‘Although,’ said Joe, ‘it’s unfortunate, Father getting all stubborn-like on you and the Cap’n. That sour creature was the one guy who might have been able to help. Really unfortunate.’

‘Yes,’ said Albert thoughtfully. ‘It is, isn’t it?’

‘But who killed Castor?’ asked Kieran.

‘I don’t know,’ said Albert. ‘And at the moment I’d rather think about rescuing Theo, and that means doing something about Marcus.’

‘We can’t do anything about Marcus,’ said Colby. ‘He’s in the Pit and that means that’s the end of him.’

‘So you’ve given up?’

‘Yes, I’ve given up, if that’s what you want to call it! Didn’t you hear me? He’s in the Pit! And that’s where he’ll stay until he dies!’

‘Well, you never know. He doesn’t strike me as a guy who’ll go easily.’

Colby gave a short, mirthless laugh. ‘Escape? You don’t know what you’re talking about, man! Nobody escapes the Pit.’

‘Well then, they’ve got to take him out to execute him, right? You really think he’ll go quietly?’

Colby looked at him. ‘You really don’t get it,’ he said. ‘You don’t put someone in the Pit to wait for a death sentence. The Pit is the death sentence.’

Albert stared at him. ‘What is this Pit?’

‘Just that. It’s an open pit, about thirty feet deep, with little holes down the sides.’

‘That doesn’t sound like much of a death sentence. Especially if it’s open. What are the holes for?’

‘To let in the water.’

Albert looked at him. ‘Water?’

‘Yes. That’s why being put in the Pit is the worst, most torturous death sentence there’s ever been. It consumes you, every second. All you do is tread water, and you do it for your life—what’s left of your life anyway. You’ll put all your strength, every ounce of your energy, into it and it still won’t be enough, it’ll never be enough, because the water doesn’t get tired. You don’t sleep. You don’t relax. Not for a second. You just keep at it, getting more and more exhausted, forcing yourself to do it, until you can’t any more. And then you drown and the Pit wins again.’

Albert felt his stomach clench with horror. ‘But that’s—that’s—horrible!’

Colby nodded. ‘Yes. Just try and forget about it. He’s gone and there’s nothing we can do.’

‘You don’t think that there’s some way he might beat the odds?’

Colby shook his head. ‘I’ve seen all kinds of people go in there. Most don’t last two nights, and nobody, nobody has ever lasted three. Once you go in there, there are no odds, only the Pit.’

Albert stared at him. ‘Well, it’s just not right.’