He switched out the light above his bed just as Cartwright came out, magnificently clad in sky-blue pyjamas of brushed cotton, swinging a sponge-bag from his wrist.
'Night then, Cartwright.'
'Night.'
Adrian closed his eyes. He heard Cartwright shuffle off his slippers and get into bed.
Don't let him turn his light off. Make him pick up a book. Please, God, please.
He strained his ears and caught the sound of a page turning.
Thank you, God. You're a treasure.
During the next five minutes Adrian allowed his breathing naturally to deepen into a slow rhythm until any observer would swear that he was fast asleep.
He then began to give the impression of a more troubled rest. He turned and gave a small moan. The eiderdown fell to the floor. He rolled over far to one side, causing the top sheet to come away. A minute later he turned the other way violently, kicking with his foot so that the sheet joined the eiderdown.
He was now naked on the bed, breathing heavily and writhing. Cartwright's light was still on but the pages had stopped turning.
'Adrian?'
It had been a light whisper, but Cartwright had definitely spoken.
'Adrian . . .' Adrian mumbled in return, half snoring the word as he turned to face Cartwright, mouth open, eyes closed.
'Adrian, are you all right?'
'No one left in the valley,' said Adrian, flinging out a hand.
He heard Cartwright's bed creak.
Here we go, he thought to himself, here we bloody well go!
Cartwright's feet padded across the room.
He's next to me, I can sense it!
'I'il eat them later . . . later,' he moaned.
He heard the rustle of a sheet and felt the eiderdown being pulled on top of him.
He can't just be going to tuck me up! He can't be. I've got a stiffy like a milk-bottle. Is he flesh and blood or what? Oh well, here goes. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
He arched his body and thrashed his legs up and down.
'Lucy?' he called, quite loudly this time.
Where he got the name Lucy from, he had no idea.
'Lucy?'
He swept out an arm and found Cartwright's shoulder.
'Lucy, is that you?'
The eiderdown was slowly pulled away from him again. Suddenly he felt a warm hand between his thighs.
'Yes,' he said, 'yes.'
Then soft hair brushing against his chest and a tongue licking his stomach.
Hugo, he sighed to himself. Hugo! and out loud, 'Oh Lucy -
He was awoken by the sound of a lavatory flushing. The eiderdown was on top of him and the sun was shining through a gap in the curtains.
'Oh God. What have I done?'
Cartwright came out of the bathroom.
'Morning,' he said brightly.
'Hi,' mumbled Adrian, 'what the hell time is it?'
'Seven thirty. Sleep all right?'
'Jesus, like a log. And you?'
'Not too badly. You talked a lot.'
'Oh sorry,' said Adrian, 'I do that sometimes. I hope it didn't keep you awake.'
'You kept saying Lucy. Who's Lucy?'
'Really?' Adrian frowned. 'Well, I used to have a dog called Lucy . . .'
'Oh, right,' said Cartwright. 'I wondered.'
'Works every time,' Adrian said to himself, turning over and going back to sleep.
