‘Are you okay?’

‘Yes, sorry to disturb you. I came to get a book and tripped.’ She switched on the lamp.

‘No trouble at all.’

He quickly swept the floor with his eyes and withdrew with a goodnight.

The shelves were stocked with typical airport and beach fodder, among which were some volumes in English. Erin picked a slim one and switched off the light.

She took some time to look out of the balcony. There was a mosquito net covering the room windows, so it was much more pleasant to observe the night from here. Not that there was much to see after dark: there were some weak lights here and there, but the trees were a mass of blackness in the middle of nowhere, hiding the main road from view. The horizon was a soft, curvy line separating the...

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