The answer even has our King's Oak pals puzzled!
Back through the time tunnel we spin, landing in King's Oak - when? And what is going on? Ah, jam your ear against this keyhole here, and you might hear something of interest...
Beverley Grice: I love it in the winter - when everything's dead!
Oops, sorry, I've set the co-ordinates wrong, and we're outside the village shop in the late 1980s... I'll just tweak this dial and pull that lever and we're off - spinning back from the late 1980s to the early 1970s.
Different door. Different keyhole. Different time. Pop your shell-like against this keyhole and have a good listen.
There's a man and a woman in the room beyond the door, and they seem to be having some kind of confrontation. They refer to each other by name at times, but you can't hear the names...
Woman: You know, _ , just as it takes two to quarrel - it takes two to make the peace.
Man: No. It's gone too far. You've gone too far!
Woman: I've only done what I think's best for business.
Man: Is that an apology?
Woman: Certainly not.
Man: Wouldn't make any difference. We're incompatible. I don't like your methods.... Methods? Sharp dealing!
Woman: It's a horse trading business.
Man: And that's the basic disagreement between us. I don't think it is and I don't think it has to be. And there's no trust either - between you and me. Why you didn't even tell me about that damn sideboard! You knew - but you didn't tell me! You were ready to let me make a fool of myself.
Woman: I was very angry.
Man: No, you were just being clever. If I tripped over that one I might believe that our valuation was reasonable. Well, it isn't! And I'm not in the business of extortion. You are! So sell out and get out, _ !
Woman: No.
Man: For heaven's sake! It's an impossible situation!
Woman: What's the saying? If you can't stand the heat in the kitchen...? Well, I can. It's not for me to get out...
Man: I want you OUT!
Woman: Saying it doesn't make it so. This is all very futile, isn't it? We've discussed it before who should go and why - and neither of us can convince the other... Stalemate!
Man: There's got to be a solution... Would you take a fifty-fifty chance - you or me?
Woman: What do you mean?
Man: Draw straws... Toss a coin... Cut the cards?
Take a quick peek through the keyhole now, and watch the woman take a pack of cards from a cribbage board. She shuffles them. Now re-apply your ear:
Woman: Aces low?
Man: Agreed.
Eyeball back to the keyhole and we see the woman cut the cards. Then the man. They show each other the cuts, facial expressions impassive.
Who won? And what on earth was all that about? if you know, drop us a line.
In the meantime, we're off back to the 1960s for a quick natter with the lovely Marilyn! See ya later!
