Magic Mobile Read online

  – A happy ending?

  Just look at the last page.

  – The last page, right … Well, there seem to be these two people …

  These two people. Good. Go on.

  – And they’re having some kind of conversation …

  Some kind of conversation. That sounds nice. What kind of conversation?

  – I’m just looking … Hold on …

  What? What is it? You’ve gone a funny colour! What’s happening …?

  – Wait, wait … Good God …!

  Darling, please …! Say something!

  – I’m going to say something, believe me! I’m going to say a great deal! In court! If I can just … just …

  Just what?

  – Remember the name of our solicitor …

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Michael Frayn was born in London in 1933 and began his career as a journalist on the Guardian and the Observer. His novels include Towards the End of the Morning, Headlong, Spies and Skios. His seventeen plays range from Noises Off, recently chosen as one of the nation’s three favourite plays, to Copenhagen, which won the 1998 Evening Standard Award for Best Play of the Year and the 2000 Tony Award for Best Play. He is married to the writer Claire Tomalin.

  ALSO BY THE AUTHOR

  FICTION

  The Tin Men

  The Russian Interpreter

  Towards the End of the Morning

  A Very Private Life

  Sweet Dreams

  The Trick of It

  A Landing on the Sun

  Now You Know

  Headlong

  Spies

  Skios

  NON-FICTION

  Constructions

  Celia’s Secret: an investigation

  (with David Burke)

  The Human Touch

  Collected Columns

  Stage Directions

  My Father’s Fortune

  TRANSLATIONS

  The Seagull (Chekhov)

  Uncle Vanya (Chekhov)

  Three Sisters (Chekhov)

  The Cherry Orchard (Chekhov)

  The Sneeze (Chekhov)

  Wild Honey (Chekhov)

  The Fruits of Enlightenment

  (Tolstoy)

  Exchange (Trifonov)

  Number One (Anouilh)

  PLAYS

  The Two of Us

  Alphabetical Order

  Donkeys’ Years

  Clouds

  Balmoral

  Make and Break

  Noises Off

  Benefactors

  Look Look

  Here

  Now You Know

  Copenhagen

  Alarms & Excursions

  Democracy

  Afterlife

  Matchbox Theatre

  Pocket Playhouse

  FILM AND TELEVISION

  Clockwise

  First and Last

  Remember Me?

  COPYRIGHT

  First published in the UK in 2020

  by Faber & Faber Ltd

  Bloomsbury House

  74–77 Great Russell Street

  London WC1B 3DA

  This ebook edition first published in 2020

  All rights reserved

  © Michael Frayn, 2020

  Cover design by Faber

  The right of Michael Frayn to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with Section 77 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

  All characters, names, places and events in this book are fictitious and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, places or events is entirely coincidental

  This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly

  ISBN 978–0–571–35501–3