Putting on the skins Amazonia wore was torture. Though they were light, I felt trussed up and Ellen, looking at me critically, pulled down hard to stop them from rucking up and looking scandalously short. I hadn’t understood before. To me they had been a costume, much as Ellen wore her burnt cork and grass skirt, but there was more to it than that. In the skins I assumed not just clothing but the persona of an African, and until now I had not done it justice.

Ellen looked towards the door. She would miss her cue if she didn’t leave now but still she hesitated, genuinely concerned for me.

‘You’re sure there’s nothing wrong, Zillah? It can’t be that His Lordship is giving you gyp? You know you can tell me anything? I won’t judge.’

Before I could answer, there was a tap at the door and Barky walked in.

‘What’s this, girls? Have to come and get you now, do I?’ he said.

‘We were on our way. Zillah wasn’t feeling right.’

‘Well, come on then, Zillah, you’re almost up.’

I tried to stand but there was no strength in my legs. Barky leant over to haul me to my feet but my body flopped back against the chair. I couldn’t stir myself.

‘This isn’t the time for silly buggers,’ Barky said. ‘Get up.’ But I couldn’t.

Barky knelt in front of me.

‘You all right, girl?’ he said. I hadn’t noticed before how dark his eyes were. A deep brown. The expression in them was troubled.

Ellen joined him. ‘I did tell you, Barky. She’s not been right since she came in.’

‘Do you know what it is?’

Ellen turned away from him and shrugged. ‘She was in early but I’ve hardly been able to get a word out of her.’

They were talking about me as if I wasn’t there and I coughed to clear the lump in my throat.

‘I can’t go on tonight.’

‘What do you mean, you can’t go on?’ Barky’s voice had an edge of anger, suddenly. ‘You’re not playing the prima donna with us, are you?’

‘No, it’s not that,’ Ellen said. She took my hand and chafed it between her own. ‘Feel her hands. They’re freezing.’

Barky sighed, his eyes kind again. ‘She’s going to have to get out there. The crowd won’t have it if she don’t appear. Let me juggle the line-up. She can go on last at the end of the second half. I’ll ask Aldous to eke out his bit; you can do an extra song or two, can you?’

Ellen nodded, pleased at the prospect of more stage time.