'Sweet Jesus, she's coming through.' He picked up a small piece of rock and dropped it into the bucket, careful to avoid a splashback...pladoumph.... 'Oh my word, it's a girl... she's beautiful.' He heard the others roar again, and started to chuckle to himself. 'Poor old bastard,' said Thomas Dungate, the kitchen cleaner. 'He's on that sea-food diet.' The staff chuckled like giggly children. 'He sees food and bloody well eats it.' By now Anne's sides were hurting, tears were streaming down her face, and the whole place was filled with laughter. Johnny emerged from the bucket room, panting. 'Bless the Lord, Anne; you are indeed an angel, that's the best part of me gone.' 'You've lost some weight there John,' said Thomas. 'You'll be wearing last year's trousers at this rate...' Suddenly there was an ear-bursting thwack. The manager of the olde inn had smashed a thick cane across one of the dense wooden tables. 'What be this ... What be this witchcraft going on? Taking the Lord's name in vain ... next »