‘I mean he can’t write. Tell me, have you ever seen anything, anything at all that was written by Marcus? I’m willing to bet you haven’t. I’m willing to bet no one ever has, not even Father. Because he can’t!’

Colby looked straight at him, the first glimmerings of doubt creeping through the conviction in his voice for the first time. ‘But how do you know?’

Albert looked him squarely in the eye. ‘Do you remember when we stopped in that place to rest, when you sent that water over for us?’

‘Yes. What’s that got to do with anything?’

‘Well, when we first got there, I walked around for a bit and I happened to see Marcus drawing this weird squiggly thing on the ground while we were taking it easy. I thought it might be a map of the tunnels or something, but when I went over to see, he gave me a really scary look, like the fact I was there really bothered him, and he wiped it out and walked off. I always thought that was a bit odd of him. I looked down again, after he stalked off, at the map he had been drawing. Except that it wasn’t a map of the tunnels, and he hadn’t been drawing. He was trying to write his name, but he couldn’t!’

He looked straight at Colby, fixing him with his eye. ‘Don’t you see? That’s why he was so unhappy that I saw what he was scratching into the ground, and that’s why his reaction was so strange. He wasn’t angry, he was embarrassed—ashamed that someone would know he had failed to write his own name. If I had to put a guess to it, I’d say he probably can’t read either. And I’m sure he keeps the fact he’s illiterate pretty close to his chest, too. Imagine that, being the guy everyone’s scared of, the man who chases crowds away by saying boo, and still being unable to do what any four-year-old can! No way he’d ever let anyone find out about it, or even admit to it.’

He stopped, taking a deep breath.

Colby spoke, and his voice was troubled. ‘Albert, are you sure about this? Because if you’re right …’

‘I am right about this, Colby. I know I’m right, and that’s how I know this is all a set-up and Marcus is innocent, and that’s why I need to speak to Father before they put him on trial or sentence him, or anything of the sort.’

Colby looked at him, the shock still ringing in his eyes, his face grave. ‘You don’t understand, Albert. They already tried him this morning.’

‘What?’

‘He’s been found guilty of all accusations. They’re meeting now to decide on his punishment.’