Mma Ramotswe clutched Mma Makutsi’s arm. “I’m not sure if these boys …”

She did not finish the sentence. In their excitement they had not noticed a vehicle draw up and a sunburned young man with fair hair step out.

“Well, Mma Ramotswe,” said the man. “What’s going on here?”

Mma Ramotswe turned to face their visitor. “Oh, Mr Whitson,” she said. “You have come just in time. There is a snake in there. The apprentices are trying to kill it.”

Neil Whitson shook his head. “There’s no need to kill snakes,” he said. “Let me take a look.”

He walked up to the door of the office and nodded to the apprentices to stand aside.

“Don’t frighten it,” he said. “It just makes it worse if you frighten it.”

“It is a very large snake,” said Charlie resentfully. “We have to kill it, Rra.”

Neil looked in through the door and saw the cobra curled at the foot of the waste-paper basket. He turned to Charlie.

“Do you have a stick here?” he said. “Any stick will do. Just a stick.”

The younger apprentice went off, while Charlie and Neil continued to watch the snake.

“We will have to kill it,” Charlie said. “We cannot have a snake here. What if it bites those ladies over there? What if it bites Mma Ramotswe?”

“It’ll only bite Mma Ramotswe if it feels threatened,” said Neil. “And snakes only feel threatened if people tread on them or … ,” he paused, before adding, “or throw things at them.”

The younger apprentice now returned with a longish stick from the jacaranda tree which grew at the edge of the garage plot. Neil took this from him and edged his way slowly into the office. The snake watched him, part of its body raised, the hood half up. With a sudden movement, Neil flipped the stick over the snake’s back and pressed the neck of the snake down against the floor. Then, leaning forward, he gripped the writhing cobra behind the head and picked it up. The lashing tail, searching for purchase, was soon firmly held in his other hand.

“There,” he said. “Now, Charlie, a sack is what we need. You must have a sack somewhere.”

WHEN MR J.L.B. MATEKONI returned an hour later, he was in a good mood. The inspection ramp which he had viewed was in excellent condition and the owner was not asking very much for it. It was, in fact, a bargain, and Mr J.L.B. Matekoni had already paid a deposit on the purchase. His pleasure in his transaction was evident from his smile, but this was hardly noticed by the apprentices as they greeted him in the workshop.

“We’ve had big excitement here, Boss,” said Charlie. “A snake got into Mma Ramotswe’s office. A very large snake, with a head like this. Yes, this big.”

Mr J.L.B. Matekoni gave a start. “Mma Ramotswe’s office,” he stuttered. “Is she all right?”

“Oh, she’s all right,” said Charlie. “She was lucky that we were around. If we hadn’t been here, then I don’t know …”