midnight
And he was right . But the fever took a different course with him from that which it had taken with the others : he was never delirious at all , but lay in a death-like stupor from which it seemed that he might not awake . Once -- some days after the beginning of his illness -- he came to himself for a few minutes with unexpected suddenness . It was midnight , and there was no light in the hut beyond that which came from the brilliant radiance of the moon as it shone in at the open door . Percival opened his eyes and made a sound , to which Brian answered immediately by giving him something to drink . `` You 've broken your promise , '' said Percival , in a whisper , keeping his eyes fixed suspiciously on Brian 's face . `` No .