Incredible though it seemed, Snowy told himself as he and Capper climbed aboard the lorry, there were actually tribes of Malays living in that jungle, yet the troops never got so much as a sniff of them. Silent as the other creatures which were all around them yet seldom seen, the natives of this incredibly hostile habitat did not seem to have any permanent abodes but moved invisibly from one place to the next.

But we know they’re somewhere, somewhere quite near, Snowy reminded himself, because even in the impenetrable dangerous darkness the troops could feel eyes on them. They were not necessarily hostile eyes, because had they belonged to communist bandits the insurgents would have attacked already, wiping out the platoon whilst they slept. No, these eyes were curious, doubtful, and had as little desire to meet these heavy-footed intruders as the heavy-footed intruders had to meet them.

Now, Snowy and Capper were first aboard the truck and settled themselves on the narrow seats which ran along either side of the vehicle, where they were presently joined by the rest of the platoon. Cigarettes were handed round, men began to grin, to anticipate what they would do with the week’s leave that was coming to them. Snowy and Capper joined in.

When they reached the camp they dispersed to the rooms that had been allocated to them. Snowy and Capper went straight to the showers, had a meal and then went back to their room. They would sleep uninterrupted for twenty-four hours and then, having changed into civilian clothes, they meant to take their place on the truck heading for the bright lights. Despite their clothing, they knew they were immediately identifiable as soldiers, but that did not worry them. What was worrying were the prices; a soldier’s weekly pay was small and, as Capper remarked, they could only window-shop, astonished by the variety of goods which had been unobtainable in Britain before they left, and here were being bought by rich Chinese in their flashy American cars. There were enormous cinemas showing the latest films as well as five-star hotels and classy nightclubs, the enjoyment of which was far beyond the means of any lowly member of the British army.

Because Snowy and Capper were both nearing the end of their time they had been saving up so that they might buy small gifts for those at home. Snowy had his eye on a delicate silver filigree necklace for Tess, some pau shell earrings for his mother and a half-bottle of gin for his father. Capper meant to splash out for his girlfriend on a bottle of perfume and some of the brightly coloured bangles which the local girls valued and bought in large quantities in what the men termed the bazaar, but was really Chinatown. Here were shops selling cheap merchandise, and a restaurant run by a Chinese who spoke excellent English – he had lived in London before the war – and catered almost exclusively for British soldiers, for the military presence was enormous.