‘Going to watch the match this afternoon, then?’ Ford glanced round at him. ‘No, no point,’ he said, and looked back out of the window. ‘What’s that, foregone conclusion then you reckon, sir?’ said the barman. ‘Arsenal without a chance?’ ‘No, no,’ said Ford, ‘it’s just that the world’s about to end.’ ‘Oh yes, sir, so you said,’ said the barman, looking over his glasses this time at Arthur. ‘Lucky escape for Arsenal if it did.’ Ford looked back at him, genuinely surprised. ‘No, not really,’ he said. He frowned.
