JG and I relived our student days of 1982 with a trip from Paris to the Middle East. TPR joined us to help find the old lecture theatre that used to double up as a party venue. It seemed to be a popular place to visit by former students, and many others. I squeezed past a couple of people to find myself a place behind one of the long desks.

Not long after taking my seat, I heard someone call out my name. I was summoned to the front of the lecture theatre and told to stand next to the five other people selected for ‘the task’.

An official gave each of us a gauze bag and two red and white striped balls. The balls were labelled ‘Yes’ and ‘No’. Those charged with the task then had to consider whether or not Hostage John should be released. If we thought this a good idea, we should put the ‘Yes’ ball into the gauze bag. If not, then we should submit the ball labelled ‘No’.

I had no idea of the identity of Hostage John, but the thought of anyone being held against their will was enough for me to pick up my ‘Yes’ ball. Just as I was about to drop it into my gauze bag the other five in the group brought my proposed action to a halt. What I didn’t know was that if John were released, the whole town would be bombed. John needed to be sacrificed for the greater good. I changed my mind and dropped the ‘No’ ball into my bag.

I didn’t hear for certain whether or not John was released because I was hunting for the women’s toilets when the outcome of the task was announced. SC had given me the wrong directions and I spent several hours lost wandering the long corridors all by myself.