(A plushly furnished villa in an upmarket neighbourhood of C—. The First Student is lying on a sofa, the New Student lounging in an armchair.)

The First Student

What a day!

The New Student

The prison was quite something.

The First Student

It was, wasn’t it? And that interrogation!

The New Student

I wouldn’t have thought that he would get his own hands dirty.

The First Student

I think he enjoyed it.

The New Student

He did, no question. The way he smiled when the thumbscrews were tightened.

The First Student

Did you notice that they gave him his phone when it was over?

The New Student

Did they? How weird.

The First Student

Not weird at all, I think. They want him to post something. And they want him to say the President was there.

The New Student

So that anyone can see his commitment … cool.

The First Student

Very cool. I mean, sometimes you want to remain in the shadows, sometimes you want to be seen.

The New Student

Not easy to decide when to do what though.

The First Student

I think you just follow your gut.

The New Student

You can’t think it fully through …

The First Student

You never can. That’s why the gut is so important.

The New Student

The afternoon wasn’t bad either.

The First Student

He switched gear so easily. One moment he is in a torture cell, the next he is negotiating with a titan of industry. Always fully focussed.

The New Student

And did I get this right, that he essentially received five million dollars?

The First Student

I think that was only the first instalment.

The New Student

I’m looking forward to tomorrow night.

The First Student

Yeah, so do I.

The New Student

It’s so kind of him to invite us to a family dinner.

The First Student

It is.

(A beat.)

The First Student

Shall we dip into the pool?

The New Student

Like in Marrakech …

The First Student

It’s been a while.