McCabe turned his back and grunted as he walked down the hall, leaving me to follow him. I closed the front door and made my way into a big, open room where a fire blazed. Jesus, I thought, and ’tis still hot as blazes outside. Then I remembered that back in Donegal there was a fire in our cottage winter or summer. I shrugged. No matter where you are, some things don’t change.

I started into my practiced speech, but McCabe put up his hand to stop me.

“I know why you’re here. Plenty of folks ’round here have warned me about you. You’re out to steal all of Aidan O’Hanlon’s leases.”

“Not just O’Hanlon’s,” I put in, “others as well. And we’re not stealing them, just offering a choice.”

He waved a bony hand at me. “As I was saying, I know what you’re up to, and I won’t be part of it.”

I took a deep breath. “But Mr. McCabe, as you likely know, Mr. O’Hanlon will be capping well number eighty-eight in a day or two, and then he will be out of money and won’t be able to afford to renew your lease. S&K has plenty of funding and is prepared to make you a good offer.”

He shook his head and spat tobacco into the hearth. “Not sure if I want a new lease,” he said. “Sick and tired of my land being dug up.”

I sighed. I couldn’t let this one slip away from me. Sullivan would crucify me.

“There’s no guarantee S&K will drill on your land, and in the meantime you’ll have money coming in from the lease. S&K will only drill if we are sure there is oil. We have a very good record of success, and you would benefit from that success. You really don’t have much to lose, Mr. McCabe.”

I sat back and waited. I’d done all I could.

McCabe muttered away to himself, then looked over at me. “Give over them papers,” he said, “and show me where to sign.”

I was delighted with myself as I stood and thanked McCabe. He refused to shake my hand, so I walked by myself to the door. I couldn’t wait to show Kearney how well I’d done. But just as I was about to open the door, Mrs. Shaw’s image floated in front of me. The thought of turning over the signed lease to Kearney suddenly sickened me. I folded it up and put it in my bag.

I opened the car door and got in.

“Well?” said Kearney.

“He wouldn’t budge,” I said.

Delia

Delia