Part 32 (2/2)

'No, c'mere, listen,' he said. 'I could get the world of business for you, the world of it. There are loads of farmers and houses in towns and all, and they have the same problem. Sure, a cure for rats is worth a fortune. A fortune!'

Tess looked around the room. Kevin was dumbstruck and she could only imagine what was going through his mind. From the expression on Aunt Deirdre's face it was clear that she hadn't been let in on the plan and was as surprised as everyone else. Once more Kevin opened his mouth to say something, but Uncle Maurice was still not finished.

'Think of it, lad,' he said. 'If you can do a farm and buildings this size, what's to stop you doing a whole village or even a small town? Can you imagine it? We could get TV people there and radio. We could set up interviews and all ...'

Kevin stood up, his tea untouched.

'Thanks for your concern,' he said. 'It's a great idea but I'm afraid I have no interest in it.'

Uncle Maurice shut his mouth and the brightness left his features with frightening speed. Anxiety, almost visible, crept over the other members of his family.

'So if you'll just pay me what we agreed,' Kevin went on, 'I won't take up any more of your time.'

There was a sinister pause, then Uncle Maurice said, 'What was it we agreed, exactly?'

'One hundred pounds,' said Kevin.

'One hundred pounds,' Uncle Maurice repeated. 'If you got rid of all the rats.'

'That's right,' said Kevin.

There was menace in Uncle Maurice's voice as he replied. 'But you didn't, did you?'

Silence dropped again. The faces of the children showed shocked disappointment, but Kevin was not going to be fobbed off without a fight. 'What makes you say that?' he asked.

'Just this,' said Uncle Maurice. He stood up and went over to a plastic bag which lay inside the back door. 'Something the dogs caught this morning.' He reached into the bag and pulled out the carca.s.s of a rat. A jolt of pain caught Tess off guard.

'That ...' she began, but stopped herself while she still could. What she had started to say was that she recognised the carca.s.s. It was the old rat, the one who had been left behind.

The others were still looking at her expectantly, even Kevin.

'That's what?' said Uncle Maurice.

In the nick of time it came to her. 'That's been dead for a couple of days,' she said. 'I saw it round behind the milking parlour yesterday.'

Kevin shut his eyes in relief and took a deep breath.

'Oh, is that right?' said Uncle Maurice. 'Well, you'd know, I suppose.'

Tess said nothing and the only sound was the high-pitched drone of Orla's constricted breath. Uncle Maurice followed up his advantage.

'I mean,' he said, 'you'd know the difference, wouldn't you, Miss Cleverclogs, between this dead rat and any other dead rat.'

He looked around triumphantly, as though expecting applause. But he hadn't won, yet.

'I think I would,' said Tess. 'I think that rat has only one top tooth at the front.'

Uncle Maurice's mouth dropped open in astonishment. But Brian was already at his side and staring into the slack mouth of the dead rat. Rapidly, Uncle Maurice dropped it back into the plastic bag, but he wasn't quick enough.

'Yep,' said Brian. 'She's right. Only one front tooth. How did you know that, Tess?'

Colm had understood little of the preceding conversation, but no nuance of mood or atmosphere ever escaped him. He knew now that his hero had been vindicated and he was delighted. An affectionate soul at the best of times, he flung his arms around Kevin's neck and hugged him tight.

But it was not a wise move, given the circ.u.mstances, and not only because of the embarra.s.sment it caused Kevin. Uncle Maurice was a tyrant, without doubt, but he loved his children with a fierce pa.s.sion. To see Colm's affection so freely given to his adversary was more than he could stand.

'Get out,' he said, his voice low, his face dangerously dark.

Kevin gently disengaged himself from Colm's embrace. As she watched, Tess saw the best of Kevin's rat nature emerge; his courage and, above all, his sense of justice.

'I'll leave when I've been paid,' he said.

'You'll leave right now,' said Uncle Maurice. 'Right this minute. And if I see you around here again I'll call the police.'

'The police? On what charge?'

'Loitering. Hara.s.sment. Whatever I like. Do you think they'll believe you for one minute? That you played on a tin whistle and the rats followed you out of my yard? They'll lock you up, more like it.'

Kevin stared at him in silent anger and Tess saw that he was defeated. Everyone knew that he was right, but that against Uncle Maurice's word he hadn't a leg to stand on. For a long moment, time seemed frozen in the room. Then Kevin strode to the door and was gone.

'Good riddance,' said Uncle Maurice, throwing the dead rat in its plastic bag out after him. But everyone knew that the matter was not closed, and the silence which still hung in the room was full of gloom and foreboding.

CHAPTER TEN.

IF TESS THOUGHT THAT the bottom had fallen out of her world, she was wrong. The worst was still to come. The dust had barely settled behind Kevin's bicycle on the drive when a Mercedes car pulled up and two men in expensive suits got out.

Uncle Maurice threw the door open wide and went out to meet them, then preceded them into the kitchen where Aunt Deirdre, yet again, put on the kettle.

'Deirdre, this is Mr Keating from Keating Development.'

'Pleased to meet you,' said Mr Keating. 'But don't make any tea for us.' He gestured to the other man and turned back to Uncle Maurice as he spoke.

'This is Peter Mahon, the surveyor I was telling you about. We've come to walk the boundaries of that land, if it suits you.'

Tess had no interest in what was happening and was about to slip out when the reaction of her cousins changed her mind.

'Can we come, Daddy?' said Orla.

'Please?' said Brian.

'Sure, we're only walking around the land,' said Uncle Maurice.

'But we love the crag,' said Orla. 'We won't get in your way. Honestly.'

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