Gerhard had one round left in his rifle, plus Harriet’s pistol and the spare bullets. He had the panga he’d taken from the dead Mau Mau, but no idea how to use it in combat. He looked at the blade tucked into his belt and reminded himself that he had been made to take fencing lessons as a boy: think of it as a short sabre.

Mashraf fired his last round. Kabaya gave his order and suddenly there were men running down the stairs, vaulting over the balustrade and landing in front of him. Others were leaping over the dining table and racing down the hall. One or two were carrying guns and firing as they came, so crazed by bloodlust that they did not care whether they hit their own men. The rest were waving their knives and screaming Kikuyu battle cries and curses.

‘Back into the kitchen!’ Gerhard shouted. As Mashraf ran by, Gerhard gave him the rifle and shouted, ‘Got one round!’

He kept facing forward as his own men retreated through the door.

He crouched behind the barricade and fired the pistol four times, without pausing between shots, into the onrushing Mau Mau. They were so close that he could not miss. But only two men were stopped dead in their tracks. The pair that he wounded were so caught up in the adrenalised fury of battle that they ignored the blow and kept coming. The Mau Mau had reached the barricade and were clambering over. Gerhard shifted his gun to his left hand and pulled out his panga. He ducked under a slashing blade wielded by one of the Mau Mau, and swung his from side to side, as fast as he could, desperately trying to keep the attackers at bay as he stumbled backwards.

Suddenly a bullet cut through the left sleeve of Gerhard’s jacket and he felt an impact like a sharp punch to his arm. His grip slackened on his pistol, but a hand grabbed the back of his jacket and pulled him hard.

The door of the kitchen slammed shut and he heard the key being turned.

His wounded arm was bleeding profusely, but the Webley revolver was still in his hand. He was safe. But not for long.

One glance towards the sinks told Gerhard that the men there were out of rounds too, for the Mau Mau were pouring in through the windows and the male and female servants were being forced back deeper into the room. Mashraf shot one of them dead, and that made the others hesitate as he pointed his rifle towards them, giving Mpishi and the others time to scuttle back behind the upturned table, where Mashraf joined them.

The door to the hall was shaking with the hammering of panga blades against the wood. That at least would hold for a while, but Gerhard heard a shout from the hall.

A gun started firing and he had to dive for the floor as the hot lead smashed through the lock.