Dikon was disgusted with both of them. He said shortly that they were wanted in the dining-room, and walked out, leaving them to follow. Simon caught up with him. ‘Bert’s not so good,’ he said. ‘He’s had a couple.’

‘Quite obviously.’

Smith lurched between them and took them by the arms. ‘That’s right,’ he agreed heavily, ‘I’m not so good.’

When Dr Ackrington questioned them about a possible means of returning to the Maori settlement by any route other than the flagged path, they said emphatically that it could not be done. ‘Even the Maoris,’ said Smith, staring avidly at the whisky bottle, ‘won’t come at that.’

‘You can forget it,’ said Simon briefly. ‘He couldn’t do it.’

Gaunt, with a beautifully expressive gesture, covered his eyes with his hands. ‘This will haunt me,’ he said, ‘for the rest of my life. It’s in here.’ He beat the palms of his hands against his temples. ‘Indelibly fixed. Hag-ridden by a memory.’

‘Fiddlesticks,’ said Dr Ackrington briskly.

Gaunt laughed acidly. ‘Perhaps I am exceptional,’ he said with a kind of tragic airiness.

‘Well,’ said the Colonel most unexpectedly, ‘if you don’t mind, James, I think I’ll go to bed. I feel rather sick.’

‘Good God, Edward, are you demented? Is it possible that you have ever been in a position of authority? When, as we are forced to believe, you were responsible for the conduct of a regiment, did you meet the threat of native uprisings by feeling sick and taking to your bed?’

‘Who’s talking about native uprisings? The natives of this country don’t do that sort of thing. They give concerts and mind their own business.’

‘You deliberately misconstrue my meaning. The threat of danger—’

‘But,’ objected Colonel Claire, opening his eyes very wide, ‘we aren’t threatened with danger at the moment, James. Either Questing has fallen into a boiling mud cauldron, poor feller, in which case we can do nothing, or else, you know, he hasn’t, in which case there is nothing the matter with him.’

‘Good God, man, we’ve an extremely grave responsibility.’

Colonel Claire said loudly: ‘What in heaven’s name do you mean?’

Dr Ackrington beat the air with both hands. ‘If this appalling accident has happened—I say, if it has happened, then the police must be informed.’

‘Very well, James,’ said the Colonel. ‘Inform them. I am all for handing over to the proper authorities. Falls would be the one to do that, you know, because he almost saw it happen. Didn’t you?’ he asked, gazing mournfully at Mr Falls.

‘I was not as close as that, I think,’ said Mr Falls. ‘But you are perfectly right, sir. I should inform the police. In point of fact,’ he added after a pause, ‘I have already done so. While Bell was parking the car.’