He made to take the pipe from Mackenzie’s stiff fingers, but Ivy stopped him.

‘No. Make him smoke it all.’

‘Please,’ croaked Mackenzie. Why was she doing this?

‘All of it,’ said Ivy. ‘Do it.’

‘It’ll kill me.’ Already the edges of his vision were growing white. The Golden Sunshine was too strong – it wasn’t cut with anything – and he had only just come down from the last hit.

Tranquil pulled the pistol from his belt. He aimed it at Mack’s head. ‘Smoke it. All.’

Mackenzie tried to catch his eye, but he couldn’t. Why was Tranquil so eager to do what Ivy said? He put the glass to his mouth but he didn’t suck in another breath. He held the pipe to the side.

‘You think I won’t shoot you?’ said Tranquil.

‘I’d rather be dead,’ said Mackenzie. He closed his eyes, fighting off the feeling. Pushing it away. He’d never smoked ice only to then try to fight the high. It was like pushing against an immense wind. He thought of Shelby. He thought of Davey. He thought of Kane. He thought of Ahab. He even thought of the fake Forest.

He threw the ice pipe into the ocean.

‘I smoked your ice. You know it’s good. Now where the fuck is my brother?’

Tranquil observed him, then broke out in laughter. He dismissed the other men from the deck.

‘What did you tell him?’ Tranquil asked Ivy.

‘What he needed to hear,’ she replied.

What were they talking about? What did she mean by . . .

Through the glow of the ice inside him, he realised.

‘You’re Blackbeard.’

Ivy, observing him with her head cocked to the side, didn’t dignify him with a response.

‘Why?’ moaned Mackenzie.

‘Beat him black and blue,’ said Ivy. ‘Don’t let him leave the ship, but let him keep his little gold chain. I’m heading back to shore. Have someone else try the Golden Sunshine – let me know if it’s as good as they’re claiming it is.’

Mackenzie didn’t see the first punch, but he saw the rest.

He moaned, wordless, raising his arms for forgiveness, or mercy.

He received neither.

CHAPTER 52

AHAB

‘So where are we gonna look first?’ said Kane from the passenger seat of Ahab’s ute. The kid had rolled down the window, slicing his hand through the air as they drove down the hill, away from Homeward.