathan took this in. And said: 'We'll talk about this later. Don't do anything hasty. Please. Promise me that.'

Fine.'

'Hasty about what?' said Angela, who was standing in the doorway, about to offer him a cup of tea.

Nathan screamed.