Most of them were back around the fire by the time Tom made his way down from the plane. The euphoria had worn off, and up close, he could understand all the more why Shen had been so annoyed, because most of them looked terrible.

Chris had gotten sunburned, his face bright red. Nick looked the opposite, deathly pale and as if he was about to throw up. Jess lay with her head on Freddie’s lap and he was stroking her hair. Everyone was listless, and even Joel kept looking up at the bonfire, probably as a way of reminding himself that this had been worthwhile.

Those who hadn’t been involved seemed startlingly fresh in comparison. George and Barney were by the fire, apparently talking about the way different materials burned. Alice and Shen joined them after a few minutes, both of them looking across at Tom.

He turned to Joel and said, “A few of us have made a decision.” Joel looked at him, curious, confused. “Your bonfire’s burning up there, so if there’s a plane in the area we should at least get a fly-past by the end of the day. But if we don’t, a few of us are heading out first thing in the morning.”

Joel responded as if Tom had said something impossible. “But you can’t. We have to stick together. And there’s nowhere to go.”

“There’s a river,” said Shen. “And two life rafts. We can follow the course of the river until it becomes navigable, then use the rafts.”

“Oh, my God.” Joel’s expression suggested someone who’d been stabbed in the back by his most loyal supporters. “So, you’ve obviously discussed this but you didn’t think of sharing it with the rest of us?”

“We’re sharing it now,” said Tom. “This isn’t a challenge to your leadership, Joel. We’re just a group of people aiming to get out of a jungle. Anyone who wants to come can come.”

Joel shook his head, making a show of being wounded by their unexpected treachery, and at first it seemed he wouldn’t respond at all, but then he said quietly, “Who else is part of your group?”

Alice, George, Shen, and Barney all put their hands up, and Joel nodded, perhaps the people he would have guessed as being part of it. Lara, Kate, and Emma did too, then Jess from her prone position. Freddie made a weak attempt to raise his own hand, but couldn’t, and let it rest on Jess’s hair again.

“I see. I was going to suggest putting it to a vote, but since more than half of us are planning to leave…”

“There’s nothing to vote anyway,” said Tom. “We’re going. If you’re staying we’ll leave half of the food and drinks, and if we make it, we can tell them where you are.”