It was a young goat, pegged out on the ground, its belly slit from end to end, entrails glistening, blood seeping into the depression in the ground where it had been laid. In horror, she realised that it was still alive. Desperate, shuddering breaths jerked its body and she saw that its eyes were turning milky as life ebbed away. Staring at it, Sarah felt the world go dark around her. Then she was standing in another place, and the bleeding, quivering creature on the ground was a man, lying helpless and groaning, his face looking away from her as he struggled to stem the gush of blood from his wounds. A panga had slashed again and again across his body, slicing through his chest and arms and legs, ripping his belly apart. She screamed in horror as the torn, bloody remains of his head turned to her in supplication, and she saw that where his eyes should have been there were only empty sockets. She gagged, turned and tried to flee, but her legs were giving way, and she could hear people running towards her, hands grabbing at her as she struggled to escape. Then she became aware of Piet’s voice, and Tim holding her as she collapsed on to her knees and was violently sick.

‘It’s all right, old girl. All over now. Not a pretty sight to come across.’ Tim was supporting her head as she tried to say something about the goat.

‘It was pretty horrible.’ Piet was kneeling beside her. ‘I’ve put the poor thing out of its misery.’

‘I don’t know if you should have done that,’ Tim said, glancing over his shoulder. ‘This forest is a sacred site, you know. It’s often used for ritual sacrifices and stuff. That’s what this is all about, probably. Part of an exorcism, or some such ceremony. An evil spirit is transferred from a person into a goat, and then the animal is sacrificed – slit open to drain the spirit’s power into sacred ground. The animal has to be alive for the blood to flow.’

‘Ugh! It’s so barbaric!’ Camilla was staring, white-faced, at the grisly remains. She backed away as the flies rose again. ‘No wonder you were screaming your lungs out, Sarah. I would have fainted dead away.’

‘You shouldn’t go wandering into the bundu on your own like that.’ Tim studied his sister’s pale face and the fear still in her eyes. ‘There are elephant around here, you know, and the odd buffalo who wouldn’t hesitate to protect his territory.’

‘I think we should make a move.’ Piet held out a hand to help her up. ‘The people who did this are quite likely to come back. You didn’t see anyone on the path, did you? Or hear anything?’