The craters

The craters. Feb 7 Montana, the middle of nowhere 1970 A man flagged their car down ``Scully wound down the window. The cold biting her. She could see her breath You can stop here. It is me you want to talk too We are looking for James I.. That's me. You will have a picture Her partner opened the manila envelope on the dashboard. It fits. It's him You did not have a beard then..? Can you even shave ? Okay, Scully decided to be diplomatic, she was hungry  Sir we could do this in your house or at a  cafe or saloon you know If you want a drink, the town is up the road We will do this here. But we can't use the recorder sir You want to know or not? Alright. Open the door A strong man of about 30 got into the back. Dark hair, dark-eyed. Suntanned in a shirt and jeans. He smelled of cow shit and sweat His voice deep. He looked at them both, then dismissed them. So sir what can you tell us about Operation Ossian Osin. The voice insisted on the contraction. Right 1963 Lt.. Box I know him better than ye Why do you call him Box He looks like a Box. People say what they see He stared straight at the man in the drivers seat. Cocked his head. Is that not right now ugly Scully bit her lip The Operation Well, I did not pay much regard to it. Box used to say it was like the radio the Jews were to blame He said some Yank from a university was talking to Devalera. He drew out the middle vowel. I had seen him that day  he was such in rage You were in Montreal I was You were not in the Army? Not Yours They said I was too short. Almost got in trouble as I shoved the Sgt on the way out I got a visit from the peelers and then Uncle James invited me to Canada I did training there  Real ignorant folk the corporals were Sligo I stuck it out I wanted my stamp from the OSS. So I could be done with it that's why I got caught up in The Operation I was waiting for my papers I standing about like a spent prick on the ground floor The first floor Isn' t a university a wonderful thing I could hear shouting, doors slamming. Everyone was nosy. The girls the typists looking up. Well Box says this young fella was talking about the Government in exile and all that oul nonsense Than the  lad stopped to leave and straight out  asked Devalera. (The syllable returned ) Why did he murder Michael Collins? Well Devalera ould as he was had men holding him back. Could not believe the young fellows boldness So they sent me home. I came back everyday looking for my stamp. Montreal is cold I can't speak enough French to buy bread without  making a show of myself  . The Canadians are all Orangemen. Then one Sunday after Mass, a man in a big car spoke to Uncle James I came in on Monday.  They told me I had a job. The man in the back seat  sighed.  They brought me into a room I recognized Box, I had not seen in nearly 20 years. Not even time to fart  A colonel comes in. We salute and he tries to speak Irish. Mission was simple we were to kill Brady. Sturmfurher Brady No, Aidan Brady from Carrick. He looked at Sinead Devalera crooked in 1933. I am sorry Sir. You must try and appreciate what the bureau of military affairs is doing. We need to ask you questions we know you already know. Like a priest Whatever It was Brady, that pup who defected from the British Army and joined the Germans. The Germans gave him a big house  The Statters and Greenshirts were clucking arround him like women following about a Priest Well Sargent Brady was coming in to open the fair. They always taught Irish there so we got people from all over. He was going too make a speech .Worse than priests the statters are- Priests tell you stuff on Sundays  take the rest of the week off. Box had volunteered. Box was to look after Brady I was to look after Box We trained for two weeks on these boats. Black rubber things. You could fold up . Box and I were fishermen, we were used to the sea. It was desperate cold Box is a good shot, whatever else you say  I was taught to be the spotter. A major from Derry went through it all. I liked him. Very quiet man. Smart. But then education and brains are too different things So they put us on a plane to Halifax. I hated it, my ears popped. Then we got on a ship They say it was Argentine. The La Tigre Their passenger shrugged They were all 6ft tall. I did not like the food. Garlic  Box would not stop talking. He had been in Cuba with youn's Box is ould fashioned he won't stop. Just Girls Girls. You do not see Lt... socially? No Why not I have three daughters Well after a week of breathing in Box's farts We were there. Box and I slipped overboard A shark followed us, for a while I hated that. We came in on the beach. Middle of the night we rested there for an hour laid out on the sand Then we picked up the boat. We had to take it to Unabeg. That was where we going to be for the big day. Unabeg Yes its a cave its called  after a girl. She was murdered too by the last set of invaders. Your special  friends The speaker looked in the car mirror Unabeg is on the other side of the valley to the beach. The valley runs down to the beach with the cliffs on each side We had to do it all before the patrols  and guards caught us.  We had to carry the boat. I came close to clattering Box He could not roll the boat  up. So we climbed up the rocks and waited in the secret passage The secret passage Yes, its been cut out of rock. Its a cattle pen The Mcglois used to live there. They are all gone now Rhodesia I hear. They were my cousins so I knew the place We could eat  and sleep there. Check our tools. At least cover our shit with a stone We waited till night. We could hear them testing the  PA for the festival. Box and I stood up. At 10 o clock it got dark. They never got the electrics working there. No moon. So we went over to Unabeg. Through the field and bogs. Not the road. We were barefoot. Well we waited till the sun rose and clambered down to Unabeg. We were worried about fishermen seeing us. So we climbed up. No tea, no cigarettes.  I can smell turf That's when i see it The shit house Some ould fellow comes out. Pulls up his drawers. He sees me and Box. Box has the rifle out on its tripoid. We were there with our John Thomas out. I look at him. I tell Box to stay there The Ould fella sees me. He sees the pistol.  I am in black  I have been sleeping in dung I say Devalera. ( The vowel always the vowel) The ould fellow swallows his eyes mist. I follow him into his wee house. It just  himself. No good room just fireplace and a bed not even a range. He sits down on the bed. I help him take off his shoes. He points at a crooked shelf. There was a drop of whiskey in a naggin I gave it to him in an China cup He asked me about his Jinnit His what His donkey. He had a donkey We said an act of contrition Then I put my hand over his face. I held him down. He did not struggle. I said the act of contrition again. Then he needed to tidy himself, then he was gone. I was sorry to make a mess I closed his eyes and went to the Barn The Jinnit was there. It was drinking water straining it through its teeth. I stroked its head. Rubbed its back then cut my knife across its throat. My feet were sticky with blood Why did you kill the Donkey? The brown eyes burnt with fury. He opened the car door and walked off stopped and returned. That Donkey was a good animal. That man had gone without for his Donkey. That was why he was getting up in the morning. I was going to leave it to die roaring from a statters  gun, or going mad being burnt out That maisis buried in a mass  grave. What else would I do for him. If you say that again I'll hurt you. You have had your say now Scully broke the silence Sir please Well we waited. Box knew better than some people. We just sat, I was worried about the wind but it was fine. About midday Brady shows up in a big German car, with Drs and Priests and a pretty redheaded woman Statters  in their truck . Box was ready I looked through my binoculars I gave the order shoot. The Sgts arsehole was looking up at the sun Box does not miss They were roaring and screaming below. They drove Brady away tried to get him to the Doctors house. That was what saved us the statters  were looking at Brady not looking for us. Logic. We tossed the rifle away once we reached the cliff. We clambered down halfway to Unabeg and jumped the rest. We swam into the caves and rowed and rowed. We made it to a rock called New Orleans. Our Submarine was there