‘It always is when Kingi's out. He's the one who has the radio so loud. And Dickie,’ Hinemoa added as her younger brother came tearing round the side of the house. ‘Hi, Wiki,’ said Dickie, skidding to a halt. ‘Ya can't see Kingi, ya can't see Kingi! Ol' man Thomas caught him smoking, ha ha.’ ‘Beat it,’ said Wiki. ‘Are you telling this boy to beat it?’ Dickie enquired, turning a cartwheel. ‘Boy, you'll feel this fist.’ ‘Yeah?’ Wiki grinned. ‘Beat it, twerp.’ ‘Ma baby loves the West-un-mo-ovies,’ sang Dickie, capering. Heta Thomas came plunging round the corner of the house. ‘Ho!’ said Dickie, and disappeared rapidly, with Heta in panting pursuit. ‘Those boys!’ said Hinemoa, ‘Just wait till they get to secondary school.’ Wiki wasn't listening to her; he was frowning into the sun, his big face screwed up. ‘Kingi is allowed out tonight?’ he asked cautiously. Hinemoa grinned. ‘What are you worrying for?’ Wiki and Kingi were in the dance band that played at all the country dances round about. ‘No-one can play the drums like Kingi,’ said Wiki, thinking of Kingi bent grinning over the snare drum, and the thudding scuff and scuttle of the brushes on the taut skin. ‘Say, he is allowed out, isn't he?’ ‘Yeah,’ said Hinemoa, shrugging. She peeked enquiringly at Wiki. ‘Do you smoke?’ she asked. ‘Nah,’ he said, pulling a face. ‘How do you think I have enough wind to play the sax and rugby?’ ‘Kingi can play rugby too,’ Hinemoa retorted, stung. ‘Not for long, boy,’ Wiki said, comfortable as ever. ‘Girl, I mean,’ he amended, squinting at her in a slightly puzzled fashion. ‘Me,’ he went on, ‘I'm going to play for Varsities next year.’ ‘You reckon?’ she said incredulously. ‘Well,’ he said, more cautiously. ‘Maybe not in the top team, at first. I've got to get some exercise, though,’ he went on, patting his midriff. ‘Got to keep the weight down.’ ‘Are you going to University?’ she asked, awed. ‘Yep,’ he said. ‘Ho,’ she muttered. She was silent, thinking that somehow it was wrong that a good Maori should go to the city and study Pakeha ways; but then people said that it was a very good thing, because a Maori like Wiki could grow up to become a great Maori leader. It was all too complicated, and she gave up thinking about it. ‘Ra Parera said that you were at the pictures last night,’ she said. ‘Yes,’ he said, crooking his fingers like talons. ‘“The Horror from Outer Space”.’ ‘Aue,’ she said. ‘The midnight session,’ he added smugly. ‘But weren't you scared?’ she asked. ‘Of course not. I always go.’ ‘But doesn't that cost a lot of money?’ ‘Not much. I don't spend my cash on smokes,’ he said, grinning. Hinemoa hesitated, unsure whether to be angry or laugh, but in the end she laughed. ‘I'd be awfully scared,’ she said. ‘Tiaho Parera and I went to see “Dracula” in the daytime. I was too scared to look.’ ‘I saw that too,’ he said enthusiatsically. ‘Do you remember when she went down into this undertaker's place, and Dracula was in his coffin waiting for her?’ ‘Aue,’ said Hinemoa, and then giggled. ‘Don't remind me.’ ‘It was pretty scary,’ Wiki admitted. ‘I just don't see how you can go home in the dark after seeing a film like that,’ Hinemoa said earnestly. ‘Are you by yourself?’ ‘Of course,’ he said, swaggering. Then he settled his back comfortably against the verandah post, warm in the sun. There was a twinkle in his eye. ‘I remember once, though,’ he said. ‘Yes?’ said Hinemoa, all attention. ‘Well, I sleep in the backyard, in a sort of cabin. There's a revolving clothesline outside; and it's very good, because I don't disturb anyone when I come in.’ Wiki paused. ‘Go on,’ said Hinemoa. ‘I remember once,’ he said, ‘I'd been to see this film. Horrid, it was, called “The Day the Robot Came”. This robot came up out of the sea and used to trample these cities. Then they chucked an atom bomb at it, and it swallowed it, and took off head-first for the sun.’ ‘What nonsense,’ said Hinemoa, giggling. ‘That's not very scary.’ ‘Ma baby loves the West-un movies,’ sang Dickie, scampering back round the corner. ‘Heta's dad caught Kingi smoking, ha ha.’ A well aimed pebble clipped him behind the ear, and with a roar of rage he tore back round the house. ‘It was a scary film, actually,’ Wiki said. ‘They always sound silly afterwards, but