Chapter 83

David was standing in the ringing room of the Cathedral having helped to ring up the smaller front six bells with the local band. The local band had included the Tower Captain and Mavis and another of Archie’s ringing mentors Richard. The Tower Captain felt gobsmacked when a noticeably bruised Archie walked into the ringing room, as it was only in the previous hour that David himself had made sure that Archie was secure within the underground room.

The Tower Captain responded quickly and hid his excitement. David recognised that this suggestion by a ‘beaten up’ Archie fitted well within their overall scheme. David played along. By Archie taking the tenor, Archie would pull the bell that would knock Emma into oblivion above. The irony was exquisite, and not lost on David. It would be a fitting, and hopefully final, ending for them both. The action of pulling the tenor rope was likely to do much more than Archie would normally expect. At the very least he would knock himself unconscious and escape with a minor injury and at worst he had a good chance of never ringing or doing any activity ever again. Perhaps it would be a slow death; David mused.

As the bell crashed through the wooden stay the rope would wrap up into the ringing chamber ceiling, the tail end of which Archie would be holding. It would happen so quickly that Archie would be off his feet and hitting his head on the ceiling joists, probably before realising he should have let go.

The Tower Captain nodded to Archie. This signal of confirmation was enough to say that it was alright for Archie to take the tenor. Archie and the Tower Captain were to begin the most memorable ring of their lives. The Tower Captain wanted the tenor bell to be involved and moving about in the method and therefore shouted, “Right, a half course of Yorkshire Royal.”

If they all pulled together as a band, the ringers knew that the method had the potential to sound very musical, to ripple along, and produce a beautiful ring.

Archie was concentrating as intensely as he had concentrated during any previous mission. Having saved Emma from her certain fate, he now had to ensure that he did not allow his bell to touch the stay. The crucial part would be when the method came to an end and all the ringers would have to stand their bells to stop them swinging and bring the reverberations of sound and movement of rope and ringer and bell to an end. If Archie allowed his bell to touch its stay with the normal amount of force, it would be certain to break through the weakened piece of wood.

The Yorkshire Royal sounded like a set piece. Archie, the Tower Captain, Mavis and David were all engrossed in their own thoughts. David and the Tower Captain could not help but glance at Archie every so often out of the corner of their eyes, this would be the end to all the spying and to any risk that lay in the way of their future fortunes. All the work that had taken place to ensure the smooth operation from South America and across the UK would now be worthwhile.

Everyone in the ringing chamber felt part of a special piece of bell-ringing. It was the build up to greater things. The type of experience that you want to go on and on and on. When it does come to an end you want to share what you have felt during the event. For David, the Tower Captain and Mavis, they could not share why this was such a special ring for them. Each of those in the know were ringing as if there was no tomorrow, totally absorbed and entwined within the moment, aware that they were on the edge of much more exciting and enriched lives.

The half course was nearly up and the Tower Captain was brimming with anticipation. He did not often feel how he felt at this moment and it was definitely not possible for him to put the experience into words. He knew that the band were less than a minute away from removing Archie permanently. He kept telling himself to concentrate and finally shouted “Plain Hunt,” which would bring the ringers back into rounds within the next few moments.

Archie knew that he had to bring his bell to a stop and rest it exactly on the balance without letting it touch the stay. He was nervous. His thoughts remained on Emma. She would ensure that he could cope with this. His operation would rightfully succeed. The perpetrators would be brought to justice, with only a few seconds to go now. The Yorkshire Royal had come to a close, the band were ringing rounds, they were about to stand their bells.