`00:00:00`
Nothing happened.
The clock sat at zero in the corner of the screen. The presenter sat under it with her hands folded on the desk and said, carefully, that the British ultimatum had now formally expired, and that as of this moment Dublin had received no further communication from the Crown.
Then she said nothing at all for three seconds, which on live television was a very long time.
Finn was the first to speak.
"Did anyone actually think he'd ring ahead?"
"I wouldn't mind a few more minutes of nothing," said Cillian. "Honestly. Nothing's grand. I'd take nothing."
"Shut up," said Maeve. "Both of you."
The presenter had a hand pressed to her earpiece.
---
"We're getting—" She stopped and listened. "We're getting reports from County Louth."
