Read Online The Loney by Andrew Michael Hurley - Free Book Online Page A

they?’
    ‘No,’ he said, winking at me. ‘They’re still terrible cheats.’
    ‘Oh,’ said Mummer. ‘Well, if I could borrow you for a moment, Father, there are a few things I wanted to speak to you about.’
    ‘By all means, Mrs Smith,’ he said.
    He got up and went past Mummer who held the door open for him. When he had gone down the landing Mummer snapped at me.
    ‘Why isn’t Andrew asleep? You know he’ll be no good if he’s tired.’
    ‘I know.’
    ‘Well if you know, stop messing around up here and get him settled.’
    ‘Yes, mother.’
    She looked at us both and then walked away. I waited for a moment and then went to the door and onto the landing.
    ‘I don’t know if you realised, Father,’ said Mummer as they went down the stairs. ‘But Father Wilfred made himself available for confession when we came here.’
    They had stopped in the hallway outside Father Bernard’s room. Mummer had her arms folded in the way she had started doing since he had arrived at Saint Jude’s.
    ‘I see,’ said Father Bernard. He nodded at the door of the under-stairs cupboard. ‘Not in here surely?’
    Mummer gave him an indulgent smile.
    ‘No, we used Father Wilfred’s room. The room you’re in. It has the little curtain around the wash stand you see.’
    ‘Ah.’
    ‘He was very accommodating.’
    ‘I’m sure.’
    Mummer moved closer to him. ‘I don’t ask for myself particularly, Father,’ she said. ‘It’s the others. Mr and Mrs Belderboss really. They find this place, this time of year, well it encourages an openness with God. A chance to cleanse the soul.’
    He held Mummer lightly by the shoulders. ‘Mrs Smith,’ he said. ‘Rest assured that I will listen to whatever you wish to tell me.’
    ‘Thank you, Father,’ said Mummer. ‘Now about Andrew.’
    ‘Aye?’
    ‘It’s very important that he fasts like the rest of us over the weekend. I’m sure you’ll agree that he must be properly prepared.’
    ‘Aye, of course.’
    ‘Then I’ll need your help, Father.’
    ‘Naturally, Mrs Smith.’
    ‘Now, when we get to the shrine itself …’
    They moved off into the kitchen but I knew what Mummer was saying to him. What she wanted him to do. How they would get Hanny to drink the water. How the power of Jesus would cleanse his body and drive out the sickness that had kept him silent since the day he was born.
    When they had closed the door, I went back to the bedroom. Hanny was standing by the window. He had taken the rifle out from under the blanket. He saluted me, fiddled with the firing pin, twisted the sight and before I could tell him to put it down, he pointed the rifle at me and pulled the trigger.

Chapter Six
    F or a moment I thought I was dead. I was dead and it was alright. I was strangely relieved that it was all over and that it had been as quick and painless as I’d always hoped it would be. But Hanny was still there, I was still in the room, we were still at Moorings. I realised that I’d been holding my breath and now I let it out and went over to him.
    ‘Give,’ I said.
    Hanny refused and turned away from me, clutching the rifle to his chest. They were forever taking his stuff off him at Pinelands and the bugger had learnt to fight his corner. I was proud of him for that but I couldn’t have him thinking that he could parade around Moorings with a rifle. Mummer would have had a fit, I would have got the blame, and that would have been the end of that.
    ‘I said give it to me.’
    I held out my hands and sensing that I was serious Hanny passed me the rifle. I wound the strap around the stock, slotted it under the floorboards and laid the rug back over the top.
    Hanny sat down on his bed and then folded up his legs the way a child might do, grasping his ankles and shuffling his feet under his backside. He picked up the book Father Bernard had removed from the bedside table and opened it. He wanted me to read to him.
    ‘You need to go to sleep, Hanny,’ I said. ‘You