The Small Back Room Page #7

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Your boss, heaven knows who.

No family.

Professor Mair knows all about it...

and heaven can wait.

I've got a list of things here I'd like.

Yes.

All right.

You'd better hear Stuart's notes.

Well, would you like to tell me

how he worked?

He used a field telephone

all the time he was working...

explaining what he was doing

and all sorts of other things.

I'm afraid it's a bit of a jumble.

I... I haven't had time to sort it all out.

The things I saw and things he said.

I have to read it all back to you

as it happened.

Oh, they're your own shorthand notes,

are they?

- Of course.

- Why, of course?

- Nobody else could read them back.

- Oh, I see.

All right. Let's go, shall we?

"0645 hours.

Wire tested and found in order.

"Captain Stuart went out,

and we saw him get into the slit trench.

- 0647... "

- Slit trench?

Yes, sir. Captain Stuart

dug them both himself, for both bombs.

- Oh, I see.

- "0647.

"Well, here we are at Wembley.

"It's a lovely day.

"Sun and a slight breeze blowing

from the pavilion end.

"Ground looks in beautiful condition.

"Must be quite

a hundred thousand people here.

"The king hasn't come yet.

0648. I'm putting

the reaching rods together. "

Yes, I know all about the tests.

We agreed them together.

Let me hear from where

he really gets down to it.

Able-Baker-Charlie-Dog.

Able-Baker-Charlie-Easy.

Able-Baker-Charlie-George.

Able-Baker-Charlie-Dog.

- Able-Baker-Charlie...

- Let's check the wire, Sergeant.

- Yes, sir.

- See they do it properly.

"0747.

"Well, unless the electricity

they taught me is all wrong...

"it ought to be hunky-dory.

"Think I better

just tremble the trembler and see.

"Yes. Seems okay.

"0749.

"Well, boys, unless there's

a very small man inside with a lighted match...

"I think that's probably all right.

"There will be special matinees

this week on Wednesdays and Fridays.

"Just let's have another look.

"What's this hole?

"0752.

"No. Positively no deception.

Bob's your uncle.

"I don't see...

"why they wanted so long lead.

"The insulator?

"At this point...

"0754...

"the explosion occurred.

"The transmitter was destroyed.

"At the time...

"Captain Stuart was kneeling upright...

"with what appeared to be the cap...

in his hand. "

Thanks very much.

It's all right, sir.

- Do the clothes fit?

- Yes, they'll do.

Good. I think we've got

everything you asked for.

Reaching rods. Clamps.

That's the very job.

You'll find the hot pads

in this thermos.

Where are the pipe wrenches?

Oh, you've got them, Cartwright.

Sir.

Yes, they're all right.

- Shall we go then?

- Yes. Uh...

A few addresses,

just, uh, in case I don't bring it off.

Can I be phoned here?

Yes. Of course. Oh, Tyler.

- Sir!

- I'll warn the post office.

- All set.

- Okay?

Here they are, Sarge.

Telephone!

- All right, lad?

- Fine.

- All set?

- Stethoscope.

Yes, sir.

You'll find it'll play out quite easily, sir.

Drop your head when you want to speak.

- Right.

- Shall I carry the bag, sir?

- No, give it to me.

- You can see the flag, sir. Good luck.

- Good luck.

- Good luck, sir.

- All the best, sir. - Good

luck, old man. - All right.

It's a bigger sea running

than this morning.

Further down the coast,

there's a good stretch for surfing.

- You ever done any of that?

- Yes, but not for 10 years.

Stop.

All right.

Shall I take it now?

Are you gonna start

with the same tests that Stuart did?

Yes. There's always the chance

this one might be different.

That's what I thought.

Well, you sure you can manage?

Suppose I'll have to.

Yes. Well, good luck.

Good luck, my boy.

Make way.

- All right here?

- Yes.

I'm just testing the wire. Give me a wave

if you can hear me, will you?

Testing wire, sir.

I hear him loud and clear.

Right.

I'm burying the earthing rods.

I'm now going to test it for metal.

Says, "These pebbles are the devil.

"I slipped and nearly clouted it.

I'm trying now for heat. "

He's out of the trench.

He's about halfway up to it.

"I am placing stethoscope beside bomb. "

- No ticking, sir.

- Look, all these wires are a bit of a nuisance.

I'm gonna take this thing off,

put it on the ground...

and speak into it

when I have something to say.

First of all, I'll try and get the clamps

on the bomb to hold it...

and then work on it with the wrenches,

just like Stuart did.

He'll be in trouble with the clamps

on those pebbles.

He's got the clamps

and the pipe wrenches out.

He says, "I've got the jaws in line.

Now I'll tighten them. "

Says, "This is trickier than I thought.

They're bound to pull the bomb a bit

when they grip. "

Well, here goes.

Crikey!

Well, that's got the first one on.

It moved a bit, but, uh...

as you all gather, nothing happened.

I'm sweating like a pig.

I must mop off.

Now for the second clamp.

I'm going to move some of these pebbles.

You dare.

"I'm putting on the second clamp.

"Much easier.

"Okay, it's on.

"Now for the wrenches.

I'm going to unscrew the cap

exactly as Stuart did. "

Says, "Very difficult.

Should have waited a bit

before starting again. "

Says, "Too much whisky.

Could do with one now. "

Done it! Done it, sir!

Yes, it's just as Stuart says.

The clock mechanism is in the head.

There's a long lead coming out of it...

with two flat bits attached,

which may be insulators.

In the top of the body there's a simple

trembler tongue lying between terminals.

I'm earthing them.

And this is where Stuart went wrong.

I can see the hole

going down into the body.

And as Stuart says,

the long lead seems too long.

Now what?

Says, "I think I've got it.

"There's a shorter and a longer lead.

"The shorter lead

winds right up into the clock...

so that no lead is left showing. "

That's what fooled Stuart.

I can just see the ends of the insulators.

The lead which Stuart found

must go to a second trembler fuse in the body.

It's a double booby trap.

"Jerry certainly is no gentleman.

I am going to look for another way

into the body. "

Yes. There is another way in.

There's a cap on each end...

only one's obvious, and the other isn't.

Well, I suppose this is where I go to work

with the pipe wrenches again.

"I am now going to unscrew

the second cap.

Stand by.

This is where we came in. "

Steady.

Wait a minute.

Christmas, this may not be so easy.

If the second trembler's in the body,

then it's all right to unscrew the cap.

But if it's in the cap, then unscrewing it

will send the whole thing up.

So I've gotta make up my mind whether

to hold the body still and unscrew the cap...

or hold the cap still

and unscrew the body.

"Three-to-one

that it's the cap I have to unscrew.

Any takers?"

He's got the pipe wrench

on the other end.

I must do it. I must!

He's all in.

He'll never make it.

I must.

If that wrench slips, he's had it.

- He's down.

- Stand clear!

Hold on, Rice! I'm coming!

Interfering son of a...

- I think you've done enough.

- Stay where you are.

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