Play@YSDC

Seamus dives for the nearest pew waving to those still looking that there's more room.

"So you can luft that waffe straight up your bum!"

Laura shrieked and dove under the nearest pew in panic. "They're coming back?!" she cried. "Oh, not again! I can't take much more of this!"

The two old ladies continued with their knitting as if nothing was amiss. "Keep calm, lassie," said Maggie Duncan. "There's no cause for alarm. We'll be perfectly safe down here."

Seamus winks at Laura, "Darlin', why don't ya come down here?I'll keep ya safe. I promise." Sleaze drips from every word.

Archie rolls his eyes. "Yes, thank you old son, less of the night club patter if you please. We are under a church after all. Now we don't know if the planes we can hear are friend or foe, and even if they are foe, they may fly right over us and ignore us."

Archie continues to circle the room, making sure everyone is as calm and comfortable as circumstances will allow. He goes back to humming 'I vow to thee, my country'.

Benjamin closes his eyes and puts his hands over his ears. His lips can be seen moving in silent prayer.

Maggie frowned and tsked at Seamus. Laura just looked away from him in disgust.

"Thank you," Giles rasped to Archie. "I must admit that I'm sorely tempted to ask him to leave, but I couldn't do that to anyone."

Archie pats Giles gently on the shoulder. "Room in this Inn for everyone tonight."

He stands in the middle of the basement, head cocked to one side, listening carefully for planes and bombs, then goes back to quietly singing...

"I vow to thee, my country, all earthly things above,
Entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love..."

Seamus laughs to himself and shakes his head. He finds the whole thing rather ridiculous.

"My apologies everyone. Didn't realize your God was so sensitive. Would he be offended if I insulted the devil himself?"

He reads the disgust in the room and raises his hand to silence any would be scoldings. "I'll keep the peace and be a good little alter boy."

Seamus struggles to swallow the several one liners that flood his mind.

"No indeed Mrs Duncan; these youngsters are too flighty and no mistake. Oh bother! I just dropped a stitch. Mind you, my ears aren't what they used to be." Mrs Cruckshank stares hard at the ceiling and then goes back to her knitting.

Archie, still standing tall (well, actually short) with the conviction of the righteous, looks over / down at Seamus. "You don't need to stay silent, old son, just a bit respectful of others."

Archie continues to prowl around the basement, pausing in his singing every now and then to listen carefully.

Benjamin dares to open his eyes, and seeing that the world is still there, he uncovers his ears and asks, Hmm, do you think this could have been a false alarm?

Seamus delivers yet another infuriating laugh in response to the tension. He looks towards Benjamin, "Only one way to tell, pops."

He gets out from under the pew and smirks at Archie as he passes. He approaches the exit and turns around, "I doubt anyone would object. Perhaps it would even prove your convictions. Mind if I volunteer to be the guinea pig?"

Archie looks alarmed. "Hold on, old son, you're not a prisoner but that isn't a good idea. The all clear has not sounded. I'm far more interested in having a live Irishman than a dead guinea pig. I don't even know your name."

"Ha! Fancy hearin' that from a Brit!" Seamus chuckles yet again.
"Believe you me, I ain't brave by any stretch but something just isn't right. When have you known a bombing raid to last this long without any actually fecking bombs?"
He pauses for emphasis.
"I'll just peek me 'ead out. I promise."

Benjamin nods emphatically. I agree, something does not feel right here. By this time, something should have happened, one way or another. If you could have a quick look, I'd be very grateful."

Mrs Cruckshank looks up over her flying needles at the Irishman; they were all crazy, that breed.

Archie sighs. "Well, my observation is Jerry doesn't always announce his arrival, nor do bombing raids run to a schedule. And your life is not worthless to me. Apart from anything, I've known plenty of brave Irishmen who served in the Royal Navy in the last war or this one, or indeed both, and not just Irishmen from the North, mind."

"If you must risk being blown to kingdom come, just open the door and look for a second then come back."

Seamus mockingly bows and goes to the hatch. As he undoes the door he yells behind him, "I don't think it so odd to want answers.
The alarm sounded an age ago and there were no bombs. Unless the planes have been circling all this time, there were no planes in the first place. Now Hilter may be a coupe missing a couple tires but he's a frugal man.
You have to be when you're fighting the world. Not only would he not waste the petrol but he wouldn't risk losing the planes. Something else is up here."

He turns to the group as he gets the hatch undone. "Besides, if I have to hear another of these jolly songs I may blow me own brains out! Might as well give the Nazis first cracking at it!" Seamus cackles as he lifts the hatch high enough to fit his head and shoulders out.

Seamus opened the basement door and climbed the stairs to the ground floor of the church. There was no light, as the windows were all shrouded by blackout curtains and the large front doors were shut. He could now hear the drone of aircraft engines far overhead and in the distance, though they were getting closer...

OOC,There is no hatch. The basement of the church has been converted to a shelter.