When the bells went down next morning at five, and all were warned they were required at once to fight the whole Rescue Squad, now turned mutinous, the two Regulars dressed in about thirty seconds. In the grey water light of dawn, his wife’s eyes in tears forgotten, they showed no sign, even about their mouths, of the night they had spent. Richard was so stiff he could scarcely move. He was also extremely nervous. The only trace of those Rescue men was some shouting in the distance. He was still doing up his belt as Chopper, back already, for in the time it had taken Richard to get his gear on this man had dressed and been along to see, called out to Wal, “Why wait, let’s go,” and pulled out his axe. Richard’s one thought now was, would he have time to piss. Then Pye came along, walking with exaggerated calm, but too worked up to speak educated. He said, “Now, Chopper, what’s the bloody rush? What are they goin’ to say at the station? Do you know they ’ad to wake the great Dodge ’isself to give me orders to call you lads out. I would never do it else. We’re not ’ere to control riots. Now we don’t want to get into nothing. An’ I’ve ’ad no orders direct, the Old Man was too wide for that, ’e can easy forget what ’e told Nobby I was to do. There’s the ’ole fighting squad from Bow Street up this lane. Let them take care of it. I said to Nobby on the other end, I says, ‘The Old Man can easy forget, can’t he? ’Ow do I stand? Oh, no thanks, no for yours truly.’ The Brigade broke a man, demoted ’im for something like it in nineteen eleven. I said to Nobby . . .” and Pye carried on talking to the Regulars, Wal and Chopper. Piper said “That’s right” to something Richard had not heard, for Richard could wait no longer. He had to. So he went up to Wal. He asked permission, as he might have done in class at school. This man looked at him expressionless, said no word, unbuttoned his own trousers and, for answer, sprang a leak on to the pavement. More modest, Richard moved to the wall.