Sharmi looked across at Kagiso. She decided to hold fire. For now.

‘This thing has got scary. We’re not in control,’ Kagiso said.

‘But we’re not meant to be in control,’ said François. ‘This is exactly what was supposed to happen.’

‘No, it wasn’t. We never sat here and said, “Let’s have execution squads roaming the countryside and, just to make sure they get the message, let’s make sure they donner some Mozambicans.” This is just mayhem now. It isn’t political.’ Kagiso rolled his head around trying to unwind the tension locked into his muscles. He had a splitting headache.

‘Of course it isn’t all neat and tidy,’ said Sharmi, her hostility barely disguised. ‘What did you think was going to happen when we did that first job and you started firing off all those anonymous statements?’

‘Look, I’m not saying we planned Lesedi’s murder or that we predicted all this Mozzie-bashing,’ said François, picking up where he’d left off. ‘And I’m not saying any of it is good. But I suppose we did want this thing to develop a momentum of its own and that’s what’s happening.’

‘Come on, François! You know as well as I do that this is not what we had in mind.’ Kagiso was pacing from one end of the room to the other.

‘It is exactly what we had in mind.’ Sharmi stood up. Now. This was the time to move in. Sharmi felt the surge of adrenaline. ‘Now the bastards are going to sit up and listen. What did you think – another fire here, a power cable cut somewhere, a few more of your terrific words and the land deals would stop? This – what’s happening out there – this is what’s going to make them scared.’

‘Listen, there’s no point arguing over whether we’re responsible or not. The fact is that it’s happening.’ Two-Boy could see where this was going. The next thing, Sharmi would accuse Kagiso of being squeamish and then there’d be an almighty row that would take another half an hour to resolve. ‘What we have to decide is whether any of this helps us,’ he continued. ‘If it does, well, we can just sit back and have another drink. If not, we’ve got some thinking to do and quick. What’s happening at Ponte is happening all over the place. I had a look at the wires coming into the newsroom before I left.’

‘Well, it doesn’t help us. That should be clear enough to anyone,’ said Kagiso, shooting a glance at Sharmi. ‘Lesedi’s murder changes everything. Even the people we’re supposed to be representing thought of him and his father as heroes. This is a gift for Pretoria.’