Despite the noise and all that was going on, the main distraction was the two visitors. What was there to know? The people kept the two men’s cups full, talking and joking with them in a flow of language that they could all see neither of the men understood, but what did it matter? Talk was the thing.

It wasn’t until Aki began telling about the ‘ghost seeing him’ that the din subsided and people seated themselves about the yard to listen to the stories of the little Hapanihi from Chapan and of the man from India. Food was handed out. The eyes went round and saw that, yes, the Inia man was eating, enjoying the food. They saw that the Chapan man hesitated then, with colourless fingers, began spooning meat into himself and biting into bread. Good. Everyone was eating except for Grandmother Nunu, who ate just once a day at mid-morning. Draped in a sarong, her face lit every now and again by dashes of firelight, she danced holding a ladle. Talk started up again, cups were refilled.

But just as the meal was ending, plates were being scraped off and the singing was starting up again, the Chapan man went to sleep. Poor thing. Aki and Paa lifted him under the arms and knees, carried him to the bedroom, lay him on Aki’s bed, removed his clothes and covered him in a red hibiscus cloth. He didn’t stir. Perhaps it was the brew.

Later, when the night cooled down, Dorothea called Oriwia to help her put Chappy into the bed. Even without a lamp Oriwia could see the pearly scars on his thighs and the soft, green bruises on his chest and upper arms. On lifting him he was so light she thought the bones that protruded all over his body must be filled with nothing but air, like bird bones which you could blow sounds through or use for breathing underwater. He was a bird. Oriwia imagined him feathered. By morning he could have flown.

Dorothea insisted on keeping Dad Jimmy there for the night and made up a bed for him on the verandah next to one that Aki had put there for himself. So after the fires had been allowed to die and most of the visitors had gone home, Oriwia helped Paa and Grandmother Nunu on the cart to be delivered to their house. With them was Mo, who was to be their wayfarer.