‘No.’ He leaned back, relieved. But having rescued his father, so to speak, from Molly’s and Anna’s scorn, he now paid them their due: ‘But I said to him, that test wouldn’t rule you or my mother out, because both of you would go to that clinüc, wouldn’t you?’ It was important to him that she should say yes; but Anna insisted on honesty, for her own sake. ‘Yes, I would, but he’s right. That’s exactly how I’d feel.’

‘But you’d go?’

‘Yes.’

‘I wonder if you would? Because I don’t think I would. I mean, I’m not taking either of these jobs so that proves it. And I haven’t even been a communist — I’ve just seen you and my mother and your friends at it, and it’s influenced me. I’m suffering from a paralysis of the will.’

‘Richard used the words, paralysis of the will?’ said Anna, disbelieving.

‘No. It’s what he meant. I found the words in one of the madness books. What he actually said was, the result of the communist countries on Europe is that people can’t be bothered. Because everyone’s got used to the idea of whole countries changing completely in about three years — like China or Russia. And if they can’t see a complete change ahead, they can’t be bothered … do you think that’s true?’

‘It’s partly true. It’s true of the people who have been inside the communist myth.’

‘Not so long ago you were a communist and now you use words like communist myth.’

‘Sometimes I get the impression you blame me and your mother and the rest of us for not still being communists.’

Tommy lowered his head, sat frowning. ‘Well I remember when you used to be so active, rushing around doing things. You don’t now.’

‘Any activity being better than none?’

He raised his head and said sharply, accusing: ‘You know what I mean.’

‘Yes of course I do.’

‘Do you know what I said to my father? I said if I went out to do his dishonest welfare work I’d start organizing revolutionary groups among the workers. He wasn’t angry at all. He said revolutions were a primary risk of big business these days and he’d be careful to take out an insurance policy against the revolution I’d stir up.’ Anna said nothing and Tommy said: ‘It was a joke, do you see?’

‘Yes, I see.’