Had he not done so, the Albany might well have been torn open when she hit the submerged mudflat five seconds later – a sickening blow which shook every weld and rivet in her body. In the eruption of water and mud, momentum carried her, bucking and slithering, until finally she buried her bow in a raised bank that was almost as tall as she was.

Daniel surfaced with desperation in his heart. Diving deep had saved his life, but what of his son? There was no sign of Nathan, or the canoe.

In the chopped-up water, Daniel cried out in panic, ‘Where are you, boy?’

He swam blindly underwater with arms outstretched, hoping to blunder into him. He dived and dived again, and just when he had given up hope, there was Nathan! His boy was just a few canoe lengths away, one arm weakly raised. Blood was streaming from his head, and he looked as if he could go under again at any moment.

‘Dad!’

‘I’m coming!’ Daniel screamed.

Suddenly, the water churned white, and a large fish broke the surface in a flurry of thrashing fins. Daniel’s heart seemed to pump in slow motion.

Pacu.

Nathan began screaming. He disappeared for a moment, and when he came up again, two of the huge fish were attached to his face. They wriggled demoniacally and there was the terrible sound of flesh tearing as the pacu fell back into the water.

Daniel powered through the water like his ancestors, but, when he got there, Nathan was nowhere to be found.

After an hour of fruitless searching, an exhausted Daniel begged the gods to take him, too, but the crocodiles would not oblige with one of their own. Slowly, he drifted to shore and dragged himself up the grassy bank.

It was then he saw the stranded grey ship on the other side of the river. Rage spread through him like an infection, and he set off in a mad feverish sprint through the tall kunai grass. Oblivious to the cuts opening up all over his flesh, he sang to the spirits to welcome his son home.

Here, on this earth, it was time to gather his wantoks and exact revenge.