10 INDEPENDENCE DAYCraig woke up covered in sweat with the sun beating down on him. He was wondering whether to move, so that the sun could no longer get at him, or whether to just get up and survey his new domain, when he heard Lek scream. It was not a summon for help, just a scream, but he decided to investigate anyway. Lek was in the smaller bedroom and in the far corner lay a Lion Snake, head up looking at them. The locals feared Lion Snakes, because they are very fast, some are thought to be deadly and there are millions of them around Baan Suay. This one was about a metre long and starting to shed its skin. It is an uncomfortable time for a snake and makes them short-tempered, which is bad news for the already short-tempered Ngu Singh. It was the first time Craig had seen one, al