‘I don’t want to talk to you about that night, but you deserved your sentence. Yes, I should have gone to prison for my part, but I was young and I made a terrible mistake. Since that night, I’ve tried to live my life as a decent human being. I’ve tried, and I admit, failed on many occasions, to be a force for good in my work. You, though, what have you done but destroy? All of your life has been nothing but bitterness and failure. You went to the Maze because you deserved to go to the Maze. I used my good fortune to try to do something with the rest of my life, while you, like a cancer, just grew bigger and uglier. I’ll die tomorrow night as a man who found redemption. You’ll die, and I hope it is soon, as nothing more than shit on the bottom of society’s shoe. You think you’ll die a hero of Ireland, mourned by the masses? You’ll die a sad, lonely, psychopathic junkie, in a gutter somewhere, alone and unmourned.’

The force of the blow sent Cormac crashing against the door. His back made the first contact, before his head followed and punched a small hole. He slid to the floor and tasted blood on his tongue. He wiped his mouth and staggered to his feet. Liam was examining his knuckles which appeared to be pouring with blood. For a moment, Cormac was unsure if the blood in his mouth belonged to him or to Liam. He put his hand into his mouth and removed a hard lump from his tongue. He brought it to his face and could see it was part of a tooth that had been dislodged by the impact. Despite the pain, he drew some comfort that the blood, now pooling in his mouth, did not belong to Liam Conlon.

‘Do you want to hit me again or are we done here?’

Liam held his hand in front of his chest. Cormac could see at least one, maybe more, of his knuckles were shattered. He moved towards Cormac. His eyes were dancing.

‘I’d fucking love to hit you again. I’d love to keep hitting you, until your whole fucking head caved in, but I’m not going to. I’ll settle for blowing you to fuck tomorrow night, or as a poor substitute, destroying your world forever by ending your daughter’s short life.’

Cormac opened the fractured living room door.

‘If we are done, I’d like you and your two lackeys to leave my home. This is a place where decent people have lived their lives. You are not worthy to dwell in such places. If I’m to die tomorrow night, then I don’t wish to spend another moment of the time I have left in the presence of filth and scum. Now get out!’

Liam moved behind the kitchen table and sat down. Cormac thought for a second he was to be stuck with him for some time yet. He picked up the holdall and placed it on the table. He filled it with the laptop and other debris from the table. He stood and nodded to the acne brigade and they made for the open door behind Cormac. He brushed past Cormac before stopping at the front door.