‘Leaving everything they had worked for and struggled to create, to be swallowed up by the forest and crumble away into nothing.’ Piet’s voice was full of sadness. ‘That’s been the story of Africa, hasn’t it? People with no idea how to use the land drove out the previous tribes. Until we came, no one really cared about the soil.’ He jumped up, ramming his fists into his pockets. ‘But I won’t allow a bunch of greedy politicians to steal our farm, or drive us out. Man, I don’t care if they’re Africans or British, black or white or bright green. No one is going to take away my right to remain here, in the country where I was born.’ He stopped, embarrassed by the astonishment his outburst had caused. ‘I think I’ll go for a walk,’ he muttered, and strode off, touching the crumbling lintel of the carved doorway as he stepped through it, in a gesture of homage and regret.

‘Piet!’ Camilla rose in a fluid movement. ‘Wait for me. I’ll come with you, if you’re going to explore.’

Hannah, looking up, saw the expression on Sarah’s face. ‘No, Camilla. He needs a few moments on his own.’

‘Well, I’m going for a stroll.’ Sarah cursed herself for trotting out the stupid quotation that had sparked Piet’s outburst. What had she been thinking of? Trying to impress him with her literary knowledge, because Camilla had said he had the soul of a romantic. ‘I’m going to take a few photographs. Just to disprove the myth that film comes up blank when you try and develop pictures of Gedi.’

She picked up her camera and set off along one of the forest paths, taking care not to go in the same direction as Piet. At first she felt uneasy, but after a while she began to mimic the bird calls and enjoy their reactions. She wandered to the limits of the empty houses, the forest growing denser as she walked. At last she came to an open space where the ruins of two buildings stood side by side, with a great stone well in front of them.

She stopped, feeling a prickling sensation on the back of her neck, as though she were being watched. There was a curious smell in the glade, sweetish and sickly, and she could hear a buzzing noise. Wary now, for she had gone a considerable distance from the picnic site without thinking, she moved forward cautiously. On the far side of the well the ground had been cleared, and she could see a black mound that heaved and swayed as she approached. She drew nearer and the smell caught her throat, making her retch. A moving carpet of flies, bloated and lumbering, rose into the air around her, revealing the thing on which they had been feeding. She screamed.