There was long silence. Alex blinked again. “Why is he frightened of cycle paths? Did he get into an accident?” “No, it’s that he’s hard, but the other guy’s…a cycle path.” “Yes, but why is he frightened of cycle paths?” Sometimes I lost sight of whether this was my hobby or a punishment I was inflicting on myself. “No, it’s a pun, Alex. Because ‘cycle path,’ if you say it fast and in a sort of Cockney accent, sounds a bit like ‘psychopath.’” “Oh.” He thought about it for a moment or two. “I’m not sure it does, actually.” “You’re right, Alex. I’ll do better next time.”
