And this time, Pete was more than prepared to answer. ‘I want you to take it back to America,’ he said, fighting hard to contain his excitement at the possibility of a long-awaited dream about to be realised. ‘No-one in Australia will publish it, you see. Wartime censorship’s far stricter here than in any other Allied country. But it might well find a release in the United States …’ He halted, aware that his passion was beginning to show and that Johnson was looking at him quizzically. ‘This is a story that must be told, Commander,’ he said.

No, no, no, Lyndon thought, this is a story that must never be told. A story the world must never hear about. How naïve can the man be, he wondered, does he honestly believe I could allow this to be published?

‘You do realise, don’t you, Mr Vickers, that I am a member of the US Congress and that I am investigating the Kelso uprising on the direct orders of the president himself.’

Pete recognised how absurdly naïve he must have sounded, to the point even of stupidity. As was so often the case he’d got carried away, and he now frantically attempted to correct himself.

‘Of course,’ he said hastily, ‘yes, of course I know the mutiny itself can’t be mentioned, and the specific details of other incidents also, but as a human-interest story …’ Oh Christ, he thought, I just used the same tired old term Jim bandies about whenever he wants me to dumb things down. ‘I mean, the predicament that Negro troops face working in the remote regions of this country … a comment about racism on both sides …’ He started trailing off, feeling his argument was sounding somehow inadequate. ‘Surely that’s worthy of note.’

‘It is,’ Lyndon nodded encouragingly, ‘it most certainly is.’

The entire report was worthy of note as far as Lyndon Johnson was concerned. Here within this folder was everything he needed to present to FDR. Here was the most detailed analysis of events and conditions that could well invoke a rebellious action by black troops against their white officers, as had occurred at Kelso. He would make this report his own. Along with the clerk’s interrogation notes and the facts and figures contained in John Carter’s abysmally scant account of the event, he needed nothing more. The perfect opportunity had landed in his lap.

He picked up the folder. ‘I will not lie to you, Mr Vickers,’ he said, ‘there is no way this will be published in the United States, not even as a human-interest story, and certainly not while there’s a war going on. But I can tell you this much. It will go to the White House and be read by the highest authority in the land. This report will be seen by the eyes of none other than President Roosevelt himself, I can assure you of that.’