Mam tied his two wrists to the arms of the Chair. He didn’t struggle, just sat there limp, slouched like he’d been stuffed.

The mornings were the worst. He was shaky in the mornings. He was strange until he took the tablets. He shook a little less, but slouched more. It was like someone had unpacked his innards and repacked them tighter, yet still tangled.

He didn’t seem to know where he was. It was for the best, she thought.

She was unable to think beyond it is for the best.

All for the best, everything for the best, if he’s gone it’s for the best, if he’s back it’s for the best, if it goes away it’s for the best, best not to dwell on it, best not to dwell on what he did or didn’t do or couldn’t do or might do or would do. Best also not to dwell on should. What should she do? Not dwell on it. For the best, no dwelling. He could dwell though. He could dwell in the Chair. For the best. Where she’d know exactly where he was. Best. Indeed, very best.

I did what I did and I stand by what I did. What would you do?

Mam wanted her, the girl, to know that she had him tied safely into the Chair. I thought she’d feel better. That was why I told her he was back. I said he’s in a very bad way and to be honest, she didn’t look sympathetic. She hurried away from me. She looked afraid. I was going to follow her, but I didn’t follow her.

He is back in his chair.

In the Chair not so much can go wrong. She puts the telly on for him.

In the Chair he gets tea. That’s how it is in the Chair.

Everything I done was to keep Martin John on the outside. You understand.

To keep him out.

Now he’s inside.

We’re done in.

The P List.

Pre-election, power-sharing, pointed, prescribing, psychiatrist, potent, partly, plummets, price, petrol, peg, partner, people, pipes, political, parliament, publicly, pay, pretty, products, performance, poorest, perilous, paints, pay, parliament, periodically, poisoning, prison, promoted, people, put, part, part, prepared, parliament, purse, peoples, pink, paid, portray, paving, pre-boomtown.

Possible, Paisley, political, politician, political, politicians, people, part, pay, parliament, pointed, pills, patent, potent, pain, plummet.

People, position, proposal, position, prominent, provide, piling, part, prospect, present, private, profit, pains, partner, profit, part, Voltaire.

—Would you do the Bs for me there, Martin John, good lad?

It was a time when people didn’t ask as many questions. That was the time it was.

It is never defined.