Doomsday Book Read Online Free PDF Page B

Pocahontas's robe and all that?"
    Dunworthy remembered Pocahontas's robe as being a completely uninteresting scrap of stiff grayish material much like Colin's intended muffler. "I'd suggest the Natural History Museum."
    There was a rattle of tinsel and some "Ding Dong, Merrily on High" and Dunworthy looked anxiously over at the door. His secretary was standing on the threshold, squinting blindly into the pub.
    "Perhaps I should send Colin up Carfax Tower to vandalize the carillon," Mary said.
    "It's Finch," Dunworthy said, and put his hand up so he could see them, but he had already started for their table. "I've been looking for you everywhere, sir," he said. "Something's gone wrong."
    "With the fix?"
    His secretary looked blank. "The fix? No, sir. It's the Americans. They've arrived early."
    "What Americans?"
    "The bellringers. From Colorado. The Western States' Women's Guild of Change and Handbell Ringers."
    "Don't tell me you've imported more Christmas bells," Mary said.
    "I thought they were supposed to arrive on the twenty- second," Dunworthy said to Finch.
    "This is the twenty-second," Finch said. "They were to arrive this afternoon but their concert at Exeter was cancelled, so they're ahead of schedule. I called Mediaeval, and Mr. Gilchrist told me he thought you'd gone out to celebrate." He looked at Dunworthy's empty mug.
    "I'm not celebrating," Dunworthy said. "I'm waiting for the fix on one of my students." He looked at his watch. "It will take at least another hour."
    "You promised you'd take them on a tour of the local bells, sir."
    "There's really no reason why you need to be here," Mary said. "I can ring you at Balliol as soon as the fix is in."
    "I'll come when we have the fix," Dunworthy said, glaring at Mary. "Show them round the college and then give them lunch. That should take an hour."
    Finch looked unhappy. "They're only here until four o'clock. They have a handbells concert tonight in Ely, and they're extremely eager to see Christ Church's bells."
    "Then take them to Christ Church. Show them Great Tom. Take them up in St. Martin's tower. Or take them round to New College. I will be there as soon as I can."
    Finch looked like he was going to ask something else and then changed his mind. "I'll tell them you'll be there within the hour, sir," he said and started for the door. Halfway there he stopped and came back. "I almost forgot, sir. The vicar called to ask if you'd be willing to read the Scripture for the Christmas Eve interchurch service. It's to be at St. Mary the Virgin's this year."
    "Tell him yes," Dunworthy said, thankful that he'd given up on the change ringers. "And tell him we'll need to get into the belfry this afternoon so I can show these Americans the bells."
    "Yes, sir," he said. "What about Iffley? Do you think I should take them out to Iffley? They've a very nice eleventh century."
    "By all means," Dunworthy said. "Take them to Iffley. I will be back as soon as I can ."
    Finch opened his mouth and closed it again. "Yes, sir," he said, and went out the door to the accompaniment of "The Holly and the Ivy."
    "You were a bit hard on him, don't you think?" Mary asked. "After all, Americans can be terrifying."
    "He'll be back in five minutes asking me whether he should take them to Christ Church first," Dunworthy said. "The boy has absolutely no initiative."
    "I thought you admired that in young people," Mary said wryly. "At any rate, he won't go running off to the Middle Ages."
    The door opened, and "The Holly and the Ivy" started up again. "That'll be him wanting to know what he should give them for lunch."
    "Boiled beef and overcooked vegetables," Mary said. "Americans love to tell stories about our dreadful cooking. Oh, dear."
    Dunworthy looked toward the door. Gilchrist and Latimer stood there, haloed in the gray light from outside. Gilchrist was smiling broadly and saying something over the bells. Latimer struggled to collapse a large black umbrella.
    "I suppose we've got to be civil