At that moment came a noise like somebody breaking the backbone of a whale and the palm leaf punka crashed straight into the table, one end of it completely obliterating the District Commissioner.

"Oh my God!" screamed Mary, upsetting her gin and tonic.

"I'm terribly, terribly sorry, sir," said Martin to the invisible D.C.

The palm fronds rustled and the D.C.'s head appeared. He opened his mouth to say something -- and then caught sight of a very hairy spider the circumference of a saucer making its way along the punka towards him...