When they used to plan their sabotage it was only ever one operation at a time. Success or failure was judged according to whether or not that particular mission was accomplished. Kagiso realised he had never really stood back to look at the whole, or to see how each act had set off its own chain reaction. It was like knowing the ingredients in a recipe but never understanding what happened in the mixing and making. He – they – had wanted others to follow where they had led, but had assumed their new supporters would merely replicate their own actions. He’d never thought that some might want to reinvent the campaign, to go freelance.

But his biggest miscalculation had been to underestimate the lengths to which those who stood to gain most from the sale of land to foreign interests would go, their power and determination. He understood that now. Kagiso could see that he and the others had never tried to get inside the minds of the profiteers and middlemen, the financiers and farmers. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Is that how it went? Einstein, Newton – he couldn’t remember. It seemed what was true in physics was truer still in the world of politics and money-making. Of course they were going to hit back. Of course blood would be spilled. How naive he’d been.

Back in her Greenside guesthouse, Lindi called Anton in London.

‘Hey! How’s it feel to be back home?’

‘The weird thing is that it does sort of feel like home – even after, what, twenty years.’

‘You know what they say. You can take the girl out of Africa, but you can’t take Africa out of the girl. How are you getting on?’

‘Did you tell anyone I was coming down here? Did the High Commission call back or anything?’

‘No – and yes. I mean, yes, the High Commission did call back. And, no, all I said was that at some stage we might want to get involved. No great secret, it’s what we do.’

‘When was that?’

‘It must have been some time on the day you left. What’s with all the questions?’

Lindi raised an eyebrow. ‘It’s just that they seem to know I’m here. A lot of questions at the airport. Then yesterday, here at the guesthouse, there was a taxi parked outside. The receptionist thought it was for me but I hadn’t ordered one.’

‘I told you, this is big. These people, whoever they are, they’re playing for high stakes.’

‘What – do you really think I’m being tagged or whatever they call it?’

‘It’s possible. You want me to come down?’ Anton asked, rather too eagerly for Lindi’s liking.

‘I’m not saying I need help. I’m just letting you know what’s going on.’