As it was, we made it back to the others in good time. There was no chat on the way. Silent endurance felt both right and odd at the same time. When we’d reunited with Amelia and Xander things were a little more normal, though somehow there was no way I could tell them about what had happened to Caleb. Not out of solidarity, and not because I was in his thrall. It was more that his inability to take the joke meant that telling it would be cruel. However, the strange thing was that not taking the mick out of him, far from making him grateful, seemed to do the opposite. He bristled, ignored me, gave the others short shrift. The more nobody commented, the more het up he became. Mid-afternoon, when Xander, Amelia and I were on our camp beds playing cards, I heard a whacking, chopping sound outside and went to investigate. Caleb had cut a bough from a nearby tree with his machete and was hacking at the wood as if it was his mortal enemy. A relative of the tree used to spring the snare perhaps? I was about to leave him to it when Innocent also poked his head out of his tent to see what was going on.

‘Are you OK, Mr Caleb?’ he asked.

‘Why wouldn’t I be?’ Caleb took another swing at the branch and a yellow bite mark appeared in it.

‘Sharp knife,’ said Innocent. ‘Take care.’

‘I know what I’m doing,’ said Caleb, sending another chipping into the air.

Innocent smiled at him and was retreating, his arm affectionately around Patience’s shoulders, when Caleb abruptly stopped chopping and said, ‘Hang on a minute.’

‘Yes.’

‘What’s with all this sitting around? When do we set off?’

‘We rest here today and head home tomorrow.’ Innocent’s gentle voice made this sound more like a suggestion than a statement.

Caleb rounded on it immediately, ‘I didn’t mean when do we go home, I meant when do we see the gorillas?’

‘The gorillas,’ said Innocent.

‘Yeah.’

‘After the scare of yesterday and last night’s difficulty, I think we take everyone back to Kinshasa, for safety. It’s best,’ he said quietly.

‘No chance!’ There was an edge to Caleb’s laughter. ‘I didn’t come all this way not to see gorillas, Innocent. Creep back home? You’re going to have to do better than that.’

Hearing the commotion, Xander and Amelia joined us.

‘Another time maybe,’ said Innocent. Smiling at Patience he went on, ‘Everyone tired, I think.’

Xander nodded but Amelia, failing to read the situation, said, ‘Actually I slept very well, thank you.’

‘Good girl,’ said Caleb. ‘I knew you’d be up for it.’