Connor smiled. But he was wary. Kane connected to a humiliating episode, and the boy could have done without being here to relive it. The girl didn’t take her eyes off Kane. She had a wistful expression, something slightly haunted that came from neither parent. From the island, perhaps. From a childhood staring at volcanic fallout.

“I’m Carina,” she said.

“Pleased to meet you, Carina.”

The parents smiled. The mother took her daughter’s hand and led her down to the sea’s edge. The boy eased himself back into the car.

“How did you know I was here?” Kane asked the father.

“Someone told us you’d come this way.”

“Really?”

“Linda. She helped you with your accommodation. You came in on yesterday’s flight?” Thomas said.

“Yes. Not quite the introduction to the island I was expecting. Who were they?”

“Thugs.”

“Any idea what it was about?”

“All sorts of ideas. None of which you need to worry yourself about. They’ll get their comeuppance. One way or another.”

“I hope so. Think I should worry about myself?”

“That’s what I’ve been wondering. I hope not.”

The man’s underlying fury showed in his jaw and hands. His American accent was underlaid with something German or Scandi, which fit the pale blue eyes and maybe the sense of a gentleness at odds with his current rage.

“You’ll have us on your side, whatever happens. I mean it. What brings you to Ascension?”

“I study British colonial history. Thought I should see it up close.”

“It’s quite a trip to make.”

“That’s part of the point. I’m writing about the people who ended up here back in the day, what took them on such a journey, what it did to them. All that kind of thing.”

“Interesting.”

“I hope so.”

“You saw these?” The father gestured to the graves. “Yellow fever. This was quarantine. Ships came in loaded with sick men, and the men had to stay here, dig their graves, and sleep in them. If they didn’t wake up, they were ready for burial. The British Marines on the island would come and drop food off for them, but about a mile away.” He waved in the direction of Georgetown. “They’d fire a gun, beat a hasty retreat.”

“What a place to die.”

“Isn’t it just? Like dying on an alien planet. And these aren’t half of them. There’s several hundred unmarked graves around the place. A lot of the ships were anti-slavery patrols, coming from West Africa. It was a good cause, and it always pains me thinking this was the last place they saw.”

He looked again at the graves, then shielded his eyes against the rising sun to better study Kane.

“You’re living up on the base?” Kane said.

“That’s right. Anne’s in the military. I’m the plus-one. I do conservation work on the island.”