“Isaac.” Johan shoots him a warning look then takes a step towards Frank. He crouches down in front of him, his elbows on his knees, his hands folded under his chin.

“You won’t say anything, will you, Frank? You’ll just quietly find your way back to Pokhara and disappear.”

Frank peers up at Johan through his good eye. A second passes, then another. Finally he clears his throat.

“Fuck you!” He spits straight in Johan’s face. “Fuck all of you.”

“Move,” Isaac says.

Johan turns towards him but stays on his knees.

“I told you to fucking move.”

“No.” He stands up and takes a step towards Isaac. The two men stand face to face, barely an inch separating them.

“If I have to take you out, Johan, I will.”

Gabe and Kane say nothing. They stare silently, their shoulders hunched with apprehension. Gabe’s arm is outstretched, the torch in his hand pointing towards the two founding Ekanta Yatra members, their silhouettes haloed with light.

“Let me go, you fucking prick,” Frank shouts from the ground, “or I’ll fuck that skanky skeleton of a sister of yours, too.”

Isaac moves like a blur. One minute Johan is in front of him, the next he is sprawled on the ground, unbalanced by a shove to the chest. Isaac leaps forward, the axe raised in the air. As he lands, he brings the axe down, and Frank screams.

It is the sound of an animal being slaughtered.

His body reels backwards and he slumps in the mud, his head turned to one side, a deep, black pool of liquid fanning out around him. His face is black, too, his features obscured by the blood gushing out of the gaping hole in the side of his skull.

“You fucking arsehole.” Johan springs to his feet and launches himself at Isaac, toppling him with a rugby tackle around the waist. The two men hit the ground with a thump then Johan is up again, astride Isaac, and he’s punching him in the head – once, twice, three times – and Isaac’s head rocks from side to side, but his right hand reaches for the axe and he lifts it into the air. My gasp of horror is masked by Kane’s shout.

As the two men freeze, Kane rips the axe from Isaac’s hand.

Isaac leaps to his feet and holds out his hand. “Give it to me.”

Kane shakes his head. “You fucking killed him, man.” He grabs Gabe’s wrist and points the torch at Frank’s body. “He’s dead.”

“And?” Isaac takes another step towards Kane, his hand still outstretched. “If you’ve got a problem with what just happened, you know where the front gate is.”

Kane shakes his head. “I just didn’t want you braining Johan, Isaac, that’s all.”

“Good.” Isaac reaches for the axe and takes it. He looks at Johan. “What about you?”