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lift. Nobody would stop for two pirates but maybe we’ll have some luck if we look like scientists.’ They let themselves out the front door and stepped into the street, by now deserted. Pulling the orange wheelie bin behind them they headed off in the direction of the river where they hoped to find traffic heading south. They waited close to the Tay Road Bridge, and before long they persuaded a van driver that their vehicle had broken down and they urgently needed a lift to Edinburgh.
    ‘What’s in the bin?’ asked the van driver as he helped to load it in the back and secure it with heavy duty straps. ‘Do I hear it ticking? Hope it’s no’ a bomb you’ve got in there.’
    ‘Not at all,’ laughed O’Mullins. ‘It’s a........’ He stopped abruptly when Skylights stood on his toe.
    ‘Beating heart....top secret.... experimental stuff bound for the Roslin Institute,’ answered Skylights. He climbed into the cab before the driver could change his mind. He winked at O’Mullins. ‘Mission accomplished,’ he whispered.

    Back in Edinburgh, MacStarkey and Fitzsmee were sitting on the ramparts waiting for the others to arrive. They congratulated each other on their achievements of the past few hours.
    ‘You were great, MacStarkey. How did you know how to jump start that van we found parked in the High Street?’
    ‘Common sense, just common sense, pal. One engine is much like anither. I’ve always enjoyed tinkering wi’ machines,’ replied MacStarkey proudly. ‘Ah thought you did rather well, finding out a’ the stuff aboot the Prof and his lassie in yon institute.’
    ‘That was more luck than anything else,’ replied Fitzsmee modestly. ‘It must have been the luck o’ the Irish. Or else we had the pirate spirits on our side. Whatever it was, Skylights is sure to be pleased. We’ve accomplished all he asked us to do. And the icing on the cake was finding that old derelict hospital which is perfect for the job.’
    ‘Wheesht, a meenit, will ye? Listen. Dae ye hear somebody whistlin’?’ asked MacStarkey, getting up and looking over the walls of the castle.
    ‘Blisterin’ barnacles,’ exploded MacStarkey. ‘It’s Skylights and O’Mullins down below. And they’ve got an enormous orange thing with them.’
    ‘Get yourselves down here,’ shouted Skylights. ‘We can’t fly up there with this overweight piece of baggage.’
    Before long, the four pirates, and the stomach in the bin, were in the stolen van heading off to the abandoned hospital where they would carry out the next stage of their plan.
    Yes, it had been a highly successful night all round, for a band of pirates bent on revenge.

C HAPTER 6
Miracles and Nightmares
    ‘Yes, sir, I am aware of the deadline,’ said John Dante as he ran his fingers through his greying hair, pushed his glasses up his nose and rubbed his hand down around his chin. He noticed with surprise how out of control his beard had grown, and wondered when he had last taken time to tidy it up. ‘Yes, sir, everything is in place. I know the press are due to observe. James is here already and in good form. Yes sir, you will hear from me later.’
    He wearily hung up the phone, slumped back in his seat and let out a sigh. He glanced down at the floor and noticed the shabby shoes he was wearing. His gaze travelled upwards, taking in his crumpled trousers and wrinkled shirt. When had he stopped taking a pride in his appearance? When had it become too much trouble? The answer was obvious. His wife had died two years earlier, just at the time when he was setting up this research facility at the Roslin Institute. He had thrown himself into his work, scarcely giving a thought to his own wellbeing.
    Great strides had taken place since the cloning of Dolly the sheep. Ideally he would have preferred more work to be done on perfecting the process before informing the world at large, but it had been taken out of his hands. Things were now moving fast, with the development of