'I forget how much it changes me!' Amanda Langlot, after coming out of the sea with wet hair in Conte d'Ete.

'I remembered more trees here last time I came. This was a city run on firewood.'
John Simpson on EU-sanctioned Kabul.

'I fill a bottle of baby-steriliser with malt whiskey and pack it in my suitcase, not out of a dislike of Islam; out of a dislike of being told what to do.' John Simpson


Dream

Greet Gerard from double bed in living room, solto voce. He doesn't reply,

Outside, two huge tigers, orange, uncoil and spring and play and attack trees. Gerard is in close proximity to their bodies, almost against their sides. One fells a tall straight trunk. They are moving together, orange snouts (muzzles?).

Children. Two out of view. I keep an eye on them. We look out at the night, alarmed.

I walk to the house, visit mum. I cannot tell anyone what I have seen.

Amanda, shocked by what she has seen. At restaurant I look between her and her boss, see the false composure - mid-conversation - she maintains. She keeps up a front as he watches. He acts suspicious.

Jon, with far-off eyes. He walks towards me, begins to scale a tree. 'Don't do it. We used to. It's madness.'