Barbara nodded once, then turned to the telephone, where she dialed a long string of numbers to reach home. A very tired Ian answered the phone, but he perked at hearing Barbara's voice. They chatted about the weather and the food. Barbara told him about Rose and Hal, how Hal was weary of them but Rose seemed more open minded. She was positive about tomorrow's meeting, and said as much to Ian.

"Howard? Did you want to say hello?" she asked, holding her hand over the receiver, "John's sleeping, so it's only Ian."