Loyalty was the core, the essence, the reason of Mr Tay’s being upon earth, and his ambition a modest order (‘let us say, if I am not aspiring too much, the m.b.e.’) which, he declared, he would transmit’ with reverend hands to my posterity, so that they may j never do anything which would shame me in my grave against the j British Crown.’

And so when Crufts said ‘How do you know?’ angrily Mr Tay’ was pained, but too loyal to resent it. He blamed himself for Crufts’s tone.’ Everybody knows he’s a bad lot, sir. I think myself, with all due respect to you, that the British are too kind and too I generous. You should shoot all these bandits, sir, shoot the whole j lot, like the Japs used to do. Ah, the Japanese! They didn’t stand any nonsense! They just cleaned up the place …’

‘Sometimes,’ thought Crufts, ‘I don’t know why, I feel like kicking Mr Tay. But his loyalty would not permit him to resent it. He would probably blame himself for being kicked, and apologize to me for kicking him … I wonder what streak it is in us that always prefers a good rebel to a cringing, loyal servant?’

‘I don’t always like the word “bad”, Mr Tay. I’ve heard it so often. A bad spot. A bad lot. There is a village called Todak where pretty bad things happened. We learnt a lesson there. You can’t lump a lot of people together under the name “bad” and then expect them to behave themselves … Todak had to go very bad indeed before something was done about it, and now I hear it’s better. …’

‘Oh, sir,’ said Mr Tay enthusiastically, ‘I think with all respect  that democracy is wonderful!’

‘It’s only wonderful,’ answered Crufts, ‘if it keeps on finding fault with itself, and keeping itself up to scratch. And as for shooting, well, it’s true perhaps that we’re not brutal or cruel, though we’re sometimes bloody stupid and unimaginative. Our mistakes are sins of omission and negligence, mental sloth and lack of foresight. They are not deliberate viciousness. And perhaps that’s what is going to save us, this edge of mercy and fairness … and long may we keep it.’