BRENDAN. Jack.
JACK. Brendan. (Lifting glass.) Whatâs with the Guinness?
BRENDAN (putting peat in the stove). I donât know. Itâs the power in the tap. Itâs 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). âThe Harp drinkers.â
BRENDAN. Your manâs coming in to do it in the morning. Have a bottle.
JACK. Iâm having a bottle. (Pause.) Iâm 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. Iâd say you have a right couple of worms, alright.
They laugh. Pause. BRENDAN stands wiping his hands.
Thatâs some wind, isnât 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 âtil 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 itâs a funny one. Itâs coming from the north.
JACK. Mm. Ah, itâs mild enough though.
BRENDAN. Ah yeah. Itâs balmy enough. (Pause.) Itâs balmy enough.
JACK. Were you in Carrick today?
BRENDAN. I wasnât, no. I had the sisters over doing their rounds. Checking up on me.
JACK. Checking their investments.
BRENDAN. Oh yeah. Course, they donât have a fucking clue what theyâre looking for, dâyou know? Theyâre just vaguely... you know.
JACK. Keeping the pressure on you.
BRENDAN. This is it. (Pause.) At me to sell the top field.
JACK. You donât use it much.
BRENDAN. No. No I donât. Too much trouble driving a herd up. But I know theyâre looking at it, all they see is new cars for the hubbies, you know?
JACK. Mm. Youâre not just trying to spite them? Get them vexed, ha?
BRENDAN. Not at all. Iâm, just. Itâs a grand spot up there. Ah, I donât know. Just...
Short pause.
JACK. They over the whole day?
BRENDAN. They got here about two. Theyâd gone for lunch in the Arms. Got their story straight. Ah they were gone and all about half four.
JACK. Theyâve no attachment to the place, no?
BRENDAN. No they donât. They look around, and itâs... âAh yeah...â you know?
They laugh a little.
Itâs 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. Youâre learning to listen, ha?
JACK. Ah. Fuck that sure. I know, but Iâve been having the worst run of shit you wouldnât believe. I was that desperate, Iâd listen to anybody.
BRENDAN. Go on out of that.
JACK. Ah no. No no. Fair dues. Iâll say it. He got us a right one. And itâs good, you know. Break a streak like that.
BRENDAN. Youâre a user.
JACK (laughs). Thereâs worse.
BRENDAN. Yeah. There might be.
JACK. But, ah, he was telling me. Did you know about Maura Nealonâs house?
BRENDAN. No.
JACK. Well. Jim says he met Finbar Mack down in the Spar. Finally, either sold orâs renting the, the thing, after how many years itâs sat there?
BRENDAN. Jays, four or five in anyway.
JACK. Jim says five this month. And Finbarâs 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 Finbarâs nearly leaving the wife just to have a chance with this one. Only messing, like. But heâs bringing her in here tonight, the nearest place. To old... Mauraâs. Bringing her in for a drink. Introduce her to the natives.
BRENDAN. The dirty bastard. I donât want him using in here for that sort of carry-on. A married man like him.
JACK. Ah heâs only old shit. He wouldnât have the nerve. Sure, how farâd he get anyway? The fucking head on him. Heâs only having a little thrill. Bringing her around. And Iâll tell you what it is as well. Heâs coming in here with her. And heâs the one. Heâs the one thatâs âwithâ her, in whatever fucking... sense weâre talking about. Heâs bringing her in. And thereâs you and me, and the Jimmy fella, the mugginsâs, the single fellas. And heâs the married fella. And heâs going âLook at this! Thereâs obviously something the fuck wrong with yous. Yous are single and you couldnât get a woman near this place. And look at me. Iâm hitched. Iâm over and done with, and Iâm having to beat them off.â
BRENDAN. Yeah. Thatâs the way cunts always go about their business. Itâs intrusive, itâs bad manners, itâs...
JACK. Ah, itâs a juvenile carry-on. You know?
BRENDAN. Mm.
JACK. Let her come in herself.
BRENDAN. Yeah. Thatâd be better. Thatâd make more sense, for fuckâs sake.
JACK. Leave her be. Donât know if Iâll 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.
Donât 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. Thatâs the thing though. The Jimmy fellaâs got more going on up here (Head.) than popular opinion would give him credit for.
BRENDAN. Sure, donât we know too well for Godâs 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 doesnât 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. Iâll keep at you though.
BRENDAN. About what?
JACK. Donât 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 Iâd 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 ...