Eeny Meeny Miney Minh

"Dexter Drake's office, Minh speaking."

The secretary holds the telephone receiver between her shoulder and her ear. Her head is cocked to one side, and her hands are poised with pen and paper at the ready.

A pause.

"Oh. I’m sorry, sir ... "

Another pause.

Minh sighs deeply, relaxing her grip on the notepad.

"No sir, I'm sorry. I think you have the wrong number."

Minh returns the telephone receiver to its cradle and sets down the pen and paper. She sighs again. It has been a slow day.

The side door opens, and Dexter himself walks in, followed by Molly, his assistant. Dexter is wearing his customary black suit. Molly is wearing a red sequined evening dress, which looks faintly ridiculous in the rather shabby and prosaic administrative office of The Great Drake Entertainments & Co.

Dexter and Molly have been rehearsing the chicken routine, and Dexter's black dinner jacket is covered in small feathers. This is usually an indication that the routine has not gone to plan. Minh makes a mental note that the suit will need dry cleaning again.

"Was that the phone, Minny?" asks Dexter, absently picking bits of fluff off his lapel. "Another booking, perhaps...?"

The question hangs in the air, and Minh has a momentary temptation to hide the true answer. Bookings have been extremely infrequent lately.

"No, Mr Drake." Minh replies, her eyes downcast. "Sorry."

There is a small pause.

"Ah."

Dexter fiddles with a string of coloured handkerchiefs on the desk beside him.

"Well, who was it then?"

"It was a madman, Mr Drake. He spoke very fast."

"A madman, eh?" Drake replies, with a half-smile at Molly. Minh could be very direct sometimes.

"And what did he speak of, then, this 'madman'?" Dexter continues, tilting his head with a note of good-natured condescension.

"Of many things, Mr Drake. Of the sea, and of love. Of disappearances and strange appearances. Of dreams and nightmares. And tides ..."

Drake freezes on the spot. The smile drains from his face. The coloured handkerchiefs fall to the floor.

"Silas ... " he mutters under his breath, looking into the distance.

Drake snaps out of his reverie.

"Well, if this... er... 'madman' should call back, please be sure to put him through to me immediately", Dexter says.

He turns to leave, nodding for Molly to follow him to the rehearsal room.

"'There never was greatness without a touch of madness in it', you know Minny." He calls back jovially over his shoulder, before closing the door behind him.

There is silence in the office. Minh sits back down, and returns to her paperwork.

The phone rings again, making her jump.

Minh reaches forward and picks up the receiver, bringing it to her ear.

There is a quiet snapping sound, and Dexter is stood next to her holding the receiver to his ear.

"Drake speaking."

Minh stares with wonder at her empty hand. There really was something impressive about Dexter's brand of magic, when he chose to use it.

Dexter spoke into the receiver.

"Silas? Is that you? What's the problem? ... "