'Two 99s for you, young man. A Fab? Yes, here you are, madam. A Mivvi coming up.' As he handed over the ices, the kids ran or just sauntered off. I don't know if the ice-cream man thought some adult was going to appear and pay for the lot, […]

Alfie was familiar with the term ‘understrapper’. The Harry Fielding Alfie knew was an understrapper; a bob-a-job man for MI5. Somebody who could do a bit of house- or office-breaking, or some surveillance work.

While Karson and I rested under a tree, I thought of all the things I’d tried, without success, to quell my fears: extreme exercise, decaffeination, deep breathing, blue-green algae.

Above all, the establishment of toleration helped to weaken the presumption that plurality in matters of faith inevitably caused social disorder.