Mr Prothero Gives a Lecture

The space pullulated with expectant energy. They’d all been arranged into groups, just as Mr Prothero had asked. “We’re not to be siloed,” he’d insisted. “I want collaboration but not colla-bore-ation. You know?” At these last words he’d angled his head and smiled knowingly. Evidently Tess had got the message.

Many people, he knew, would have been terrified to walk into a room like this. There were professionals in there who’d been doing things a certain way for years. You could spot them. They sat back in their chairs with complacent ease. Some were staring ahead in solemn, stony silence. Others were chatting animatedly with old colleagues. They all wore bright name-tags. They all knew how a day like today would progress. Mr Prothero was an outsider but he was going to shake things up. He stood at the edge of the room, rocking on his heels. He was nervous but that only gave him fire. This was just the sort of crucible he loved.

He’d made his reputation years…