sliding ones, the ordinary kitchen door, would be open – although it was concealed by the curtain of black smoke rising up from under it. He wouldtake a chance and fly in there and get the men out that way. There was no time to explain, no time to lose, so saying nothing to anyone, Jimmy opened the kitchen door and rolled under the deadly puff of thick black smoke that came thundering out at him. He heard his father call after him, but it was too late. Without stopping for one moment to consider his own safety, or indeed the common sense of the situation, Jimmy decided he was going to save Iggy and the other lads, Aileen’s brothers and her father; he was unstoppable. He was Invincible Jim.
From the outside, it seemed as if the inside of the building would be filled with ferocious flames, so Jimmy was surprised to find that was not the case.
The smoke that had been pouring out seemed to have cleared when he opened the door, and although the place felt eerily silent and still, there was no dangerous fire – only a large ball of smoke above his head, which seemed to be drifting like a black ghoul towards the doorway he had just come through. He looked over at the fire in the grate and was amused to note nothing more than a cluster of dying embers – almost gone out. Jimmy was mystified as to where all of the smoke outside had come from, but he assumed it was gone now, and in any case, he had to get the men out of there.
Jimmy looked around, but there was no sign of anyone. He called out, ‘Hello?’ but the single word became muffled and faint when it hit the air and nobody answered. They must be all still asleep. The cloud of acrid smoke was moving steadily towards him, and so keeping his head down, Jimmy moved towards the tarpaulin curtain separating the kitchen from the sleeping quarters. As he pulled it back, he noticed that all the men were still in their beds, sleeping. He smiled to himself. Lazy bastards out cold and all the women running about and screaming for them!
In the far corner, there was a small, neat pile of coal burningwhere it had clearly fallen out of one of the bags of fuel. It didn’t seem angry or dangerous and was more like the sort of small cooking fire you might make outdoors. Coal takes an age to set alight, he thought to himself – there’s no panic at all, and we’ll be all right for a few minutes yet. He was relieved, amused even that the men had not so much as been disturbed and thought of how they would all laugh at the fuss being made on their behalf. Nonetheless, the room was hotter in here and heavy with smoke. In fact, Jimmy’s own eyes were smarting and he was starting to feel dizzy. Holding his sweater over his nose, he realized it was pointless calling out to wake them. Firstly because it would bring them into a terrible panic, but also because the smoke was now filling his throat. He had better get a move on. So, crouching down on all fours, he crawled across to the nearest bed to rouse the first man. It was Aileen’s brother Paddy Junior. He prodded his chest and shook his arm, but there was no movement. He reached up and gave him a firm pinch on the nose. Just as he did that, he heard his own father’s voice call out from behind him, ‘Hold on there, lads – I’ll have the doors open for you now . . .’
There was a clatter as Sean pulled the doors outwards; then – whoosh – burning coals from the small fire in the corner of the room rushed towards him like a dozen cannons, bringing the tarpaulin up in a single sheet of flame. As Jimmy called out, ‘No!’ there was a loud explosion and a shower of red-hot pain blasted across his face. Then everything went black.
Aileen did not notice that Jimmy had run into the building for some time after it had happened; neither did she fully consider that her father and brothers were in the burning building. She was aware that Sean was shouting for help in opening the doors, and that Biddy was rushing backwards and
From the outside, it seemed as if the inside of the building would be filled with ferocious flames, so Jimmy was surprised to find that was not the case.
The smoke that had been pouring out seemed to have cleared when he opened the door, and although the place felt eerily silent and still, there was no dangerous fire – only a large ball of smoke above his head, which seemed to be drifting like a black ghoul towards the doorway he had just come through. He looked over at the fire in the grate and was amused to note nothing more than a cluster of dying embers – almost gone out. Jimmy was mystified as to where all of the smoke outside had come from, but he assumed it was gone now, and in any case, he had to get the men out of there.
Jimmy looked around, but there was no sign of anyone. He called out, ‘Hello?’ but the single word became muffled and faint when it hit the air and nobody answered. They must be all still asleep. The cloud of acrid smoke was moving steadily towards him, and so keeping his head down, Jimmy moved towards the tarpaulin curtain separating the kitchen from the sleeping quarters. As he pulled it back, he noticed that all the men were still in their beds, sleeping. He smiled to himself. Lazy bastards out cold and all the women running about and screaming for them!
In the far corner, there was a small, neat pile of coal burningwhere it had clearly fallen out of one of the bags of fuel. It didn’t seem angry or dangerous and was more like the sort of small cooking fire you might make outdoors. Coal takes an age to set alight, he thought to himself – there’s no panic at all, and we’ll be all right for a few minutes yet. He was relieved, amused even that the men had not so much as been disturbed and thought of how they would all laugh at the fuss being made on their behalf. Nonetheless, the room was hotter in here and heavy with smoke. In fact, Jimmy’s own eyes were smarting and he was starting to feel dizzy. Holding his sweater over his nose, he realized it was pointless calling out to wake them. Firstly because it would bring them into a terrible panic, but also because the smoke was now filling his throat. He had better get a move on. So, crouching down on all fours, he crawled across to the nearest bed to rouse the first man. It was Aileen’s brother Paddy Junior. He prodded his chest and shook his arm, but there was no movement. He reached up and gave him a firm pinch on the nose. Just as he did that, he heard his own father’s voice call out from behind him, ‘Hold on there, lads – I’ll have the doors open for you now . . .’
There was a clatter as Sean pulled the doors outwards; then – whoosh – burning coals from the small fire in the corner of the room rushed towards him like a dozen cannons, bringing the tarpaulin up in a single sheet of flame. As Jimmy called out, ‘No!’ there was a loud explosion and a shower of red-hot pain blasted across his face. Then everything went black.
Aileen did not notice that Jimmy had run into the building for some time after it had happened; neither did she fully consider that her father and brothers were in the burning building. She was aware that Sean was shouting for help in opening the doors, and that Biddy was rushing backwards and
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