I've just about had to put an armed guard on this room to keep him out.

Sean laughed. Will you send him in, Candy? She went to the door and

stopped with a hand on the latch. It's nice to have you back, Sean,

don't do anything silly like that again, will you? That's a promise,

Sean assured her.

Mbejane came quickly and stood in the doorway. Nkosi, is it well with

you? Sean looked at the iodinestained bandages on his hands and the

maroon and gold livery without answering. Then he rolled on his back

and stared at the ceiling. I sent for my servant and instead there

comes a monkey on a chain. Mbejane stood still, his face expressionless

but for the hurt in his eyes. Go, find my servant. You will know him

by his dress which is that of a warrior of Zululand. It took a few

seconds for the laughter to start rolling around in Mbejane's belly; it

shook his shoulders and creased the corners of his mouth. He closed the

door very softly behind him and when he came back in his loin cloth Sean

grinned at him. Ah! I see you, Mbejane. And I see you also. He stood

by the bed and they talked. They spoke little of the cave-in and not at

all of Mbejane's part in the rescue. Between them it was understood,

words could only damage it. Perhaps they would talk of it later, but

not now. Tomorrow, will you need the carriage? Mbejane asked at last.

Yes _ go now. Eat and sleep. Sean reached out and touched Mbejane's

arm. just that small physical contact that almost guilty touching, and

Mbejane left him.

Then Duff came in in a silk dressing-gown and they ate eggs and steak

from the trays and Duff sent down for a bottle of wine just to rinse the

dust out of their throats once more. They tell me Francois is still

down at the Bright Angels - he's been on the drunk ever since he got out

of that shaft. When he sobers up he can come to the office and collect

his pay packet Sean sat up. You're going to fire him? I'm going to

fire him so high he'll only touch ground when he reaches Capetown What

the hell for? demanded Sean. What for? Duff echoed. What for? For

running, that's what for. Duff, he was in a cave-in at Kimberley,

wasn't he? Yes, Broke his legs, didn't you say rYes.

Shall I tell you something? If it were to happen to me a second time

I'd run as well.

Duff filled his wine glass without answering. Send down to the Bright

Angels, tell him alcohol is bad for the liver, that should sober him,

tell him unless he's back at work by tomorrow morning we'll dock it off

his pay, Sean said. Duff looked at him with a puzzled expression. What

is this? I had some time to think while I was down in that hole. I

decided that to get to the top you don't have to stamp on everyone you

meet. Ah, I understand. Duff gave his lopsided grin. A good

resolution, New Year in August. Well, that's all right, you had me

worried there, I thought a rock had fallen on your head. I also make

good resolutionsDuff, I don't want Francois firedAll right, all right,

he stays on. If you like we can open a soup kitchen at the office and

turn Xanadu into a home for the aged. Oh, go and burst. I just don't

think it's necessary to fire Francois, that's allWho's arguing? I

agreed with you, didn't I? I have deep respect for good resolutions. I

make them all the time. Duff pulled his chair up to the bed, Quite by

chance I happen to have a pack of cards with me He took them out of his

dressing-gown pocket. Vould you care for a game of Klabejas? Sean lost

fifty pounds before he was saved by the arrival of the new doctor. The

doctor tapped his chest and tu'ttutted, looked down his throat and

tut-tutted, wrote out a prescription and confined him to bed for the

rest of the day. He was just leaving when Jock and Trevor Heyns

arrived. Jock had a bunch of flowers which he presented to Sean in an

embarrassed fashion.

Then the room began to fill in earnest: the rest of the crowd from the

Exchange arrived, someone had brought a case of champagne, a poker game

started in one corner and a political meeting in another.

who does this Kruger think he is, anyway, God or something? You know

what he said last time we went to see him about getting the vote, he

said "Protest, protest I have the guns and you have not! Three Kings

wins, you are holding cards! Consolidated Wits. will hit thirty you

wait and see.

shillings by the end of the month. and the taxes, theyre putting

another twenty percent on dynamite. a new piece at the Opera, Jock's

got a season ticket on her, no one else has had a look in yet. All

right, you two, stop that. If you want to fight go outside, this is a

sick room. This bottle's empty, break open a new one, Duff. Sean lost

another hundred to Duff and then a little after five Candy came in. She

was horrified. out, all of you, outV The room emptied as quickly as it

had filled and Candy wandered around picking up cigar butts and empty

glasses. The vandals! Someone's burnt a hole in the carpet and look at

this, champagne spilt all over the table. Duff coughed and started

pouring himself another drink. Don't you think you've had enough of

that, Dufford? Duff put down his glass. And it's time you went and

changed for dinner. Duff winked sheepishly at Sean, but he went.

Duff and Candy came back to his room after supper and had a liqueur with

him. Now to sleep, Candy commanded and went across to draw the

curtains. It's still early, protested Duff with no effect. Candy blew

the lamp out.

Sean was not tired, he had lain in bed all day and now his brain was

overactive. He lit a cigar and smoked, listening to the street noises

below his window and it was past midnight before he finally drifted off.

When he woke, he woke screaming, for the darkness was on him again and

the blankets pressed down on him suffocating him. He fought them off

and stumbled blindly across the room.

He had to have air and light. He ran into the thick velvet curtains and

they closed around his face; he tore himself free and hit the french

windows with his shoulder; they burst open and he was out on the

balcony, out in the cold air with the moon fat and yellow in the sky

above him.

His gasping slowed until he was breathing normally again. He went back