So there was a grin on Kabaya’s face as he ran along the drive to the front door. He imagined what it must be like to own a house such as this, with so much land around it. One day, men like him would have property like this. But for that day to come, the old order had to be torn down and a new one take its place.

This fight would bring Kenya one step closer to that day.

It was time to land the killer blow.

He marched through the front door and into the house that was about to be his. He would kill the white people inside, and their servants. All of them. Every man, woman and child.

To Benjamin, the logic was indisputable: if the copse had been the best spot for the Mau Mau leader to direct the battle, then it would be the best spot for him to observe it. From there he could decide where next to move. There was no point him running pell-mell into the battle by himself. He would simply die without achieving a thing. But the principle of one target, one rifle, still held good. If he could get another shot at the leader, and kill him this time, he might yet change everything.

Benjamin picked up his pace as he jogged towards the flame trees. He was a hundred yards from the hillock when he heard engines, coming towards him at full power.

He saw no lights. The engines were getting louder.

Benjamin peered in the direction of the sound and then he saw the black silhouetted outlines of two vehicles, Land Rovers by the looks of them.

Were they coming to the aid of the people in the house, or reinforcing the Mau Mau?

The Mau Mau don’t drive Land Rovers!

The silhouettes stopped moving. The shadows fell silent.

‘Over here!’ Benjamin shouted, speaking in English.

An instant later he saw a flash, like a match being lit, and at the same time heard the blast of a gun being fired and the whining, buzzing, fluttering passage of a bullet that seemed to pass within a whisker of his skull.

Benjamin raised his hand above his head and shouted, ‘Don’t shoot! I’m a doctor!’

He heard a woman’s voice. ‘Benjamin?’

‘Saffron!’ Benjamin called back.

He walked towards the cars and a female figure came running towards him.

‘What’s happening?’ Saffron asked, clutching his shoulders, her voice tight with anxiety. ‘Are we too late?’

‘I don’t know. The Mau Mau are in the house. The shooting’s stopped. But I don’t know why. I almost killed their leader, but—’

‘What about my family?’ Saffron interrupted him.

Benjamin shrugged. He had no answer for her.

Before Saffron could say another word, the gunfire from the house suddenly started again. She had to shout to make herself heard as she told Benjamin, ‘That’s it! We’re going in hard and fast!’