The rain patters on the roof tiles and goes dripping into the waters that surround the houses. The waxy fronds of the surrounding jungle clack in the drizzle. The peacock turns it's head as I pass. The tiger keeps pace with me across the walkway, tilting her massive head to look up at me from time to time. I tell her to wait at the gates to the village and she growls an unhappy acknowledgement.
He is out there. Close. I can hear his body hissing in the rain. I can smell the sulphur as it bites at my nostrils. I can see the glow of his flames refracted in the glistening green of the jungle leaves.
Man on fire, come at last.
Paddy Dobson
16th May 2022