'Flights of Angels', Chapters 8-11 -- Shamrocks & Stones

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Date Posted: 16:09:01 06/20/12 Wed
Author: Denise
Subject: 'Flights of Angels', Chapters 8-11

Checkpoint at Newry, South Armagh in the 80’s

Chapter Eight, Should Old Acquaintance…

Patrick and David take guarded action when they encounter one another near Casey and Pamela’s vacant house. Inside, over a warm cuppa, they assess the changes in each other (grief does that) and what connection David has with Casey. It’s dangerous talk, but there’s trust between them, so David explains about his liaison with Casey and their mutual endeavour to bring down the people responsible for the death of Lawrence, and the childhood prostitution and rape of other innocent boys.

They speak of Pamela and Casey, and the unmistakable threesome formed by Pamela’s reciprocated love of Jamie. Although Jamie is a key player in the current political climate, he appears to be missing, gone to parts unknown. Patrick asks after David’s love life; he has partners, but it is Patrick who remains the love of his life. A love affair isn’t possible, but they agree that their friendship is intact.

Chapter Nine, Blooding

On the way home from photographing a new baby, Pamela stops at a familiar market and while on the floor grasping for the last milk bottle at the back of a refrigerator, three men in balaclavas enter the store and kill the owner. Fearing for her own life and that of a young woman, Pamela leads them to a back storage room and stacks crates about them for cover. It works, and they are able to leave by the back door unnoticed. The young woman is blind, and adamant that she must not be found near the area or her brother will be terribly upset, so Pamela drives them into the South Armagh countryside before allowing herself to breathe freely. The woman with lovely gentian eyes tells her that the baby will be fine and strong, that today’s events will not do it harm.

At a checkpoint, it becomes apparent that the young woman doesn’t want the soldiers to know she is blind, the reason being that she is sister to Noah Murray, a Nationalist leader. They proceed to the Murray home, and Kate asks to ‘see’ Pamela’s face with her hands, and feel her swollen belly. Her touch is intimate, but not uncomfortable for Pamela and she finds she likes Kate very much and would enjoy her friendship if it was possible.

Once home, Pamela recounts the events of the afternoon to Casey, and he forbids her from venturing into South Armagh again. Not only is it a Nationalist area ‘ruled’ by Noah Murray and the South Armagh Brigade, but now there is an extreme faction of Loyalists afoot making it a treacherous war zone.

Chapter Ten, Conor

While a storm is raging, and a tree has downed on their road, the phone is out and Pamela goes into labour. Initially Casey panics, but as he sets the kettle to boil, Pat arrives and offers to find Gert and go locate a doctor as quickly as possible. As the contractions increase, Casey soothes Pamela by rubbing her back and softly singing ‘The Nearness of You.’ The baby is born with much exertion and total joy, and the intimacy of the moment absorbs the three of them. Upon Gert’s arrival, Casey goes downstairs to join Owen in a glass of whiskey, and Gert handles the rest of the birthing business.

By the time the Doctor arrives with Pat, Gert has cleaned the bedding and Pamela, and all is well indeed. Pat holds his new nephew and gives Casey telling looks (the sort that say don’t fock this up). Too keyed up to sleep, Pamela and Casey discuss the baby’s name and with the inclusion of Finbar to the happy picture, Conor is chosen, meaning ‘wolf-lover’. The peace and gratitude of this scene is very tangible.

Feeling Conor becoming restless while Pamela sleeps, Casey wraps him carefully and takes him outside where he sees Vega, his own father’s star, and thinks of his da and also the baby girl he and Pamela lost.

Chapter Eleven, Dirty War

While writing a progress report, David ponders what to include and what to leave out; he needs to account for his work, but also protect the innocent. Being a British agent in Northern Ireland is a difficult task, and on top of it, he is basically on his own, with no help expected if in trouble. Infiltrating the Irish community is especially tough due to the strong sense of family and loyalty of the Northern Irish people. David questions the motives of the British government, and what the end game is expected to be.

He plans to put three things in his report: contact with Jimmy Sandilands and subsequent information, surveillance from Boyd’s office, and the third item involves the Riordan family. He can’t risk placing either Pat or Casey’s name on a British government document and rips up the page. Friendship wins over the business of war.

Questions
1.Patrick sees Casey’s involvement with David as extremely dangerous and potentially leading to Casey’s death. Methinks he protests too little. Why doesn’t he say more?

2.Chapter Ten, the birth of Conor, is a perfect piece of writing. Assuming you feel the same way ;), what elements come together to make it so? Personally, I don’t think this could have possibly been written by a man, it so mirrors a woman’s perspective on birth.

3.‘History is no more than accepted fiction.’ What was the accepted fiction that you were taught regarding the Troubles?

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