Page 175 of The Armor of Light

‘We better save him.’

‘Yes.’ Amos went up to Pidgeon and said: ‘Time to go home, Jim. It’s late and you’re drunk.’

‘I’m all right,’ said Jim. ‘I’m just talking to this girl. Her name is Mademoiselle Stephanie Marchmount.’

‘And mine’s William Pitt the Younger,’ said Amos. ‘Let’s get going.’

The woman who called herself Stephanie said: ‘Why don’t you mind your own bloody business?’

Amos took Jim firmly by the arm.

Stephanie screeched: ‘Leave him be!’ She flew at Amos and scratched his face.

He batted her hand aside.

Three men were standing nearby, talking to another pretty girl. One of them turned and said: ‘What’s going on?’

‘My friend is drunk,’ said Amos, hand to his bleeding cheek. ‘We’re going home before the press gang gets him. And you might think about doing the same.’

‘Press gang?’ the man said. He was fuddled, but enlightenment slowly dawned on his face. ‘Is the press gang here?’

Amos looked towards the back of the room and saw three tough-looking men coming in, led by a fourth in the uniform of a naval officer. ‘Look there,’ he said, pointing. ‘They just walked in.’

Stephanie waved to them. The men moved fast, as if repeating actions they had taken many times, and in a second they were at her side. She pointed to Jim.

The officer said: ‘Stand aside, you men.’

One of the toughs grabbed Jim, who was helpless to resist. Hamishhit the second tough with a mighty roundhouse punch, knocking him down. The third man punched Amos in the belly, a hard blow accurately directed, and Amos doubled over in agony. The man came at him with a flurry of punches. Amos was tall and strong, but he was no street fighter, and he struggled to protect himself, backing away through the crowd.

But the bystanders were not neutral. The press gang was every man’s enemy. Those nearest to Amos joined in the fight. They attacked the man punching Amos and drove him back.

That gave Amos a moment to take stock. The fighting had become general, men yelling and lashing out indiscriminately while women screamed. Hamish had grabbed Jim and was trying to separate him from his captor. Amos went to Hamish’s assistance but a bystander saw his fine clothes, assumed he was on the side of the press gang, and threw a wild punch at him. It was a lucky blow and caught him under the chin. He blacked out for a moment and found himself on the floor. It was no place to be in the middle of a riot, but he was too dazed to stand.

He managed to struggle to his knees. Then someone grabbed him under the arms and he saw the welcome face of Hamish, who hauled him up and slung him over one wide shoulder. Amos went limp, giving himself up to fate. His feet bashed against people’s bodies as Hamish thrust his way through the crowd. A few seconds later he breathed cold fresh air. Hamish carried him some distance away from the tavern, then set him on his feet leaning against a wall.

‘Can you stand?’ Hamish said.

‘I think so.’ Amos’s legs felt weak but he remained upright.

Hamish laughed. ‘That was quite a ruckus.’ He had clearly enjoyed it. ‘The Stephanie woman spoiled your face, though. You used to be quite handsome.’

Amos’s hand went to his cheek and came away bloody. ‘I’ll heal,’ he said. ‘Where’s Jim Pidgeon?’

‘I had to leave him behind. I couldn’t carry you and fight the press gang at the same time.’

‘I hope he got away,’ said Amos.

‘I suppose we’ll find out tomorrow at breakfast.’

Next morning there was no sign of Jim Pidgeon.

*

Elsie put her three sons to bed one by one. This was her favourite time of day. She loved the quiet time with the children, and she also looked forward to the moment when they were all asleep and she could rest.

She began with the littlest, Richie, who was two years old. He was blond, like Kenelm, and promised to be handsome. She knelt by his cot and said a short prayer. When it ended, he said ‘Amen’ with her. It was one of his few words, along withmama,poo-pooandno.

Billy was next. He was four, and a bundle of energy. He could sing, and count, and contradict his mother, and run, though not fast enough to escape from her. He said the Lord’s Prayer along with her.