The evening sun was still warm in the conservatory when the news came onto the radio. Edward was sitting in his favourite chair, which was positioned so he could look out at his lawns and flowerbeds. A slow, deep male voice filled the room.

The crisis at the National Library has deepened considerably with the loss today of the entire ancient literature collection, as well as several important smaller collections and the library staff kitchen. From our correspondent on location, this report.

A female voice, still serious, but more excited, followed.

Francis leant down to examine the first few lines of a letter from a client's solicitor. The print was too small for him to read and he put it in a file that would be air-mailed to a hot country, where it would be read and typed up in a factory equipped with magnifying glasses. The next letter on the pile was hand written on eight sheets of loose paper. Francis selected his oldest stapler to fix them together, and having done so, dropped the stapler off the edge of his desk and into his open briefcase.