go find Mick,’ Smith said kindly. ‘You know, boy, your father will be sorry he missed this.’
Jimmy said goodbye and trotted on, past serious men carrying guns. At the corner of the Green he saw Mick. Like many of the Citizen Army men, Mick had no uniform, but he was carrying a rifle. Jimmy called out to him.
Mick turned. ‘Jimmy!’ he said. ‘What are you doing here? It’s dangerous – they might attack us any time.’
‘There’s not a soldier or policeman between here and the Parnell Monument,’ Jimmy said, ‘except the Lancers that the Volunteers in the Post Office shot.’
Mick’s eyes grew wide at the news. ‘You saw that?’
‘I saw it. There were four Lancers shot, and two horses. I took a Lancer’s gun and gave it to the Volunteers. Was that the right thing to do, Mick?’ Jimmy wanted someone to tell him that it was.
Mick looked at him oddly. ‘I suppose so,’ he said finally. ‘But it was very dangerous too. Stay away from any fighting, Jimmy, and don’t touch any guns. You might get yourself shot. The best thing you can do is stay home and mind your mother.’
‘But Ma sent me here, Mick, to ask you about Ella.’
Mick’s face changed. It became closed and angry. ‘She never turned up, then?’ he asked.
‘No. Ma says Ella made a mistake, but … I don’t believe it. I think she kept the money on purpose.’
Mick just sighed. ‘I don’t know,’ he said. ‘She knew how important the money was.’ He looked at Jimmy. ‘It’s not really badness, you know,’ he continued. ‘Ella’s just cowardly and easily bullied.’
Jimmy had his own ideas about Ella, things he’d put together from overheard snatches of conversation between her and his Ma. ‘Is it Charlie who bullies her?’ he asked. ‘Because he drinks?’
Mick gave him another odd look. ‘Yes,’ he said. ‘Yes, it is.’ He thought for a moment. ‘Jimmy,’ he said, ‘it’s no good. I won’t be able to go and see Ella. I can’t leave my post.’
Jimmy had expected as much. Mick had his duty to do. ‘Then I’ll have to do it,’ he said. ‘I’ll go to her house.’
Mick looked surprised at the determination in his nephew’s voice, but he shook his head. ‘That’s no good either,’ he said. ‘Too dangerous. She lives too close to the barracks.’
Ella lived in Northumberland Road, just around the corner from Beggar’s Bush barracks. The rebels would be attacking the army barracks there.
Mick was looking thoughtfully at Jimmy. ‘Jimmy,’ he said, ‘you’d better go home. Things could get really rough.’
Jimmy recalled the promises his Ma had made him give. She’d made him cross his heart and swear to come back. You couldn’t break a promise when you’d crossed your heart making it. ‘Yeah,’ he said miserably. ‘I’d better go.’
He looked at his uncle. Despite the rifle in his hands and his serious face, Mick looked as boyish as ever. Jimmy wished that he himself was old enough to pick up a gun and fight beside him. Some of the Citizen Army men he’d seen had looked only a few years older than himself.
‘Look, Jimmy,’ Mick said. ‘About Fairyhouse … I’d never have promised if I’d known about this.’
Impulsively, Jimmy reached out and touched his uncle’s arm. ‘It’s all right, Mick,’ he said. ‘I understand – now.’
It was true, too: he did understand. Until Mick mentioned it, in fact, he’d completely forgotten about the races. It was hard to believe it had seemed so important only a couple of hours ago.
Mick fumbled in the canvas bag that hung at his belt and pulled out a small parcel wrapped in brown paper. ‘Does your Ma have any food in the house?’ he asked.
‘Tea,’ Jimmy said. ‘Tea and a bit of bread.’
Mick held out the package. ‘Sandwiches,’ he said. ‘It’s all I have.’
‘Won’t you need them yourself?’
Mick nodded towards a building across the street. ‘There’s food for us in there,’ he said. ‘The Countess fixed
Jimmy said goodbye and trotted on, past serious men carrying guns. At the corner of the Green he saw Mick. Like many of the Citizen Army men, Mick had no uniform, but he was carrying a rifle. Jimmy called out to him.
Mick turned. ‘Jimmy!’ he said. ‘What are you doing here? It’s dangerous – they might attack us any time.’
‘There’s not a soldier or policeman between here and the Parnell Monument,’ Jimmy said, ‘except the Lancers that the Volunteers in the Post Office shot.’
Mick’s eyes grew wide at the news. ‘You saw that?’
‘I saw it. There were four Lancers shot, and two horses. I took a Lancer’s gun and gave it to the Volunteers. Was that the right thing to do, Mick?’ Jimmy wanted someone to tell him that it was.
Mick looked at him oddly. ‘I suppose so,’ he said finally. ‘But it was very dangerous too. Stay away from any fighting, Jimmy, and don’t touch any guns. You might get yourself shot. The best thing you can do is stay home and mind your mother.’
‘But Ma sent me here, Mick, to ask you about Ella.’
Mick’s face changed. It became closed and angry. ‘She never turned up, then?’ he asked.
‘No. Ma says Ella made a mistake, but … I don’t believe it. I think she kept the money on purpose.’
Mick just sighed. ‘I don’t know,’ he said. ‘She knew how important the money was.’ He looked at Jimmy. ‘It’s not really badness, you know,’ he continued. ‘Ella’s just cowardly and easily bullied.’
Jimmy had his own ideas about Ella, things he’d put together from overheard snatches of conversation between her and his Ma. ‘Is it Charlie who bullies her?’ he asked. ‘Because he drinks?’
Mick gave him another odd look. ‘Yes,’ he said. ‘Yes, it is.’ He thought for a moment. ‘Jimmy,’ he said, ‘it’s no good. I won’t be able to go and see Ella. I can’t leave my post.’
Jimmy had expected as much. Mick had his duty to do. ‘Then I’ll have to do it,’ he said. ‘I’ll go to her house.’
Mick looked surprised at the determination in his nephew’s voice, but he shook his head. ‘That’s no good either,’ he said. ‘Too dangerous. She lives too close to the barracks.’
Ella lived in Northumberland Road, just around the corner from Beggar’s Bush barracks. The rebels would be attacking the army barracks there.
Mick was looking thoughtfully at Jimmy. ‘Jimmy,’ he said, ‘you’d better go home. Things could get really rough.’
Jimmy recalled the promises his Ma had made him give. She’d made him cross his heart and swear to come back. You couldn’t break a promise when you’d crossed your heart making it. ‘Yeah,’ he said miserably. ‘I’d better go.’
He looked at his uncle. Despite the rifle in his hands and his serious face, Mick looked as boyish as ever. Jimmy wished that he himself was old enough to pick up a gun and fight beside him. Some of the Citizen Army men he’d seen had looked only a few years older than himself.
‘Look, Jimmy,’ Mick said. ‘About Fairyhouse … I’d never have promised if I’d known about this.’
Impulsively, Jimmy reached out and touched his uncle’s arm. ‘It’s all right, Mick,’ he said. ‘I understand – now.’
It was true, too: he did understand. Until Mick mentioned it, in fact, he’d completely forgotten about the races. It was hard to believe it had seemed so important only a couple of hours ago.
Mick fumbled in the canvas bag that hung at his belt and pulled out a small parcel wrapped in brown paper. ‘Does your Ma have any food in the house?’ he asked.
‘Tea,’ Jimmy said. ‘Tea and a bit of bread.’
Mick held out the package. ‘Sandwiches,’ he said. ‘It’s all I have.’
‘Won’t you need them yourself?’
Mick nodded towards a building across the street. ‘There’s food for us in there,’ he said. ‘The Countess fixed
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