‘We do know better,’ Hannah stood up, knocking over her camp chair. ‘Think of people like your father and what they’ve given. We’ve brought schools and better houses, and medicine. And steady work so people can eat every day, and their totos won’t die of malaria or starve. But now we only read about how evil we’ve always been. And now they send officials out from England to tell us what to do, and give our land away, and insist that our country must be run by people who seem to be on a rampage of personal greed.’

‘It’s a difficult time, Hannah,’ Anthony said, taking her hand and drawing her back to the fire. ‘We have a big task in front of us as the country changes and the political picture—’

‘Oh, for God’s sake, we’re talking about my cows, not about some bloody political picture,’ Hannah interrupted. ‘What’s the good of talking about the future of the country, if we allow people to kill our livestock and to ignore the property laws? Who will benefit then? And Sarah, you sound like one of those left-wing Britishers who thinks everything should be given on a plate to the Kikuyu, or the Kamba or the Maasai or anyone who’s black, so they can bring the whole country back into the stone age where we found it.’

‘And you sound just as bigoted as your father was on that last night we had dinner at Langani!’ The words were out before Sarah could stop them. They were followed by a thunderous silence and then the sound of Hannah, crying quietly, her face in her hands.

Sarah rose and put her drink down carefully on the arm of her chair. ‘I’m sorry, Han. I’m so, so sorry. About your lovely cows and about the stupid things I’ve said. Not once but twice. I have to listen better, learn to hear all sides of a problem before I can say anything about it. And I promise you, I’ll never be this dumb again.’ She squatted on the ground in front of Hannah’s chair and took her hands. ‘I’m with you, Hannah, all the way and in everything you do. I’m with you and Piet. Am I forgiven?’

‘Ach, you’re just my stupid sister,’ Hannah said, wiping her tears away. ‘But if you’re going to start looking for a job around here I’d better take a hold of you, and show you what real life is like. And you’d better teach me some of your liberal ideas, before we all get thrown out of the country for not moving with the times. Right, Piet?’