Page 114 of The Bone Season

Unlike you students, I can’t take a day off to go shouting at politicians. Aunt Sandra swung on her coat, her face hard as steel.If I hear you took your cousin there, I’ll not be held responsible for my actions. Do you hear me, Finn Mac Cárthaigh?

Bell is courting a tyrant.He wants to hand us to the English on a platter.He’s meeting Mayfield,Finn had said, furious.You’ve nothing to say about that, Mam?

The Taoiseach won’t negotiate. You know he’ll keep us safe.She had picked up her keys.I don’t have time to argue with you. I’ll be back at seven. Paige, you have a good day, won’t you?

Yes, Auntie Sandra.

As soon as she was gone, Finn had got me into my coat and gumboots and buckled me into the car. As he drove from Dún Laoghaire, he promised we could see a film and have lunch, but first he needed to meet up with his university friends by the statue of Molly Malone.

‘Today we make history, Pip,’ he told me, squeezing my mittened hand.

I wrinkled my nose; history was for school. I loved Finn – he was funny and clever, and he spoiled me when I came to stay – but I had seen Molly plenty of times. I knew all the words of her song off by heart.

Finn had driven as far into the city as he could, only to find the streets thronged with thousands of people. Abandoning the car, he had taken me into the crowd on foot. Now he was on his phone, shouting over the din.

‘I’m here.’ He let go of me to jam a finger in his ear. I clung to his jacket. ‘Where are you?’

I looked up at the angry people. They were shouting, chanting, all crushed together. I could read some of the words on their signs, but there was one I didn’t know, which was everywhere:SCION. Messages flashed past, high in the air, Gaeilge and English mixed together:DOWN WITH MAYFIELD. AXE THE ANCHOR. ÉIRE GO BRÁCH. REMEMBER THE BALKANS. CATHAL THE SASANACH. DUBLIN SAYS NO.

‘Finn,’ I said tearfully, ‘what’s happening?’

I spoke in Gaeilge, which got his attention.

‘You’re fine, Paige.’ He sounded impatient, but stopped to pick me up, still on his phone: ‘Wait, I can’t hear you. Laoise, are you there?’

A deafening chant began: ‘SCION OUT! SCION DOWN!’

‘Ah, fuck it—’ Finn hung up and joined in: ‘SCION OUT!SCION DOWN!’

We were near the statue now, jostled by the crowd. When I saw Molly, tears of fright jolted into my eyes. There was a bag over her head, a rope around her neck. Her baskets were overflowing with flowers.

‘Finn, I want to gohome,’ I pleaded, but my voice was too small. ‘I want Auntie Sandra.’

‘SCION OUT OF DUBLIN TOWN!’

I still couldn’t understand why everyone was shouting. An elbow knocked into me. People were looking at their phones in confusion, holding them skyward. I held fast to Finn.

‘Kay,’ Finn bellowed. He put me down, ignoring my pleas. ‘Kay, over here!’

Kay pushed through the crowd. I had always loved her. She had beautiful hair – a dark auburn that shone like copper and curled like mine. Finn had given her a Claddagh ring, which she wore on her left hand, with the heart pointing away from her body.

Today she was dressed all in black, and her pale cheeks were painted green, orange and white. Like Finn, she studied at Trinity College.

‘Finn,’ she called, reaching us. ‘I thought I’d never find you. My phone’s not working.’

‘I thought it was just me.’ He pulled her close. ‘Where’s everyone else?’

‘Oscar and Anjali went ahead. Antoinette Carter is giving a speech,’ Kay said over the din, ‘but there are so many people there. I’m afraid—’ She was cut off when someone crashed into her side. Finn swore at the culprit and pushed him away. ‘Temi is over at Leinster House. She says there’s a rumour Cathal Bell will speak at noon.’

‘What about Laoise?’

‘Not here. There was a roadblock at—’

‘Kay,’ I piped up, ‘what’s going on?’

When Kay saw me, she stared, her mouth falling open. ‘Finn,’ she said, ‘why in God’s name have you brought Paige here?’

‘What?’

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