chapter thirty-six

An Easter Offering

The large glass sphere wobbled slightly as Frank opened the tap that allowed the vaporous product of two exotic and modified volatile liquids to rise into the condenser that fed it. Gentle heat would now promote an equilibrium reaction, the results of which could be harvested to provide the raw material of the bone gas. The addition of Sulphuric Acid to this in the presence of oxygen initiated the action of the gas; its rapid expansion into the atmosphere and penetration of the flesh of the victims. Frank had designed the gas so that breathing it resulted in a relatively quick “death”, if one could refer to the state of being without bones “death”. Actual death was caused by suffocation primarily, since the lungs had no rigid chamber within which to expand and contract. Breathing in gave the gas ready access to the capillaries in the mouth, and then the lungs and thus the effect was rapid. In order to give the user of the gas a measure of protection Frank had designed it so that it penetrated the epidermis more slowly. It was thus possible to use the gas as an offensive weapon in close combat as long as one could make a retreat before taking a breath.

He let his left first and second fingers rest against the large sphere for five seconds to gauge the temperature, a trick he had learnt from his mother in regard to cooking, and to Frank this chemical process, although more dangerous, was no less a matter of art and subjective judgement. The bubbles began to rise in the liquid, which was now attaining the required chrome green colour, so he began to run cold water through the Liebig condenser in preparation for the collection of the raw gas in a series of large and very thick glass cylinders. His attention was broken by the sound of the outer door to the laboratory being pushed open and Professor O’Connell’s rather tuneless and wordless singing.

“Good afternoon Mr Kørner. What a beautiful day: Good Friday, the tragic death of our Lord, but a temporary death that led to salvation for us all. I have just attended a splendid performance of sacred music by Handel in St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and I must say it has enabled me to put all this talk of spies and compromise behind me. With your gas we are assured of victory over the English oppressors, and so I am going to press Pearse and Connolly to go ahead. This is indeed the dark vigil before the rebirth; the rebirth of our Lord and the rebirth of our people!”

“I am glad that my contribution will be so decisive. I can assure you that, used correctly, the effects will be exactly as I described to the committee.”

“And we will owe you a debt of gratitude Mr Kørner,” and here the professor paused for a moment to remove his heavy tweed coat, “although it will have to be expressed tacitly, I have found that de Valera has made commitments to the bishops in regard to our constitution that may make your position.... difficult.”

“In what respect?” asked Frank, hardly noticing the words, but sensing the weight behind them, as he followed the progress of the tiny green drops into the collecting jar.

“The bishops, and of course the people, bear a great deal of resentment towards the English in regard to their suppression, some might go so far as to say, attempted destruction, of our faith and language. De Valera tells us that this resentment will help unify the people behind our cause, and no doubt it will, but the bishops have made certain demands.”

Frank slid a weighty glass disc over the first collecting cylinder and rapidly positioned the next. He wondered for a moment if the fact that the gas was a little heavier than air was an advantage or a disadvantage before turning to make a greater engagement with the professor.

“What kind of demands can the bishops make of a government that does not even exist?” he enquired. “They can hardly make attendance at church compulsory, that would be as bad as the controls on liberty that you are striving to remove!”

“Not in the view of the bishops, and neither in the view of de Valera, I am told.” The professor sat and withdrew his battered pipe. “State and church will be as one. This means that your particular affections will not be tolerated. The role of the male is to head the family and father children; Catholic, Irish-speaking children. Mr Kørner, I am sure you are aware of the distaste I have for the unnatural acts in which you indulge; but I feel that this proposed unity of church and state may not lead to the liberty of our people that most of the committee so strongly desire.”

Frank smiled gently, and considered the countless acts of debauchery he had witnessed in Paris. Catholic bishops had been amongst the most enthusiastic participants in these dazzling exhibitions. The hypocrisy had always been there, but to found a nation on such hypocrisy was more than he was prepared to countenance. He smiled again.

“Do not concern yourself, professor. The important thing is that the rising is both swift and decisive, is it not?”

“Yes, yes; of course. The rest is politics.”

“In God, we trust,” said Frank, as he removed the Sulphuric Acid from the bench. His bone gas would take no part in the establishment of such a state; besides, by tomorrow O’Connell would be dead and he would be on his way to the Arctic Circle with the Irishman’s cerebral foam safely packed for the transfer.