A Lost Tribe by William King

Author:William King
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The Lilliput Press
Published: 2017-11-25T16:11:20+00:00

THIRTEEN

Suntanned and with a close-cropped haircut, Irwin returned to Dublin after four years with his doctorate and a teaching post in Maynooth. When Galvin met him for dinner a few weeks later, he was wearing a charcoal grey suit and a navy tie.

‘I like the style,’ Galvin remarked while they were having a drink before the meal. ‘Stylish but discreet. Washington?’

‘Good God, no. They’ve no taste there. Roma – that’s the place. You’ve got to go to Italy for a suit.’ He looked Galvin up and down. ‘Are you guys ever going to cop on that the world is changing? What are you all wearing mourning clothes for? Did the cat die?’

While Galvin was relating about the canon and Lizzie, he noticed that Irwin was beginning to fidget and shake his head. ‘Jesus, Tommy,’ he said at last, ‘why are you wasting your time with someone like him? Ask to do further studies; you’ve a good record. At least you wouldn’t be on a fucking one-way ticket to Palookaville.’

‘It might seem like time-wasting to you, not to me, Damien. This is going to be my way of living out what I’ve taken up. And you know what?’ He looked straight at Irwin. ‘Even though I live with doubts, and see the whole thing as pretty shitty at times, I’ll stay with it till I kick the bucket. I know that now. And maybe, if I can make a small change in people’s lives – in my own life – that will be enough.’

Irwin tilted the wine bottle towards his own glass. ‘I could still swing it for you. I’d be prepared to talk to the Nuncio.’

‘No. I don’t want you to do that.’

‘Listen.’ Irwin was irritated. ‘Many of the guys here are just going to seed till they hand in their badge and gun. Are you going to be one of them? This life ain’t a rehearsal, Tommy. It’s a one-act play. You’d better believe it.’

‘Things are moving on; there’s hope with the Council. And, anyway … .’

‘Nothing will change.’ Irwin’s forefinger shot up. ‘Not in this rain-sodden country anyway. Bishops are afraid of their shite of Rome, and Rome is clawing back. John XXIII is dead, dead and buried, and the spirit he fostered is dying with him and, it seems, Paul VI, a decent enough man, but he’s not able to stand up to them in the Vatican.’ Irwin put down the wine glass. ‘Make something of your life. Look at it like this: when you’re having breakfast with the Pope and across the table is the head of the Congregation of Bishops, and Benelli, the second most powerful man in Rome, is beside you … .’ He looked at Galvin to let the message sink in.

‘How did you manage?’

‘Networking, Galvin. When will you culchies cop on and learn to look after yourselves?’ As ever, when he had wine taken, he was giggling. ‘A stroll in the Vatican gardens can do wonders for one’s future in Mother Church.’

‘You’ve made it to Maynooth anyway.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.