"What's the story?" Sacha asked as she passed by Hannah, who was holding the 'phone half a centimetre away from her ear, a look of concentration on her face.

"She's got me on hold" Hannah smiled.

"Any music?" Sacha asked.

"Sshh, I'm trying to hear what she's saying."

"I thought you said you were on hold?" Sacha said, furrowing her brow in confusion.

Hannah put a finger to her lips, and then whispered: "She got a call, on her mobile, I think."

Despite herself, Sacha came closer so that she, too, could listen. Hannah angled the 'phone so that they could both put their ears to it.

"She seems confused" Hannah murmured. "She was all happy before, saying 'That's great' and stuff like that, and now she seems kinda upset."

"She sounds annoyed" Sacha said.

"Yeah you're right, she does sound annoyed. She's really getting stuck into whoever it is she's talking to."

"Ah - what was that she just said?" Sacha asked.

"I think she said 'You never really did much'" Hannah replied. She was half-guessing.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sacha asked.

Hannah shrugged. "Means whoever she's talking to never really did much, I guess."

"Did much of what?"

"Whatever. Who d'you reckon she's talking to?"

"How would I know?" Sacha pointed out. "You're the one who's been listening the whole time." Still, Sacha thought about the question. "I've only heard her talk like that to a few people. Si, and just about everyone else at the Word. Her housemate, sometimes. Alain."

"It's funny, 'cause she was being all friendly before. I dunno, it's hard, I can only hear half of what she's saying. But when she told me to hang on she sounded really happy when she picked up the other call."

"What did she say?" Sacha asked.

"I dunno, I couldn't really hear. The kettle was boiling."

"Oh yeah, sorry about that."

"That's okay. She was making all these happy kind of sounds, though. Tone of voice, you know."

"Huh. Weird."

"How was the tea?" Hannah asked.

"Not really all that satisfying" Sacha replied. "I think I'll have some wine instead. Want some?"

"Ooh, yes please!" Hannah hung up the 'phone. "Let's go."

"So . . ." Sacha looked at the 'phone, and pointed uncertainly at it and gave it a quizzical look. "Oh, okay then."