4am. The third President Bush lay awake. 20 body bags a day from Afghanistan; two embassy bombs, 226 dead; Iran were nuclear. His finger was on the button. One more incident. God was on his side.

5am. Khalim had made it through security. Allah smiled on him.

6am. Sean would have spotted Khalim and pulled him over. He was the most experienced. He could ‘smell’ apprehension. But Sean had swapped shifts. His daughter had been raped. He knew God would help. He called the cops.

7am. Mary hadn’t been raped. Adam had put on a condom, but Mary insisted he take it off and withdraw in time; it was the lesser evil. Adam tossed the comdom and promised; but in the end he couldn’t withdraw. Mary ran home hysterical, to pray for guidance. This morning Adam went to see her. The detectives met him on her doorstep.

8am. Adam’s dad answered Adam’s call as he looked out at the pool. Was that a condom?

It was the discarded saviour of the world, walking on water. It was the last thing you’d expect to find in a swimming pool.