That capsule from the pigeon

[thekumquat]

At the end of Thuggery, Patrick realises he has the capsule of drugs, presumably pretty pure cocaine, from the pigeon they found, and hands it to Peter, in exchange for his rosary being returned to him.
"Souvenir? Fair exchange is no robbery..."

What do people think would happen to it eventually?

My feeling is Peter would persuade Patrick to sell it to someone in London, as Patrick lives there most of the time and may well go to school there later, mostly because I can't conceive of any scenario where a certain P. Marlow plus an ounce of Class A substance doesn't go horribly wrong, but open to all suggestions.

Google suggests that wholesale cocaine in the early 80s was being sold for around £200 a gram, so I suspect they would be tempted to try to sell the stuff. Or would they chuck it in the river, never to be seen again until a swan started choking on it?

Comments

[jackmerlin]

The Marlows are of course famous for thinking that rules that apply to other people don't apply to them; but I hope Peter and Patrick would see the hypocrisy involved in trying to sell the drugs themselves - having risked their own lives, and Lawrie's 'honour', in trying to stop Jukie and co selling them.
Using them, on the other hand, would be different. The capsule has fallen into their hands as it were; if they hand it in to the police it will only be destroyed. So I can see Patrick and Peter daring each other to try the cocaine - as an experience that they persuade themselves they really ought to try at least once. I can also see them rather pompously refusing to let Lawrie have a go though if she tried to join in - just think of the chaos Lawrie on cocaine could cause!