.MARY POWER SERVED THE EVENING MEAL AT seven o’clock, roast lamb, potatoes, carrots, cabbage.
What fascinated Keogh was the vast amount of food Benny managed to put away.
“Jesus, but you’d think it was going to be his last meal on top of earth,” Keogh said.
“Well if he does the work of three men, he’s entitled to eat three men’s food,” Kathleen put in.
“But not to forget his manners,” Mary Power said and she reached over and hit Benny over the knuckles with a wooden spoon? “Now be a good boy and go and do the milking.” He pulled on his cap, bread and cheese in one hand. “Yes, Aunty,” he mumbled and went out.
“Away into the parlour with you and I’tt serve tea in there,” she told them.
Kathleen Ryan started to clear the plates and Keogh said firmly, “My mm. Off you go with your uncle, there’s a good girl.” -“Good girl yourself,” she said, but went anyway, following Ryan out.
“No Irishman I ever knew would volunteer to do the work of a woman, so I take it you wanted to speak to me,” Mary Power said.
“Something like that.” Keogh stacked the plates for her. “Are you happy with everything so far?”
“Happy?” She filled the sink with hot water and slid the plates in. “I’ve forgotten what that word means. My husband and I came here full of hope, but this is only a place to die in. Subsistence farming of the worst kind. The land is a creel master here.” “I can see that?
“So when Michael came to me with word of this ploy he wanted to organize, it was like a line thrown to a drowning man. If it comes off, Benny and I can go back to Ulster.” “And if it doesn’t?” “We’ll be trapped here forever. Michael made it clear there would be no police trouble whatever happens.
Nothing to connect us with you lot.” “And with luk that’s the way it should stay.” “Let’s hope so. Politics mean nothing to me, but Michael is a good man and I trust him.” Keogh left her there and mt into the parlour. The girl sat in the windowseat with her copy of The Midnight Court. Ryan was filling his pipq, by the fire and lit it with a taper.
“A good woman, that,” Keogh said. “She’s had a bad time.” “The worst,” Ryan told him. “But better times coming, God willing. We’d better check the weaponry in the barn after we’ve had our tea.” “That suits me fine,” Keogh said.
“And me,” Kathleen put in. “I’d like to try out that Colt pistol Mr. Bell gave me.” “Well, we’ll see,” Ryan told her and at that mo80 ment Mary Power brought in a tray with the tea things. LATER, IN THE DIMLY LIT BARN, KEOGH AND Ryan laid out the weaponry from Ryan’s big case.
There were the two AK assault rifles, spare clips, the stun and smoke grenades, and the Semtex with its timing pencils. There was even a spare Walther in a leather ankle holster.
Keogh checked it out. “Where did that come from?”
“Oh, I thought it might come in useful. I always liked the idea of an ace in the hole,” Ryan said.
Keogh examined each AK separately, running his hands over the various parts expertly. He loaded one and passed it to Ryan. “That latest silencer they have is pretty damn good. Try it.”
He took a wooden plank to ‘the other end of the barn, propped it against the bales of hay, and came back. Kathleen and Benny stood watching. ‘
Ryan raised the AK and fired three single shots.
There was the familiar crack the weapon always made ila the silenced mode and three bullet holes appeared in the plank.
Keogh loaded the second AK and passed it across.
“And that one.”
Ryan pressed the trigger again and achieved the same result. He lowered the weapon and placed it on the trestle table. “That’s all right, then.”
Kathleen came forward holding the Colt.25 automatic.
“Now me.”
Keogh said, “It’s all yours.”
She raised the Colt in both hands, took careful aim,
and fired, kicking up straw to one side of the plank.