‘Awful rot, some of these yarns,’ Colonel Claire continued, casually picking up his novel. ‘This thing I’ve been dipping into, now. Blood-and-thunder stuff. Ridiculous.’

‘I am a little troubled in my mind. Disturbing rumours have reached me…’

‘Oh?’ Colonel Claire, still with an air of absent-mindedness, flipped over a page.

‘…about proposals that have been made in regard to native reserves. You have been a good friend to our people, Colonel…’

‘Not at all,’ Colonel Claire murmured abstractedly, and felt for his reading glasses. ‘Always very pleased…’ He found his spectacles, put them on and, still casually, laid the book on his knee.

‘Since you have been at Wai-ata-tapu, there have been friendly relations between your family and my hapu. We should not care to see anyone else here.’