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Chapter One
It began with an electronic chirrup and a vibration in his
fingertips. He surfaced only briefly, and sank back towards
sleep. Then he reached out, fumbling for the mobile where it
had slipped out of his hand in the night. He opened one eye
to peer at the message on the screen.
the world will witness my despair
Song closed his eyes but it was too late. He recognized the
number. He flung the sheet away and tried to get comfortable,
turning first onto his side, then onto his stomach. The man
had rung a dozen times after Song had thrown him out. The
sun was seeping between the curtains, and already the room
was oppressively hot. He reached for the bottle of water by
the bed, took a mouthful, then splashed some over his face
and head – he’d had his scalp shorn almost bald to combat
the summer heat.
Another chirrup heralded the arrival of a second message.
Again Song tried to ignore it and failed.
the roof international trade tower 0800
He groaned, rolled over, tucking his mobile phone under
the pillow. Why couldn’t the man leave him alone? A scrap
of humanity who couldn’t afford a bowl of soup, let alone
Song’s fees. There was still time for a lie-in. His mind spiralled
down towards sleep . . . he was about to dive into a cool
pool of water. A woman was waiting for him, blue water lapping around her pale breasts. She was looking up at him
expectantly, but he couldn’t see her face. He dived.
the world will witness my despair . . . the roof . . .
All at once he was wide awake.
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