The Light Beneath the Cauldron Read online

  “Move and you’re gone,” Muc said to him. Adams looked at him in fury but seemed to know better than to test the man.

  On the other side of the roof, Mullins was giving Edwards the soundest beating he most likely ever got in his life. Kate, no fan of her husband's violent side made no attempt to stop him. Too much had passed now for her to feel anything for any suffering Edwards was going through.

  Edwards tried to speak on numerous occasions but Mullins wasn't listening and he said nothing himself as he laid in blow after blow. He freed years of anger and frustration for this enemy who had tried so hard to destroy his marriage. He’d almost succeeded.

  Edwards, bloody and bruised fell to his side at the edge of the far side of the building. Mullins put his foot on the kneeling man. All it would take was one slight push with his boot and Edwards would be gone forever. Edwards looked up at him, fear in eyes but he didn't say anything, knowing by now his voice would only anger Mullins more and lead him to push.

  “Do it,” Muc called over but Kate knew Mullins would not. He’d gotten his revenge and it wasn’t in his nature to kill.

  “The Alderman will want to see you,” Mullins said at last, “You’ll have an appointment with the gallows soon enough.”

  Kate walked to her husband and took his arm. She looked at Adams and said,

  “It will be the same for you, murderer!”

  “Only time will tell,” Adams answered, his face white with the pain of his arm. Suddenly his eyes went wide and his good arm flailed in the air, as he fell back out of sight of all save Muc. There was a horrible thud below and Kate screamed. Mullins looked to Muc his hands out questioningly.

  “That one was too dangerous to keep alive,” Muc said, “He's the kind that might escape the prison before he’s hung. He’s shown great skill in all his murders and getting the better of Edwards here. This is the only way to see the back of him for sure.”

  Mullins and Kate looked at one another and embraced. Kate supposed Muc was right and Edwards was finally being brought down to earth too. It was over at last.

  “Let’s hope the Alderman survives his meeting with Olocher tonight,” Muc said gravely and all, including Edwards looked at him perplexed.

  Chapter 56

  The trial was complete and not even Edwards' vast wealth could alter the guilty verdict. Day after day in court, Edwards would talk about more and more things that had evaded the notice of everyone up to that point. It even came to light that he was the one—or so he claimed—who set Thomas Olocher on his murderous path back in the mid-1770s. A ball of terrible crimes that hadn’t stopped rolling until Edwards was apprehended in Waterford a couple of weeks ago.

  Shamed as he was by any past association with the man, Alderman James was there throughout the trial working to have Edwards found guilty. Edwards made it very easy, admitting to everything and joking all through his case.

  The press gathered each day for new startling facts for the news sheets and the general populace was astounded by the reach of Edwards' brand of evil. He had links to the destroying of hundreds of lives, and that was before the murders even began. He had the blood of over fifty people on his hands and he didn’t show a moment of remorse.

  Colonel Spencer was posthumously exonerated for the murders and Adams in death took on the mantle of the true ‘Shadow of the Dolocher.’ The families of the dead were interviewed and none seemed to have a clear idea as to what had been going on for so many years in Dublin. All everyone was sure of was that Edwards was at the centre of it all, despite his being the one who found out about Adams in the first place.

  The story spread all over the world, five notorious murderers all linked under the guiding ideas of one sick and twisted man—it was hard to fathom. Thomas Olocher, The Dolocher, The Shadow of the Dolocher, Gaspard Delacroix, and finally to top it all off Steven Olocher—son of the original killer!

  James limped to Edwards’ cell. It was hard to walk and his ribs were wrapped in bandages to help with the numerous fractures they’d received in his tussles with Steven Olocher. It was the night before Edwards’ sentence was to be executed.

  “Is that you shuffling my way, Alderman?” Edwards’ cheerful voice called out. “Do you have a blade so I can end my own life!” he laughed. James did not answer. He came level to the cell and looked through the bars.

  “There’s one question you never answered,” James said.

  “Only because it’s the one question I can’t answer, not in any way you would understand.”

  “Perhaps Daniel Deek would understand?” James said.

  “Perhaps he would,” Edwards said.

  “Why me?” James asked. Edwards shrugged, and paced slowly in his cell.

  “I have always been attracted to frailty,” he said finally. “It draws me on like a moth to a flame. Something inside me wants to crush it.” James saw the wicked smile that came over Edwards’ face as he said this last.

  “You wanted to crush me.”

  “Not just you, Alderman, never think it. I wanted this whole city to be crushed. Everywhere I look, I see frailty, people who cannot get past things, who cannot cope with their lives. I couldn’t sleep most nights as it all buzzed around in my head.”

  “That’s a better reason than saying you were bored I suppose,” James said.

  “Oh, that was a large part of it too. My lust for excitement is equal to my distaste for frailty. It was like a perfect marriage of both that spurred me to action.”

  “Was there ever a part of your life when you didn’t destroy others?”

  “None that I can recall.”

  “I will say my goodbyes now,” James said, “I won’t be attending the hanging tomorrow.”

  “You don’t want to see me dancing at the end of the rope?” Edwards was smiling viciously.

  “I’ve seen enough death to last me the rest of my life.” Edwards nodded,

  “Well, until we meet again in the next world,” Edwards said tipping an imaginary hat to James.

  “Until then,” James said and he walked away from Edwards for the last time.

  The next morning, in front of a huge crowd Edwards was hanged by the new executioner. A large cheer went up when he dropped and another when he was declared dead. On the stage, he had appeared calm, looking about as though he were at something else. When James heard this fact he thought most likely that Edwards was somewhere else. He was in some past where the ending was yet to unfold, where he was still in control. One where he was not bored. Edwards showed no frailty, even at the end. James supposed that was fitting.

  A new Mayor was appointed and Alderman James was offered his job back on a permanent basis. To his own surprise, as much as anyone else’s he decided he did not want it. This part of his life was over and Dublin would never be the same for him again. He would go to London and make a new life for himself there.

  ONCE THE TRIAL WAS over Daniel Deek could no longer be found in the taverns and whiskey cabins of the city. He had seen enough to know that surely the Devil had been here but that he had also departed. Deek was making for the New World. What better a place for the Devil to go?

  Weeks later, when he reached the shore he took his first step in the United States almost at once he knew this was where his prey was. He could feel it deep inside him and he knew he would never leave this land again while he was still alive.

  SOME MONTHS AFTER, Lord Muc stood outside the blacksmiths shop one morning. His body was fully back in shape and his injuries faded to scars and memories. Mullins arrived down and saw him there.

  “What has you here this early?” he asked.

  “I don’t see you getting any fitter than you are now,” Muc said with a smile.

  “Aw no, not now,” Mullins proclaimed.

  “We had an agreement,” Muc said and Mullins nodded,

  “So we did,” he sighed, “I thought we’d end up doing this outside the cabin though.”

  “That might not be a fair fight,” Muc said, “One of
us would always be more drunk than the other.”

  “Won’t we get arrested here?” Mullins asked.

  “What kind of a lunatic would step in between the two of us fighting?” Muc laughed and Mullins joined him.

  “This is it though, I never want to fight you again after this,” Mullins said and Muc ginned,

  “We’ll see how we get on.”

  They fought good and hard before most of the people in the city were even out of bed.

  THE NEXT WEEK, WITH both men’s faces still puffed up and bruised Muc called on Mullins and Kate.

  “The time has come,” Muc said.

  “Time for what?” Kate asked worried that there was going to be another fight.

  “Time for me to leave.”

  “Where are you going?” Mullins asked.

  “New York,” Muc said smiling, “America.”

  “Why are you going there?” Kate asked surprised.

  “I’ve heard nothing but great things about the gang scene over there. I had that fight with you Mullins, to see if I still had the same passion for it as before.”

  “Well it certainly felt like you did!” Mullins laughed and Muc smiled with him.

  “Anyway, I’m going to get involved before they civilise the place.”

  “Are you sure that's what you want to do?” Kate asked.

  “I’ve thought about it a lot, for months now and my head keeps going back to the same place. Everything from Dublin is gone now. It’s not the place I grew up. It’s time for something new.” Kate felt a pang at these words thinking of Mary.

  “So we can’t get rid of you at all,” Mullins said.

  “You have the whole of America to move to,” Muc said, “You don’t have to go to the fighting capital!”

  “So you’ll be there ahead of us?” Kate asked.

  “I’m leaving today so I imagine so.”

  “Today!” Mullins said.

  “Don’t be worrying, you’ll see me again soon enough!” Muc laughed. They shook hands both wincing in pain as they did.

  “Take care of yourself, Muc,” Kate said and she hugged him. He was taken by surprise and Mullins laughed at his discomfort.

  “One for the road?” Muc asked him.

  They went to the cabin for the last time. Kate sat by the window looking out at the stars and wondered what the sky was going to look like in New York. So as long as she and Mullins were together she supposed it didn’t really matter all that much.

  LIGHT RAIN DAPPLED his cheeks beneath the cloak as he worked. It had been a hard morning but the ship was almost unpacked now and he could go home soon. It had been many weeks since he slept in his own bed and he couldn’t wait.

  The wind whipped up and it looked like it was going to be a dull evening as the last crate was lowered to the dock. That was it, that was his part of the work done. He dashed down the gangway saying goodbye to his shipmates as he rushed.

  He hadn't been looking around before he left the ship and the voice arrested him,

  “There’s a stew on.”

  Lenny looked up in surprise and saw her standing there.

  “I have news for you,” he said smiling as he ever did.

  “What is it?”

  “They finally had that fight you were always talking about?”

  “Mullins and Lord Muc?” Mary asked excitedly. Her back hurt as she grabbed at his arm while he nodded, “Who won? Tell me, tell!” she begged.

  “I think we will wait to see how good this stew is first,” he said kissing her on the cheek delighted to see her.

  “You’re a cruel man, Lenny.” She grinned at him.

  “That’s why you married me,” he laughed.

  They huddled close against the growing wind and walked home, happy to be together again and looking forward to a future in each other’s arms.

  JAMES LOOKED AT THE cityscape against the moonlight and smiled. He was sitting outside a pub having a hot toddy and he was happy. The move to London had been easy and his life here was quiet and uneventful.

  Certain nights he thought of the terrible things that had been in his past but with each passing day, they held less power over him.

  The drink was warm and like honey down his throat. He’d come here this evening to consider what to do with himself, what his new profession was going to be. All he knew at this moment was that he was never going to be Alderman again in his life.

  A dog howled somewhere far off and he closed his eyes and listened.

  The End