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then that they are General Sanusi’s, that you are in sympathy with his aims, and that the long-awaited day has arrived. No doubt you’ve takenover the radio station below and will shortly begin broadcasting the good news to the rest of the country. Meanwhile, other troops are occupying the central telegraph office, the telephone exchange, the power station and the railroad station. The main body of your forces is taking up positions surrounding the police barracks, the ammunition dump, the forts defending the outer harbour and the garrison …” I hesitated. I had remembered something.
    “Yes, Mr. Fraser?” His face was very still.
    “Most of the garrison moved out today on manoeuvres.”
    “The moment, of course, has been carefully chosen.”
    “Of course. However, I’m a foreigner, and it’s no concern of mine. Now that you’ve satisfied yourself that there is nobody up here who could possibly do anything to interfere, I take it that you will allow us to go back to sleep again.”
    He considered me coldly. “I like you, Mr. Fraser,” he said at length; “and I am sorry to see you here. At the moment, however, I am wondering if I have a sufficient excuse for allowing you to remain alive.”
    “You need an excuse? We’re no danger to you, for God’s sake!”
    “As I have said, your presence is inconvenient.”
    “Then let us go somewhere else.”
    “I regret that that is impossible.”
    I said nothing and looked across at Rosalie. She was still standing by the open suitcase. I went over to her, put my arm round her shoulders and made her sit down on the edge of the bed.
    Suparto seemed to hesitate; then he beckoned impatiently to the N.C.O. and nodded in our direction.
    “These two persons,” he said, “will remain in this room. Post a sentry on the terrace. They may go one at a time to the bathhouse, but they will go by the window. This door will remain locked. If either attempts to leave without permission, they are both to be killed.”
    The N.C.O. saluted and eyed us sullenly.
    Suparto looked at me. “You understood what I said?”
    “Yes, I understood. May I ask a question?”
    “Well?”
    “Was I right? Is this part of a
coup d’état?
”
    “The National Freedom Party of Sunda has taken over all the functions of government and assumed control of the country.”
    “That is what I meant.”
    “The so-called Democratic Government of the colonialist traitor, Nasjah, has proved unworthy of the people’s confidence.” He was speaking Malay now, and as if he were addressing a public meeting. Behind him, the N.C.O. nodded approvingly. “The guilty will be punished. The Unbelievers will be destroyed. Colonial influences will be eliminated. The Faithful will rally tothe standard of Islam. As soon as the emergency is over, elections will be held. But order must be maintained. Hostile elements will be wiped out ruthlessly.”
    “Do we count as hostile elements?”
    “It might be thought so.” He lapsed into English again. “At present the decision is my responsibility. Later, it may be different. My superior officers, who will arrive here shortly, are sensitive men and the presence of Unbelievers at such a time may not be tolerated. In your own interests, I would advise you to be as silent and unobtrusive as possible.”
    “I see. Thank you, Major.”
    “I can promise you nothing.”
    With a nod he turned and went out of the room. The N.C.O. shut the door and the key turned in the lock. A moment later a soldier appeared on the terrace outside the window, peered in and then sat down with his back against the
attap
screen and his machine pistol cradled in his lap.
    I looked down at Rosalie and she smiled uncertainly.
    “Why does he like you?”
    “I don’t know that he really does. He has no special reason that I know of. That is the officer who was up at Tangga, the one with the jeep.”
    “Oh. Perhaps if you explained how discreet you had been, he would let us go.”
    “I don’t think