“Of course.” Tully smiled. “We need each other, so let’s get this tub turned around.”
SHELTERED BY THE TRUCK, KEOGH AND RYAN slid the inflatable over th8 stem rail and tethered it by its line. Keogh went over first and got to work on the outboard motor. It roared into life instantly with a strong heai, tbeat.
“Over you go, girl,” Ryan told Kathleen.
Keogh helped her in and the inflatable tossed this way and that in the choppy sea, the stem of the Irish Rose rising up and falling again just above them.
“Come on, Michael, for God’s sake,” KeOgh called.
“Not before I leave Tully his going-away pres ent.” Ryan held it up. “A half pound block of Scm-rex and a one-minute timing pencil.” He pulled open the stem deck hatch, dropped the Semtex inside, and closed the hatch again. He was over the rail on the instant, untied the line, and Keogh gunned the motor.
They were perhaps fifty yards away when the stem of the Irish Rose exploded into the darkness in a vivid tongue of flame. The end was ‘incredibly quick, the ship tilting, the prow rising dramatically, and it slid backwards under the surface, vanishing in seconds in a hiss of sam.
“And you can chew on that, you bastard!” Michael Ryan said and put an arm around his niece.
“All right, Martin, take us to some sort of shore.” IT WAS FOLSR O’CLOCK IN THE MOR. NING, THE SKY lightening just a lle, when they coasted into a wide beach, the land rising on the other side cloaked With trees. Keogh killed the outboard moor, jumped over with the line, and waded outf the water. Ryan helped Kathleen over the side and followed her.
“What do we do with the infiatableT” Keogh Ryan was inspecting it.in the light of a small torch.
· ‘No name on it as far as I can see. $hoo a couple of holes in it, Martin.”
Keogh waded in again and pushec the inflatable out to sea again. It drifted for a while, then an eddy took it out some distance. He took careful aim with his silenced Walther and fired twice. After a while the inflatable went down. tt9 “And where do you think we’d he, Uncle Michael?” Kathleen asked.
“God knows, girl,.but it hardly matters. We’re home.” He turned to Keogh. “What now, Martin?” “I think it best we part company,” Keogh told him. “‘You go your way, Michael Ryan, and I’ll go mine.” “Martin?” Kathieen sounded distressed. “Can’t we stay together?” “I don’t think so, Kate. Your uncle will have his plans and the Army Council and Reid to consider.
One trip back home to dear old Ireland has been exciting enough for me. I’ll say goodbye, Michael.” He shook Ryan’s hand.
The irl grasped his arm, reached up, and kissed his cheek. “God bless you, Martin, and thanks for all you’ve done.” “I didn’t have the chance to pay you,” Ryan said.
?’l’m sorry.” “Not to worry.” KeOgh smiled. “It was a great ploy.” ‘ He started to walk away and Ryan called, “Who are you, Martin, who are yon really?” “God saveus, there are days in the week when I don’t know that myself,” and Keogh turned into the trees.
HE DISAPPEARED AND RYAN SAID, “OFF WE GO, girl. We’ll find a road, ‘follow it, and see where we are.”- He led the way up through the trees, a ghostly pas
sage’as dawn came so that it was comparatively easy to see the way. They came to a narrow country road in a few minutes. There was a turning opposite and a signpost.
“You stay here in shelter and I’lt see where we
He walked through the rain to the signpost, examined it, nd came back, standing beside her in the shelter’of the trees to light a cigarette.
“Drumdonald three miles to the left. Scotstown five miles the other way. We might as well go for the shorter walk.” They stayed there for a moment and she said, “All for nothing.-We don’t even know where the Irish Rose went down.” “Don’t we?” He laughed and took another black instrument from his pocket that looked rather like the Howler· “Another gadget that young electronic genius at Queen’s University found for me. It’s called a Master Navigator. I gave hiMarsh End and Kil-alia and he programmed in their positions. This thing has given a constant reading of course and position all the way across. I know exactly where the Irish Rose went down.” “My God,” she said, “and you never told me.” “There are things I keep close to myself.” “So what do we do now? Reid will be looking for us and that swine Scully.” “And the Army Council,” Ryan said. “No, time to take a trip, I think. They say America’s grand at this time of the year. We’ll get to the safe house at