The descent down the caldera’s inner wall was tough on Marty’s knees but easier than the grueling ascent up the outer wall. Even so, the path was uneven and steep, and at one point Jacky tripped on a partly concealed root, slamming into the back of Rad and nearly sending them both tumbling down the slope. Marty too had a close call when he lost his balance on a collection of igneous rocks and slid on his hands and butt for a couple of meters before coming to a jarring halt at the base of a tree fern.

When the ground leveled out again, Marty saw subtle signs of habitation: banana trees stripped of ripe fruit, an axe next to a felled tree, the ashes of a small fire, discarded coconut shells that had been cut open and the meat taken. A short time later they reached the shore of the volcanic lake, which they followed to a village populated with dozens of palm-thatched mud huts. The tribespeople dotted about the settlement stopped what they were doing (preparing food, weaving baskets, sorting flowers and berries) to watch the arrival of the foreigners. Unlike the hunters in their loincloths, they wore more modest sarongs knotted around their chests or waists. The clothing buoyed Marty’s spirit, as it meant they had indeed made contact with industrialized society, which lessened the chances that he and Rad and Jacky were going to end up on the dinner table as the main course. Even so, the stoic reception was unnerving. You would think an isolated tribe would be excited, or at least curious, by the appearance of a trio of outsiders. The stolid looks and general indifference made Marty feel as though they were all in on some sinister secret.

The leader of the hunters stopped before one of the thatched huts and gestured for Marty to enter. Pushing aside a hanging reed matt, he was forced to duck, as the doorway was not made for someone of his height. The hut’s interior was roomy enough that he could stand upright again. Jacky and Rad followed him in, and they huddled in the middle of the dark room, alone for now, frowning at each other.

“What the hell is this?” Rad said finally.

“At least they didn’t lock us in,” said Marty.

“They may as well have,” Jacky said. “Where are we going to go? You wouldn’t get anywhere before one of those hunters launched a spear into your back.”

“Did you see the way they were looking at us?” Rad said.

“You mean, not looking at us,” said Jacky. “It was like they didn’t care about us one way or another.”