BRENDAN. Jack.
JACK. Brendan. (Lifting glass.) Whatās with the Guinness?
BRENDAN (putting peat in the stove). I donāt know. Itās the power in the tap. Itās a new barrel and everything.
JACK. Is the Harp one okay?
BRENDAN. Yeah.
JACK. Well, would you not switch them around and let a man have a pint of stout, no?
BRENDAN. What about the Harp drinkers?
JACK (derision). āThe Harp drinkers.ā
BRENDAN. Your manās coming in to do it in the morning. Have a bottle.
JACK. Iām having a bottle. (Pause.) Iām not happy about it, now mind, right? But, like.
They laugh.
BRENDAN. Go on out of that.
JACK (drinks). What the hell. Good for the worms.
BRENDAN. Iād say you have a right couple of worms, alright.
They laugh. Pause. BRENDAN stands wiping his hands.
Thatās some wind, isnāt it?
JACK. It is.
BRENDAN. Must have been against you, was it?
JACK comes out from behind the counter.
JACK. It was. It was against me ātil I came around the Knock. It was a bit of shelter then.
BRENDAN goes in behind the counter. He tidies up, dries glasses.
BRENDAN. Yeah itās a funny one. Itās coming from the north.
JACK. Mm. Ah, itās mild enough though.
BRENDAN. Ah yeah. Itās balmy enough. (Pause.) Itās balmy enough.
JACK. Were you in Carrick today?
BRENDAN. I wasnāt, no. I had the sisters over doing their rounds. Checking up on me.
JACK. Checking their investments.
BRENDAN. Oh yeah. Course, they donāt have a fucking clue what theyāre looking for, dāyou know? Theyāre just vaguely... you know.
JACK. Keeping the pressure on you.
BRENDAN. This is it. (Pause.) At me to sell the top field.
JACK. You donāt use it much.
BRENDAN. No. No I donāt. Too much trouble driving a herd up. But I know theyāre looking at it, all they see is new cars for the hubbies, you know?
JACK. Mm. Youāre not just trying to spite them? Get them vexed, ha?
BRENDAN. Not at all. Iām, just. Itās a grand spot up there. Ah, I donāt know. Just...
Short pause.
JACK. They over the whole day?
BRENDAN. They got here about two. Theyād gone for lunch in the Arms. Got their story straight. Ah they were gone and all about half four.
JACK. Theyāve no attachment to the place, no?
BRENDAN. No they donāt. They look around, and itās... āAh yeah...ā you know?
They laugh a little.
Itās gas.
JACK. Mm.
BRENDAN. Were you in Carrick yourself?
JACK. I was. Flew in about eleven, threw on a fast bet. Jimmy was there, we went for a quick one in the Pot.
BRENDAN. How is he? And the ma?
JACK. Ah. Jimmy. Be in tonight. He put me on to a nice one. We got her at eleven to four.
BRENDAN. Youāre learning to listen, ha?
JACK. Ah. Fuck that sure. I know, but Iāve been having the worst run of shit you wouldnāt believe. I was that desperate, Iād listen to anybody.
BRENDAN. Go on out of that.
JACK. Ah no. No no. Fair dues. Iāll say it. He got us a right one. And itās good, you know. Break a streak like that.
BRENDAN. Youāre a user.
JACK (laughs). Thereās worse.
BRENDAN. Yeah. There might be.
JACK. But, ah, he was telling me. Did you know about Maura Nealonās house?
BRENDAN. No.
JACK. Well. Jim says he met Finbar Mack down in the Spar. Finally, either sold orās renting the, the thing, after how many years itās sat there?
BRENDAN. Jays, four or five in anyway.
JACK. Jim says five this month. And Finbarās going bananas with the great fella that he is. Patting himself on the back, goodo, and talking about the new resident. Who, he says, is a fine girl. Single. Down from Dublin and all this. And Finbarās nearly leaving the wife just to have a chance with this one. Only messing, like. But heās bringing her in here tonight, the nearest place. To old... Mauraās. Bringing her in for a drink. Introduce her to the natives.
BRENDAN. The dirty bastard. I donāt want him using in here for that sort of carry-on. A married man like him.
JACK. Ah heās only old shit. He wouldnāt have the nerve. Sure, how farād he get anyway? The fucking head on him. Heās only having a little thrill. Bringing her around. And Iāll tell you what it is as well. Heās coming in here with her. And heās the one. Heās the one thatās āwithā her, in whatever fucking... sense weāre talking about. Heās bringing her in. And thereās you and me, and the Jimmy fella, the mugginsās, the single fellas. And heās the married fella. And heās going āLook at this! Thereās obviously something the fuck wrong with yous. Yous are single and you couldnāt get a woman near this place. And look at me. Iām hitched. Iām over and done with, and Iām having to beat them off.ā
BRENDAN. Yeah. Thatās the way cunts always go about their business. Itās intrusive, itās bad manners, itās...
JACK. Ah, itās a juvenile carry-on. You know?
BRENDAN. Mm.
JACK. Let her come in herself.
BRENDAN. Yeah. Thatād be better. Thatād make more sense, for fuckās sake.
JACK. Leave her be. Donāt know if Iāll stay actually.
BRENDAN. Mm.
Pause. JACK drains his glass and puts it on the bar.
JACK. Go on.
BRENDAN takes the glass and pours a fresh bottle.
Donāt want to leave Jimmy in the lurch. You know? Trying to hold his own in the Finbar Mack world of big business.
They laugh a little.
BRENDAN. Fucking... Jimmy talking all that crack with Finbar.
JACK. Thatās the thing though. The Jimmy fellaās got more going on up here (Head.) than popular opinion would give him credit for.
BRENDAN. Sure, donāt we know too well for Godās sake?
JACK. I know.
BRENDAN. We know only too well.
JACK counts change out on the bar.
JACK. Would you give us ten Silk Cut please, Brendan?
BRENDAN. Red?
JACK. Please.
BRENDAN puts the cigarettes on the bar.
Good man.
Pause. JACK doesnāt touch them yet. BRENDAN counts the money off the bar. JACK pauses before drinking.
Are we right?
BRENDAN. Close enough. Cheers.
JACK. Good luck.
JACK takes a long drink. Pause.
I know I do be at you. Iāll keep at you though.
BRENDAN. About what?
JACK. Donāt be messing. Come on.
BRENDAN. Ah.
JACK. A youngfella like you. And this place a right going concern.
BRENDAN. Ah. The odd time. You know, the odd time Iād think about it.
JACK. You should though.
BRENDAN. Well then, so should you.
JACK. Would you go on? An auldfella like me!
BRENDAN. Would you listen to him?
JACK. Sure what would I want ...