Sébastien, predictably, is only half paying attention to the talk about food.

But he's listening very eagerly, and watching with wide eyes, as M. Joly talks about the monitor and brain activity and heart activity and blood pressure.

"If you please, M. Joly," he says, after a moment, "if it's no trouble, is there pen and paper somewhere around here?"

He needs to write all this down.