The 53rd Parallel

by Carl Nordgren

  “Sure, okay, but there's things the two brothers aren't ready to talk about. About how this mill will be the first of its kind producing the new paper the future is demanding. That's what they keep saying, just like that, the new paper the future is demanding. And if they are right, they will be the first with this new process. So that's all I need to know when they ask me to keep this one quiet as long as we can.”

  He made a mark on one of his maps.

  “I think the right site is that shoreline where the channel opens up just south of our campsite. That's as close as we'll get to that existing logging road, and we'll only have to cut a three or four mile spur.”

  They rounded a bend where the broad River fully opened up into a shallow, reedy lake. In the nearby bay they spooked a moose cow and her calf and watched them splash out of the water and back into the bush.

  The tall man couldn't hide his disdain. “So record that in your journal and you'll be running a moose and wolf field study and you can save your lies for the next time.”

  “That's a bit harsh.”

  “I'll apologize for being harsh if you'll acknowledge it was also true.”

  Chapter 22

  Horse Racing

  After the details of Brian's trip were finalized there were changes in the movie schedule requiring Eamon to be on the set in Newport Bay for the horse race scenes when Brian arrived at the airport in Dublin. These scenes were Eamon's most important contribution to the film, so he arranged for Aidan to borrow a car to pick up Brian at the airport and drive his cousin cross-country to where the action was.

  When Aidan and Brian arrived, Eamon was galloping a powerful race horse up the sand dunes ahead of a pack of race horses, the open ocean sky as backdrop, horse and rider cutting down hard between two grassy hillocks, two horses right behind, many more strung out after them, all the horses breathing hard, hooves pounding, sand spraying, one horse and rider spilling, clusters of film crew watching, two cameras filming, John Ford directing.

  This was one of the long shots, so Eamon galloped hard for another 50 yards, saw the mark, then reined in his ride.

  But Brian wasn't watching his cousin winning the Race to the Sea as Sean Thornton. He had spied a boy standing with the crowd behind the crew and was wondering if that might be his son, Patrick.

  Brian was on the verge, and he stepped down into the sand slope and walked slowly, hesitantly, towards the boy.

  As the crowd shifted with the end of the shot, Brian saw a teenage girl and young man who had the look of a young priest, and he knew they were his children. He stopped, still at a distance.

  Tommy had been looking for their father and that's when he spied him. He called him out to Katie. He took Patrick's shoulder and pulled him to his side and planned their retreat if their father came closer. Just then, John Wayne stepped in to take Katie's hand and he twirled her around, then bowed to her.

  “Didn't know I was such a great rider, did you, Katie darling? I'm thinking about challenging your Uncle Eamon in next year's race and was wondering who you'd give your scarf to.”

  Katie turned to keep her eyes on her father, who had stopped dead in his tracks. Tommy's hand slid from Patrick's shoulder to his elbow and with a slight pull he did his exaggerated John Wayne imitation.

  “I say we mosey on over to Uncle Eamon and tell him we need to be aheadin' to the bunkhouse about now.”

  The actor laughed and led the children past the director and cameraman comparing notes and continued to where the horses were being cared for. Some of the riders were laughing, some were complaining, and they were all saddling fresh mounts as they refined their tactics for the next take, everyone determined to make it the last.

  “Nice riding there, Uncle Eamon. You make me look strong in the saddle.”

  “Rabbit took quite a tumble.”

  Tommy stepped close enough to his uncle for a private word.

  “Your cousin has arrived. He's over by the lunch table. We're ready to find a ride home.”

  “They're callin' for one more take. No one will be leavin' 'til it's done.”

  “So then you go tell him to keep his distance.”

  John Wayne overheard that last of it.

  “Is there something wrong?”

  Eamon nodded at Brian to hold him in his place, and Brian's gesture acknowledged the message.

  “Brian's arrived. An' it's been a long time since they've seen their father.”

  “Your cousin Brian? The man with the fishing lodge in Ontario?”

  “That's right.”

  “Brian is their father?”

  “My cousin is their da.”

  “Who left his children with you to raise so he could go build his fishing lodge?”

  Tommy answered.

  “He didn't leave us. He was told to stay away. An' he has, until now.”

  Inside the pub, the corner of the room where two small tables were pushed together was overflowing with Brian, Eamon, John Wayne, Victor McLaglen, and Barry Fitzgerald. Next to them were tables filled with crewmembers and extras.

  Tony, the big lad who helped rescue Kevin, was one of them.

  Brian quickly described the building of the fishing camp to everyone. They were delighted to hear stories of Joe Loon's clan. Then he turned his attention to John Wayne.

  “What I'm proud to be offerin' you is a trip of your own design. You say when you want to come, an' how long you want to stay, an' I say yes to whatever you say on the matter. Bring the friend you'd like to spend all day with in a boat, an' if ya' bring three friends we'll outfit two boats for ya'. An' you'll be there as my guest an' at my expense.”

  “Sounds like quite a place.”

  “An' the same offer is extended to you other gentlemen as well. All our cabins are nice, but we'll put you up in the best of the lot. You pay your way there and tip your guides, an' I'll take care of the rest of the expense.”

  “You're a generous man.”

  “Just eager to share this Eden with those who would appreciate it. One tradition we've already started is takin' a picture of all the guests, so I'd be takin' one of you an' your friends. It won't be seen anywhere but in the photo album we keep in the lodge.”

  “We'd be clear about that before I came up, sure.”

  “I'd love to hang it up, maybe in the cabin you stay in, or in the Great Lodge Hall I'm goin' to build after I stockpile enough of the biggest logs I can find. That's the next big project, to build a showplace of a lodge right in the middle of the cabins with an Irish pub and a dinin' hall. I'll cover its walls with moose an' bear heads, an' trophy fish mounts, an' maybe you'd like your picture in an honored spot.”

  “Where everyone could see it… Listen here, I told Eamon I'd hear your offer through, and I have. So let me think about it for a while, how's that? Eamon, can you set your cousin and me up for a meeting in the next couple of days? When do you head back?”

  “Friday.”

  “Okay, by Friday. We'll find the time by Friday to finish the discussion. Now we need to open this evening to other voices.”

  The next day Eamon wasn't needed on the set, so he was tending his cattle when Tommy walked up. He asked his uncle a few questions about the herd then abruptly changed the subject.

  “So, tell me why you had to invite him back.”

  “An' then you'll tell me why you won't ever forgive him?”

  “For Christ's sake, Uncle Eamon, because of the bruises. From his lower back down the backs of his legs to his knees, it was one solid bruise. I know you saw it.”

  “Of course, I saw.”

  “Well, later that night when no one was around, I touched it. I couldn't help it, I had to touch it, it didn't look real. His body's recoil… The bruised flesh, it moved… It seemed like its own kind of life… It looked evil… I can't ever forget the bruises, so I can't forgive his deed.”

  “I remember the bruises an' counted the days 'til they finally disappeared. It was twenty-three days before the last spoiled spot was
gone, but it was clear the damage ran deep, for he weren't gettin' any better as they vanished. An' I know about the nightmares an' the spells, an' I told you to go back to seminary once, an' I told you to go back twice, an' you were smart to do as I said, but it was me an' your aunt who came awake to his screams an' cared for him all those months he was afraid to sleep.”

  “An' I could only go back knowing you'd take care of him. I've thanked Christ for you every day.”

  “But has Katie told you Patrick's spells haven't gone away, an' her own nightmares just keep gettin' worse, or is she protectin' her brother from that sorry bit of news?”

  “You're not making much of a case for your cousin, reminding me of the damage he's done.”

  “All I'm makin' a case for is maybe, you think on it an' pray on it, but maybe they'll always be afraid of him as long as we treat him as somethin' monstrous.”

  “So you've forgiven him?”

  Eamon was quiet for a few moments. “Don't know if I will ever forgive him, Tommy. Any one of us who was there, I don't know, I would never expect it unless some act of grace shows me the way, but I do need to get reconciled with him.”

  “Reconciled?”

  “I get tired bein' angry with him. Your da was a brother to me. So many of the best memories of my life include him. It's hard work stayin' angry at such a big part of yourself so much of the time. I'm not sure but it's wearin' us all out.”

  “What he did was evil.”

  “He knows that. An' he knows it can never be like it didn't happen. But how can it stay like this? I'll tell you, it can't. He's not an evil man, he did an evil thing… He's my brother who one day, long ago, did an evil thing and has paid for it ever since.”

  “By your actions so shall ye be known.”

  “So then you might want to keep an eye on how often you find yourself actin' like one of them feckin' priests that acts just like a feckin' priest.”

  “What?”

  “I'm sure Father John is remindin' ya we're all sinners. Most Catholics are all too ready to believe that. You should consider it.”

  “Thanks for the advice.”

  “Here's some more. You don't have to forgive or even be reconciled with him to have a little sit down so he can get a good look at what a fine man you're becomin'. An' so you can hear a bit about what your da's been doin' livin' with the red men in the forests. It's really all quite remarkable.”

  “Not yet.”

  “He's only here two more days.”

  “I don't think I'll be letting go of the hate of him until he's had a chance to see how deep it goes.”

  When Kevin got the news Brian had arrived in Cong, he prepared to leave immediately. He closed his music shop and returned to his new apartment to pack a small travel bag. Before he left his apartment for the bus station, he heard a knock on the door. It was Timmy.

  “Bad news, Kev. The man yer lad clubbed with his hurling stick? He's never regained consciousness. They're saying his head got stove in real bad and he's gettin' weaker. We just foun' out.”

  “What should I tell the boy?”

  “To hide for now while we talk a bit.”

  When Kevin arrived in Cong, he found Brian down on the banks of the River with a small crowd of spectators gathered for the rehearsal of an important sequence in the big fight scene between Sean Thornton and Squire “Red” Will Danaher.

  Eamon and Victor McLaglen's double were being choreographed as Kevin caught Brian's eye and thought he detected some recognition.

  “You're Brian Burke?”

  “Yes, an' you… Are you Maureen's London friend?”

  “London? No. It was a pub in Donegal where we met. I'm Kevin Coogan. We spent some time talking over a pint.”

  “I remember.”

  “You look very well, indeed.”

  “We're grand. Just came back to enjoy this circus. We're in Canada now, me an' Maureen. We've gone into business together, in Ontario.”

  “Since I arrived here it does seem I've been hearing as much talk of your fishing lodge adventures among the red men as I have of the film. I've been looking for you since I heard you were here. I've some business I'd like to discuss with you and Maureen.”

  “She stayed behind. 'Tendin' to our holdin's' is how she put it.”

  “She's well?”

  “She's great.”

  “You've gotten married?”

  “No… we're engaged.”

  “Congratulations to both of you.”

  “I'll tell her you said so.”

  “I can do that myself when I see her.”

  “I said she didn't come.”

  “I've been hearing so much about your wilderness lodge… what do we call it?”

  “The Great Lodge at Innish Cove.”

  “We take our Irish souls around the world with us and make it a better place for it. I've often thought about that night I heard you telling us your dream. It seemed real enough even then.”

  “An' how is it you'll be seein' Maureen?”

  “Yes, you see, I'm a bit of a sporting man myself, and when I heard of your place, I thought I'd find you so we could talk about me booking a trip for me and some of the boyo's. I'm sure you'd be quoting us your friendliest rates.”

  “You want to book a trip to Innish Cove? That's grand. How many in your party?”

  “It would most likely be me and two others.”

  “You want to be thinkin' even numbers, you see, for our fishing boats are set up to take two fishermen each.”

  “Yes, well then, that should have been my first question. Are you just a fishing lodge? We would love to fish. But I was thinking these boyo's would be even more interested in going over for some hunting.”

  “We've not booked a huntin' trip yet. The season's still to come in the fall. But I have guides who would make it a grand adventure for you. Is it black bear, or moose?”

  “Both. What else you got?”

  “Lovely white-tailed deer. An' wolves, but I think I'm figurin' it out that the Ojibway don't like to see wolves hunted.”

  “So we won't shoot a wolf. How do I go about making arrangements?”

  “We pick the dates, an' I've got a paper with all the information you'll need in my suitcase. I'll give it to you tonight at the pub.”

  “We'll need rifles.”

  “You want me to get rifles for you?”

  “We're wing shooters here. We've just got shotguns.”

  “We'll get you rifles an' have 'em sighted an' ready for you.”

  They were prepared for the first take of the fight sequence, and the director called for quiet. Kevin took a half step back so he could keep his eye on Brian as Sean Thornton and “Red” Will Danaher knocked each other into the River.

  The day's filming ended as the afternoon sun began its descent. The technical crews stored equipment. The cast and village extras and village spectators collected into groups of friends and began to walk away from the movie location at the River. Some headed home, others headed towards the village center.

  Eamon and Katie walked down the street. Eamon's hair was wet after spending hours in the River faking throwing and taking punches, but he'd changed into a dry set of clothes. One punch inadvertently landed and there was a good sized bruise just below his right eye.

  At the shout of alarm, the crowd of movie crew jumped back, for a horse pulling a cart had been frightened and suddenly bolted with a little girl alone in the cart, screaming her fear. Katie was in harm's way, and when Eamon pulled her back, he lost any opportunity he might have had to stop the horse and cart from dashing into town.

  Brian and Kevin leaned forward as they walked up the short, steep section of street that led from the River up into town to the pub. From the street above they heard shouts of warning and the hard clash of hooves on stone and then around the corner galloped the out-of-control horse pulling a cart tipping on one wheel as it turned the corner nearly tossing the young girl who held on tightly, filling the air with sounds o
f her terror as the horse raced down the street toward them.

  As the cart slammed back on both wheels and jolted the horse to slow for a step Brian jumped into its path and grabbed at the harness to try to gain control, but the horse swerved and knocked Brian back with a fully weighted shoulder. Brian was sent flying back past Kevin who was dashing forward as Brian crash landed on the street, thrown hard against the curb.

  Kevin found Brian's action had slowed the cart so he yelled, “Jump!,” and the little girl did, right into Kevin's outstretched arms. As he caught her, the wheel of the cart crashed into him and knocked him down to the street where he rolled to protect the girl under him.

  The galloping horse and cart clattered away, down the hill and out of sight. Brian lay still on his back, his legs on the road, his torso on the sidewalk. Kevin sat up and checked on the little girl as her crying mother, other villagers, and movie crew came running.

  After Eamon had pulled Katie to safety he ran after the cart and she followed the crowd following the horse. She caught up with the scene in time to see her uncle kneel over her father.

  She ran to her uncle's side. Most of the crowd had gathered around Kevin and the girl, making sure she was all right, then making sure he was all right.

  Brian was not responding to his name, and Eamon leaned closer to check his breathing.

  Katie leaned against her uncle to get a closer look at her father. “Is he hurt? What happened to him?”

  Kevin got to his feet with the little girl in his arms and handed her into her mother's care. He joined Eamon standing over Brian, and he placed his hand on Katie's shoulder.

  “He helped save this little girl from the cart. He threw himself into the horse to slow it enough for the girl to jump.”

  “Get the doctor. Get some water.”

  Brian opened his eyes. It took a moment to realize where he was.

  “What happened?”

  “The horse knocked you to the curb.”

  “The little girl?”

  “Kevin saved her.”

  Brian turned to find Kevin, but it hurt to move his head. He closed his eyes again.