john is stirring a pot on the hob. by his expression he might be defusing a bomb.
john and nadia sit opposite each other. she takes a mouthful. they catch one another's eye. and again.
john is on the telephone.
john puts the phone down. he looks down the hall, where nadia is killing ants on the table, with her dictionary. he smiles.
he opens the fridge and pours himself a glass of orange. he stops -- there on the draining board lies the bloody skin of a rabbit. john jumps out of his skin.
nadia is tied to a chair. alexei pulls a gag tight around her mouth and holds the knife to her throat.