One Hundred Names (Special Edition)

we would very much like to achieve this. We have held cake sales, garage sales, all kinds of community events, but sadly we could only raise four hundred and twenty-one euro and nine cent, not enough, so we will do it alone but we need people’s support.’
    ‘Why do you need the money?’
    ‘The cost of the adjudication service is between four thousand and five thousand per day, depending on the location. We would have to fly the adjudicator over from London. We have decided not to go through with this idea and so will attempt the record alone.’
    ‘But isn’t the adjudicator necessary?’
    ‘No. We can still attempt to make the record and send our evidence to them but they reserve the right not to get back to us.’
    ‘But we do know of an adjudicator who will be in Ireland this Thursday,’ Achar finally spoke. ‘A friend of ours who works in Cork tells us he knows of a record attempt where a judge will be present.’
    ‘Achar, we talked about this,’ Jedrek interrupted. ‘We cannot accost a judge for another attempt. It does not work that way.’
    ‘And I say we at least
try
, Jedrek.’
    They stared at one another.
    ‘We will discuss this later,’ Jedrek said firmly, then turned his attention back to Kitty. ‘So. Will you write our story, Miss Logan?’
    Kitty looked at Tom the photographer. He popped a cherry bakewell into his mouth and examined what else he could eat on the table. She wasn’t even sure if he’d listened to any of that.
    ‘Let me get this straight,’ Kitty said. ‘You are both unemployed airplane engineers who lost your jobs and as a result of being unable to find work you are attempting a world record at being the fastest two men in a one-hundred-metre pedalo dash?’ She looked from one to the other.
    ‘Yes, that’s correct,’ Jedrek said sombrely.
    Kitty started laughing.
    ‘I knew she would not take us seriously.’ Achar stood up, angrily.
    ‘No! Wait! I’m sorry for laughing. You misunderstood. I’m laughing because I’m happy, excited,
relieved
,’ she grinned. ‘Of course I would love to write your story.’
    ‘You would?’ Achar asked, surprised.
    ‘And I think you should attempt your record bid this week, in Cork.’
    ‘I told you.’ Achar looked at Jedrek. Jedrek didn’t look convinced. ‘What is wrong, Jedrek? This is exactly what you were hoping for.’
    He narrowed his eyes at Kitty. ‘Miss Logan says she did not receive our press release and that she was here for other matters. Before I agree to her writing our story, I would like to know what exactly brings her here.’
    Jedrek watched the journalist from his seat in the pedalo. She was one of only two reporters who had bothered to show up despite their sending a press release to almost every publication, news and radio board in Ireland. She was standing on the edge of Malahide Estuary surrounded by swans, which were begging her for bread. She was wafting them away and continuing to speak into her phone.
    ‘What do you think?’ Achar asked, watching his friend. ‘She seems to be interested in us.’
    ‘Yes,’ Jedrek replied, distracted. She was currently arguing with somebody on the phone – her editor it sounded like – and this was not a good sign to Jedrek, though he didn’t want to worry his friend Achar. She was insisting she would tell her editor something on Friday and not a minute before. Jedrek liked that she was fighting for them – it was about time things moved in his and Achar’s favour – but this lady wasn’t just fighting for them, that much was obvious.
    Achar looked at Jedrek with concern. ‘She wants us to break the record by the end of this week. Are we ready to do this in three days?’
    ‘Achar, we are more than ready. How long have we been training for this, my friend?’
    ‘Nine months.’
    ‘And how many days a week have we put into this?’
    ‘Five days.’
    ‘Exactly. Did we let the wind or rain, the ice or hail set us off course since we began our training?’
    ‘No, Jedrek.’
    ‘Even illnesses. I recall you and I both with flu and coughs and near fever out here in the boat. We have dedicated every free moment we have to this training. Our families, our friends, the boys in the pub and club, the sailing club, they are all supporting us. We are ready for this, Achar.’
    ‘Yes, Jedrek.’ Achar seemed to raise a few feet in the air as his back straightened and he pulled his shoulders back.
    Achar was easily boosted in this way and Jedrek was