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around each other, so we wouldn’t fall into the approaching water. Then, in my dream, we were no longer children. Rosie was the young woman I had last seen a year ago. We began to caress each other, her skin hot from the sun. She turned her face to mine and we kissed passionately. As the walls we had built dissolved, the sea surroundedour crumbling mound and we fell backwards into the cold water. But even this did not cool her ardour. Rosie kissed me again and I felt so happy I could burst.
    There was a brisk commotion outside our door and I woke with a start. Our guards had brought us burgoo and scotch coffee. ‘Can’t hang a man without a proper breakfast,’ said one.
    We washed, dressed and waited. We both decided we would not drink the rum. ‘I feel sick enough already,’ I said. I should have felt more frightened, but our circumstances seemed unreal – almost as if I were still dreaming.
    The marine guard arrived. A sergeant bound our hands behind our backs and they took us shuffling out on to the upper deck, irons and chains still round our ankles. Now, in the chilly morning air, everything felt far too real. A yellow flag flew from the mast head, in recognition of the execution to come. I quailed when I saw the two ropes with nooses fashioned at their base. They were run through blocks attached to the foremast yardarm and suspended right above the cathead at the bow of the ship. At the other end of the ropes stood a team of ten men apiece. It would be their job to pull on the rope and hang us. I recognised none of them. They must have been brought on board from another ship.
    Over the rails I could see the
Elephant
was surroundedby boats from other ships of the fleet, gathered to bear witness to our fate. The whole of our ship was turned out on deck. ‘Who’d have thought we were that important?’ said Richard. I took my cue from him. They’d accused us of cowardice. We would show them how wrong they were by dying bravely.
    Captain Foley read the Articles of War to the crew, which seemed to take forever. I started to shiver in the dawn, and worried that my shipmates might think I was trembling with fear. I caught the eye of Oliver Pritchard and he smiled a cold-eyed smile. My resolve to be brave began to crumble. The bastard had won. He had framed us and got away with it. A terrible anger rose within me, then a great sadness. I tried to stifle a sob. Richard turned to me. ‘Chin up, friend.’ He said it so kindly I was consoled.
    As Foley droned on, I gazed around. Tom and James were there among the crew. I caught their eyes and gave them a sad smile. It was turning into a beautiful spring morning, much like the one when I had first gone to sea a year before. As we stood there on the deck a strong wind blew in from the west. It was not a cold wind, and I felt invigorated by its presence. I thought of the words from the Bible:
    To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
    A time to be born, and a time to die
…
    Then I noticed Foley had finished reading and was telling the crew why we were to be hanged. We were brought forward to the cathead, and a noose was placed around our necks. The Reverend Eaves was standing close by, looking quite blank. The rope felt coarse and heavy on my skin. My legs began to tremble. ‘Stand straight, stand straight,’ I told myself. ‘Don’t let them see you’re afraid.’
    My eye was drawn to a small gull gliding overhead, its wings bright in the sunlight. It was the last thing I saw before a canvas hood was placed roughly over my head. I reached over to Richard and found his hand. We both held on to each other tight and waited for the Bosun’s whistle to pipe ‘Hoist away’, and the sickening jolt that would hurl us into the air.

Chapter 6
The Unspeakable Hulk

    I waited and waited, blood pounded in my ears, legs shaking. I feared I would not be able to stand up