Basically, in a word, would you sell your house to a gorilla?

Seth's been mostly working by himself since Alwyn retired last month. He wants to be able to take some days off. He's not directly employed by us, he's part of the council's Land & Buildings Management Agency so he has to ask them to provide cover for his absence. And they generally say that nobody's available because half the staff were laid off a couple of years ago in one of the council's efficiency drives. (Being a council efficiency drive, the savings in staff salaries are more than offset by essential overtime payments and building project over-runs.)

Today he got a 'phone call. They had found somebody who could provide some cover.

"If you send that bloke here he'll be going home in a body bag," advised Seth.

"You don't want him, then?" asked the supervisor.