‘No. It’s because of what Roy said, I guess, about making the world clean again, about getting rid of the old world, the grown-ups. Making it right and making it so that we can build something new, something better. And because … Well, as I said, because I’m mad, I suppose. Mad at the world for what it did to me. And just plain mad. The mad killer. But it doesn’t make me any happier. It can’t change what I am.’

‘You’re a good person,’ said Ella. ‘I know you are.’

‘Am I? I try not to think about it. It’s just one day to the next, get by, stay alive. I scraped through the winter after Roy died. Trying to remember everything he’d taught me. Nearly starved to death, nearly froze to death, nearly killed by dogs, nearly poisoned by eating the wrong plants, nearly wiped out by the fever that kept coming back. And then I noticed that the days were getting longer. It was getting warmer. Life was coming back to the world. And I should’ve been happy, glad to be alive, but the water was always calling to me … “Jump in the river and drown, Malik. Goodnight, Irene. Over and out.”’

‘Who’s Irene?’ Ella asked, confused.

‘Oh, it’s this song,’ said Malik. ‘The lads used to sing it when they were drunk. Waggers on his out-of-tune guitar. Tomasz sitting on this wooden crate and banging it like a drum. Goodnight, Irene. They were always singing it. I know it off by heart now. I always wanted to join in, but I couldn’t.’

‘Sing me a bit,’ said Ella. ‘I like songs.’

‘Really? Seriously?’

‘Yes. Really …’

So Malik began to sing, his voice weak and broken, but getting stronger the more he sang. It was a simple tune and Ella was able to join in on the choruses quite quickly.

Irene, goodn-i-ight, Irene, goodnight,

Goodnight, Irene, goodnight, Irene,

I’ll see you in my dreams.

Last Saturday night I got married,

Me and my wife settled down,

Now me and my wife we’re parted,

I’m gonna take another stroll downtown.

Irene, goodn-i-ight, Irene, goodnight,

Goodnight, Irene, goodnight, Irene,

I’ll see you in my dreams.

I love Irene, God knows I do,

I’ll love her till the seas run dry,

But if Irene turns her back on me,

I’m gonna take morphine and die.

Irene, goodni-i-ght, Irene, goodnight,

Goodnight, Irene, goodnight, Irene,

I’ll see you in my dreams.

Sometimes I live in the country,

Sometimes I live in town,

Sometimes I have a great notion

To jump in the river and drown …

Malik stopped. Let Ella sing the last chorus. And then there was silence. Until Malik’s voice came quiet in the darkness.