Shelby said, 'Commander, you have requested our co-operation in securing a great deal of money, an enormous sum of money in fact.'
'A free Ireland doesn't come cheap,' said Kell.
'You really believe that that is what it could mean?' asked Shelby.
Kell, adopting the rhetoric of the patriot, started selling the plan to the Americans. The longer he spoke the more he could see that he was convincing Shelby and Bogroless of the feasibility of the operation but he was worried about Roker. Roker had sat throughout with a complete lack of expression save for a cold, hard gaze that had never left Kell for a moment.
'Frankly, Commander, the sum of money involved is too large. Don't you have some other way of financing it?' asked Shelby.
'Twelve of our gallant lads went down in just such an attempt last Friday,' said Kell. 'Including a dear personal friend.'
'We heard,' Shelby sympathised. 'A tragedy, a tragedy.'
Bogroless nodded in agreement. Roker continued to watch Kell, apparently unmoved by what he had heard.
'I understood that it was INLA men who attempted the raids,' said Roker, speaking for the first time.
'Indeed it was,' said Kell. This operation is so important that we had decided to put aside our differences and work together. It's that big.'
Shelby said with an air of unease, 'Actually, Commander… it is just possible that we could raise such a sum but it would involve an all or nothing effort including a great deal of borrowing. Not to put too fine a point on it, it would bleed NORAID dry. If the operation failed there would never be any more…'
This will be the last operation for all of us,' said Kell.
That's what you have to convince us of,' said Shelby. 'Do you really believe that the British would pull out of Ireland in exchange for the boy?'
'Yes, I do.'
Roker interrupted. He had a cold featureless voice that matched his appearance. He said, 'Mr Kell, there is a school of thought that says that the British wouldn't stand for this and there would be a bloody civil war in Ireland instead of the triumph you suggest. What do you say to that?'
'I think that they are right,’ said Kell to everyone's obvious surprise. Even Roker permitted himself a raise of the eyebrows. Are you telling us that you would plunge Ireland into civil war deliberately?' he asked.
Kell shook his head slowly and smiled indulgently as if teaching a class of infants. 'No,' he said. 'A lot of people are missing the point. The British have covered the whole thing up. That works in our favour, don't you see? If the British agree to our terms then the boy could be returned to them without the press and the public ever knowing. They could save face as well as get their brat back and we all know how much that means to the British.'
The Americans saw the sense in what Kell was saying. Shelby said, 'You mean the world at large would never know that they had given in to blackmail?'
'Exactly,’ said Kell, as if a pupil had finally managed to get something right.
'What are the arrangements for the ransom?' asked Roker.
Kell told him.
'If we were to agree we would have to be involved at all stages and we would keep control of the money until we were completely satisfied,’ said Roker. 'We could work together,’ said Kell. 'Excuse us a moment, Commander,’ said Shelby. The three Americans moved to the adjoining room of the suite and talked in whispers while Kell, Nelligan and Innes waited.
'What was that about losing a dear friend in the INLA, Mr Kell?' whispered Nelligan quietly. 'Shut up,’ hissed Kell.
The Americans returned. Shelby stood in the middle of the floor flanked by Bogroless and Roker. 'We agree,’ said Shelby. 'We'll finance it.'
‘Then this calls for a celebration,’ said Kell. 'Nelligan! The glasses.'
It was decided that Roker would handle negotiations on behalf of NORAID and Innes would be sent to the States to represent the interests of the IRA. Kell suggested that Innes return with the Americans to their own hotel so that he and Roker could finalise details about the exchange.
‘To a free Ireland,’ proposed Shelby with the final toast of the evening. Kell smiled and raised his glass.
When the Americans had left, Nelligan asked if Kell wanted any more whisky. Kell shook his head and said, 'We've got work to do. I want to speak to Harrigan in England and then I want to see Reagan. But first, phone the Long House… find out if the woman has called.'
Avedissian found that he could not sleep. He tossed and turned for a while before getting up to look out at the garden. It was bathed in moonlight and pale shadow, like a scene from another planet where no man had ever trod. The flowers had lost their colour and the trees their true form to become abstracts in a dream. There was no sound.. save for a slight scraping sound, that came from be-hind him! He turned round and saw the handle of the door turn slowly.
Avedissian tip-toed quickly across the room to press himself to the wall beside the door and wait for it to open. His pulse rate was rising rapidly. As a shadowy figure entered the room Avedissian reached out his arm and circled it round the figure's neck in a head lock. What he touched was silky and soft and smelled sweetly of a perfume he recognised. 'Kathleen!' he exclaimed. He relaxed his grip and felt on the wall for the switch.
'No, don't put on the light.'
'I'm sorry, I didn't realise…'
'It was my fault. It was a silly thing to do.'
'Are you all right? Did I hurt you?' whispered Avedissian, still holding her shoulders.
'I'm fine. I just feel stupid that's all.'
'But why? Why did you…?'
Kathleen looked up at Avedissian so that he could see her face in the moonlight coming from the window. 'It's silly. I couldn't sleep. I thought we might talk, then I realised that you would probably be sleeping so I thought I would look in on you quietly to see.'
Avedissian smiled in the darkness and told her that he hadn't been able to sleep either. He had been looking out of the window.
'May I join you?'
'Of course.'
'It's peaceful,' murmured Kathleen.
'Just what I was thinking,’ agreed Avedissian. 'But when there is nothing to distract you all your past mistakes return to haunt you.
‘The accusation of silence,’ said Kathleen.
'But now we each have a confessor,’ said Avedissian.
Kathleen smiled and pointed to a cat that was stealing across the lawn in pursuit of some unseen prey. They paused in their conversation to watch it then, when it had disappeared into the bushes, Kathleen said, 'Me first?'
'If you like.’
'I wouldn't know where to begin, 'Father', for I am guilty of so many things. I feel sometimes as if I have lived my entire life as a victim of circumstance. A willing victim for I did nothing to change it.’
'Does that make you guilty of anything?' asked Avedissian.
'I think so. I think if you see harm being done and do nothing to prevent it it's almost as bad as doing it yourself, perhaps even worse because then you can pretend that you're entirely innocent.’
'Are you talking about your brother?' asked Avedissian.
'I suppose so. Don't get me wrong, I'm for a free Ireland as much as he ever was. I want to see an end to all the injustices of the North and I want to see the British out. It's just that I lack conviction when it comes to the crunch.’
'I don't understand.’
'When Martin came to me, as he always did when he needed someone, I was always there, but not because,
