Big Dog Tsou showed eagerness to help. But at the moment he said, he was still being watched … two informers constantly dropped in, as well as policemen, to see what he was doing … wait a few months, and he would be able to render service.

Thus he bought time, and now fought against the knowledge dragging him down, slowing his step, lacquering his face into a fixed but joyless grin, that he had betrayed himself into another way of living and into a happiness which he did not want to give up.

So beguiled himself into believing that he was still loyal of unsmirched devotion, but merely cautious, for the sake of his friends.

Chinese New Year was coming, his first New Year, in a hot February devoid of crackers because the Emergency forbade their firing, and Mem Hinchcliffe appeared at the shop, her usual energetic self, earrings dangling, bangles bangling, and all her curls tremulous upon her head:

‘My dear boy,’ she beamed at Big Dog Tsou, ‘my dear, dear boy, and how are we? And how’s your wife? That little girl, why she’s a child, a child, you naughty cradle-snatcher, hahaha …’

Big Dog Tsou was happy and miserable at once. Happy because he could no longer face Mem Hinchcliffe with that polished amiability undented by emotion, and so he showed his shop the Singer sewing machines, the apprentices.

‘Baby?’ asked Mem Hinchcliffe, pushing an inquisitive finger in the direction of the wife’s navel. ‘Yes, thought so, well don’t be in too much hurry with the next one, dear boy … here,’ she dug into the huge carry-all she trundled and extracted some Family Planning leaflets. ‘I’ve only got them in Tamil and Malay, I’ve given all the English ones away and the Chinese ones aren’t printed yet.’ Amiably she gave some to the two girl apprentices who examined them with astonishment mingled with fear. ‘And now,’ said Mrs Hinchcliffe, ‘I want all of you to come to the tea party at my bungalow. I’m giving a tea party for those from our detention camp who’ve made good. You must come, tailor, you’re a winner.’

With panic in his heart Big Dog Tsou said he would come of course, but on that day sent word that he was dangerously ill with I a high fever, and kept a handkerchief knotted round his head for a day or two after, lest Mem Hinchcliffe should suddenly descend upon him and doubt his word.