He paused. Thomas, retreating into himself out of fear, was acutely aware of only two sounds - the Colonel's breathing and his own heartbeat; one slow and measured, the other racing frantically. The only two noises the frightened Boer could make out in that cramped and terrifyinging little room. Van Moordenaar, after what seemed like an age, bent down so that his mouth was next to Thomas' ear, and when his voice came it was a slow, sibilant whisper.
"Have you heard of Darwin? Another triumph of Empire. This is about evolution, Mr Van Anders, evolution. Look outside that window. Look at the bodies, the camps and the burning farms. You've had your time. The future is our world, Mr Van Anders, the future is our time."