"He ran round and round like a dog," said Mma Potsane, laughing. "He looked under stones and sniffed the air and muttered away in that peculiar language of theirs-you know how it is, all those sounds like trees in the wind and twigs breaking. But he found no sign of any wild animals which may have taken that boy."

Mma Ramotswe passed her a handkerchief to dab her eyes. "So what do you think happened to him, Mma? How can somebody just vanish like that?"

Mma Potsane sniffed and then blew her nose on Mma Ramotswe's handkerchief.

"I think that he was sucked up," she said. "There are sometimes whirlwinds here in the very hot season. They come in from the Kalahari and they suck things up. I think that maybe that boy got sucked up in a whirlwind and put down somewhere far, far away. Maybe over by Ghanzi way or in the middle of the Kalahari or somewhere. No wonder they didn't find him."

Mma Tsbago looked sideways at Mma Ramotswe, trying to catch her eye, but Mma Ramotswe looked straight ahead at Mma Potsane.

"That is always possible, Mma," she said. "That is an interesting idea." She paused. "Could you take me out there and show me round? I have a van here."

Mma Potsane thought for a moment. "I do not like to go out there," she said. "It is a sad place for me."

"I have twenty pula for your expenses," said Mma Ramotswe, reaching into her pocket. "I had hoped that you would be able to accept this from me."

"Of course," said Mma Potsane hurriedly. "We can go there. I do not like to go there at night, but in the day it is different."

"Now?" said Mma Ramotswe. "Could you come now?"

"I am not busy," said Mma Potsane. "There is nothing happening here."