So much for bona fides. Since the mutiny we have been confined to the crew’s quarters, which absolutely stink because it has taken us two terrible days to carry all the bodies to the torpedo room and fire them into the sea. I also had to carry the bodies of Captain Nishigori, and his officers, who Heider personally executed with Nishigori’s own katana sword so as to maximise their humiliation.

You will know of Heider. He is the blond-haired blue-eyed Übermensch of Nazi propaganda and a true monster. Even though he is exempt from combat, Ilse said he got special permission to participate in mass executions in Poland. That would be his style. I loathe the way he looks at her.

* * *

Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta, Indonesia

It took Sura several moments to realise it was Jaap snoring and not the savage dogs of her father’s military police. Another nightmare. This time they had come for her during a news bulletin and dragged her away to the cells under Menteng. Since hatching the plan with Alatas, such dreams had plagued her. And seeing her father during the interminable planning meetings over the past six weeks had been fraught; every raised eyebrow and disapproving sniff set her on edge. She was a consummate liar, but he had always been able to see right through her.

Rolling over, she straddled Jaap, who opened his eyes in surprise.

‘This is our last morning under his roof.’ She ground herself against him. ‘Make it count.’

She was stepping out of the shower when the intercom bleeped. Angka’s heavyset face filled the screen.

‘He wants to see you now.’

A shiver passed through her.

‘This early in the day? I wonder why.’

Angka had no time for rhetorical questions and hung up.

‘I told you this was too dangerous.’ Jaap paced up and down as she hurriedly got dressed. ‘Let’s just go to the fucking airport. Get on a plane to South Africa. We’ve got more than enough money to start a new life there.’

‘Don’t be stupid. We’d be intercepted before we got out of the car park.’

‘Then we’ll go to the docks –’

‘Stop being an idiot!’ she exploded. ‘And keep packing.’

She wanted to say, in case I don’t come back, but the last thing she needed was meaningless heroics from Jaap. What he failed to understand was that her father was a vast malignancy, and no part of the Javan organism was immune to his influence.

When she knocked on her father’s open door, his gaze was so cold she went numb.

He pushed his leather chair backwards. Woodenly she came forward to kiss the backs of his hands, but he pulled them away. Kneeling, she placed her head in his lap in the ritualised gesture of filial apology. He pulled her upright.

‘Once again I find out that you have not been honest with me.’