‘Mr Smith tells me you missed the earlier speeches. I do hope you returned in time for the magnificent Saint Crispin’s Eve.’

‘Was that when he said something about the old dugouts being asleep while him and the boys was waiting for the balloon to go up?’

‘And gentlemen in England now a-bed?’

‘Yeh, that’s right. We heard that one. It was good, too.’

‘Marvellous,’ said Mr Falls, and sat back in his seat. ‘Marvellous, wasn’t it?’

They arrived intact at Wai-ata-tapu. The adze had been removed evidently to the Colonel’s study, as Rua was at once taken there, Falls, rather unnecessarily, ushering him in. Dikon was left alone with Eru Saul in Mrs Te Papa’s palpitating car. ‘Hadn’t you better turn off your engine?’ he suggested. Eru jumped and switched back the key. ‘Have a cigarette?’ said Dikon.

‘Ta.’ He helped himself with trembling fingers.

‘This is a bad business, isn’t it?’

‘It’s terrible all right,’ said Eru, staring at the study window.

Dikon got out and lit his own cigarette. He was feeling better.

‘Where did they find it?’ Eru demanded.

‘What? Oh, the axe. I don’t know.’

‘Did they find it in his stuff?’

‘Whose?’ said Dikon woodenly. He was determined to know nothing. Eru electrified him by jerking his head, not at Questing’s room but at Gaunt’s.

II

‘That’s where he hangs out, isn’t it?’ said Eru. ‘Your boss?’

‘What the hell do you think you’re talking about?’ said Dikon violently.

‘Nothing, nothing!’ said Eru, showing the whites of his eyes. ‘I was only kidding. You don’t want to go crook over a joke.’

‘I can’t see anything amusing in your extraordinary suggestion that a Maori axe should be discovered in Mr Gaunt’s room.’

‘OK, OK, I only wondered if he was one of these collectors. They’ll come at anything, if they’re mad on it. You know. Lose their respect for other people’s property.’

‘Let me assure you that Mr Gaunt is not a collector.’

‘Good-oh. He’s not. Let it go.’