He remembered the bed.

‘Coming.’

He pulled the bedclothes up and patted at them. It didn’t look too bad. He opened the door. His mother was standing there. There was a sudden wild cackling from the yard next door.

Oh, chooks.

‘He’s out cold,’ she said. ‘I’ll just have to leave him.’ It was their turn. The house shook with the hammering on the door.

‘Coming.’ Her voice was shrill. She ran down the stairs. She had the blue scarf tied round her head. She opened the door. Joe was just behind her, clutching at the school bag.

Four soldiers crowded into the passage.

‘Outside. Come on, all out.’

‘Put on your coat, Joe.’

‘Get a move on, missus.’

‘My husband …’

‘What about your husband? Ey? Locked up in jail, is he?’

‘No. He’s …’

‘Out, and the kid.’

‘He’s sick … in bed …’

He gave her a shove out into the dark and pushed Joe after her. Once he was out of the house he felt sick. They joined the silent crowd. Old Mrs O’Toole was crying quietly. Joe’s mother went and stood beside her. The people’s faces were tired and angry. A soldier came out of Mrs O’Toole’s house with a couple of eggs in his hand. He showed them to a friend.

A couple of hand grenades for breakfast.’ He laughed and put them carefully into his two breast pockets.

‘Bastards,’ shouted a woman’s voice from down the street.

‘Shut up, love,’ said one of the soldiers calmly. ‘Or we’ll shoot the lot of you.’

Several children were crying.

A soldier appeared at the door and called Joe’s mother over.

‘Here, you.’

‘Me?’

‘Yeah, you. What’s up with the old man?’

‘I told you. He’s ill.’

‘Drunk, more like.’

‘He’s maybe drunk, but he’s ill with it. He’s been ill for years.’

‘We’ll have to move him.’

‘Well, move him,’ she said with sudden anger.

‘He’s not likely to die on us or anything?’

‘That’s your problem.’

She moved back to Mrs O’Toole. The old woman’s hair hung down over her shoulders in wispy grey plaits. She had a blanket thrown round her shoulders. She looked cold and very unsure of what was going on.

‘I never done anything,’ she said to Joe’s mother. ‘I never …’

‘Sure,’ Mam’s voice was ironical, ‘we’re all as innocent as newborn babes.’

The soldier who had taken the eggs came up to them.

‘You can go back in now, granny. We’ve finished with you.’

‘Can I go in with her and settle her? I’m sure you have the place ruined on her. She’s old.’

He looked Mam up and down.

‘I suppose so. No hanky-panky though or you’ll be in trouble.’ He gave an almost human smile, ‘and so will I.’

‘Hanky panky,’ said Mam with scorn.

She took the old woman’s arm and they both went into the house.