‘Yeah. Alright,’ he said. He trod up the stairs, the two men following. As he passed by Sidney, Judah reached out a hand and tousled his hair. Sidney stepped back, which made Judah laugh. ‘Easy there, mate. Just being friendly.’

He shook his head and beneath his breath, muttered, ‘Brendan.’ He looked up at the blueness of the day. He took a breath and walked inside.

TWENTY-FIVE

VERNON MOORE

William Kelly’s study light was on. It was early morning still, the sun just risen. Vernon sat in the car and debated getting out. His naked torso was shivering and hot at the same time. He worried that some of the flesh on his back had melted into the fabric of the seat and would stick there if he moved. And he’d leave the car and see his skin, a red cloud embedded in the fabric.

He leaned forwards and his skin pulled a bit but did not stick. He got out and the cool breeze struck his torso and he hurried over to the window, holding his arms around himself. Trying not to wake Kelly’s wife, Francine. The swing Kelly had built his kids an age ago still hung from the tree out front and swayed as if in sympathy as Vernon passed it.

He came to the window and, dancing from foot to foot to ward off the cold, knocked on the glass. A shuffling sound from inside. Soon the curtains were drawn back and Bill Kelly’s confused face appeared. He opened the window.

‘Vernon, what are you doing here at this hour? Where’s your shirt?’

‘I just needed to stop by and tell you, mate,’ Vernon said, still dancing, ‘that that Cahill lot’ll be coming for me now.’

‘Get inside, come on. Go round the front.’

‘You keep your head down, alright? They know we’re friends.’

William Kelly had his hands in front of him gripped as though he were praying. He nodded and looked down at his half-naked friend. ‘You alright?’

‘I’m alright.’

‘Where’re you off to?’

‘We’ll head out to Snake Island for a bit, wait for things to cool down. So if they come for you, just tell ’em we went to visit relatives someplace, you’re not sure where. That’ll sound plausible enough, I reckon.’

Kelly scratched the top of his head. ‘Sure, alright,’ he said. ‘You know, you could come inside and we could talk it all through and I’ll help you out?’

‘Yeah, I do know.’

‘So you want to do that? Just come in and let it cool over a bit?’

‘No, mate. These mongrels won’t stop just ’cause you’re a preacher. They won’t stop ever. You know Brendan went back after Caleb? Nearly bowled Pen over doing it.’

Kelly looked shocked, could only shake his head. ‘How long you planning to be gone?’

‘Might stay out there a week.’

‘You got food?’

‘I got food. I got the fishing rod too.’