‘Don’t worry – a couple of weeks. You can just flop around and relax and get ready.’

‘I can swim under the water with the snorkel. Can I show you in the swimming pool?’

‘I’d like that a lot.’

‘I ate crocodile.’

‘Wow!’

‘It didn’t taste like crocodile though.’

Irene tried to think what to say to that. She saw that Luke was sitting at the far end of the garden, smoking a cigarette. She saw its end glowing in the darkness.

‘Mummy?’

‘Yes.’

‘I was thinking …’

‘Tell me.’

‘When we get back we could all live in the same house, maybe?’

‘You mean …’

‘I can share with Aggie and Clem. There’s room. I don’t mind being on the camp bed.’

‘We can talk about this later. The important thing is that you’re having a wonderful time with Daddy and Frankie.’

‘I stole your perfume, Mummy. And your lipstick. And I was the one who scrumpled up your dress and put it in the toilet.’

‘I know. It doesn’t matter.’

‘If we all lived in the same house then it wouldn’t be like this.’

‘Like what?’

‘You know – this funny feeling in my tummy all the time. Like I’m going to be sick, but I never am.’

‘Do you get that?’

‘I told Daddy and he said it was growing pains.’

‘Well …’

‘Not just now. With you too, because there’s always one of you away, so I’m always wanting to be somewhere else than where I am. Do you know what I mean?’

‘Yes. I do.’

‘Clem wants to speak to you now.’

‘Hang on, Sasha …’

But there was no reply, and then a few seconds later Clem’s voice came on the phone.

‘Hello.’

‘Hello, Clemmie. It’s me.’

‘Who?’

‘Mummy.’

‘Oh.’

‘Are you well?’ Irene listened to Clem’s heavy breathing for a few seconds. ‘OK. Tell me three things you did yesterday.’

‘I played.’ There was another pause, and then she added: ‘And I played and I played.’

‘That’s cheating.’

‘Aggie ate a jellyfish.’

‘What!’

‘She put it in her mouth and bit right into it.’

‘My God! Is she all right?’

‘I think she thought it was a sweet or something like that.’

‘But is she OK?’

‘I stroked three kangaroos and held a koala bear and now I’ve got a photograph.’

‘Blimey. Great.’

‘Frankie and Daddy –’

‘Can I speak to Aggie?’

‘She’s having a bath because she wet herself.’

‘What about Daddy?’

‘He’s giving her the bath.’

‘Oh.’ Irene swallowed hard. ‘Is Frankie there, just for a second?’

‘Frankie!’ Clem yelled. ‘Mummy wants you.’

‘Hello, Irene.’

‘I just wanted to know – is Aggie all right?’

‘Just a swollen lip and a throat that aches now because she screamed so much.’

‘That’s all?’