Chapter 2: The Comedy continues

It was a later meeting of the group that Percy made an expected announcement, "I've found the perfect set of rooms, they are currently in use but I've been advised that as soon as they've finished we can rent them."

Catesby smiled, "That's good, we're start getting the gunpowder arranged and stored nearby, it doesn't matter now if we are slightly delayed, we've got things under control." He said.

Percy looked embarrassed, "I don't know about a short delayed, they're dragging their heels in over the Union Bill, and that's what's holding us up, it could be months before they've finished and we're going to miss the opening!" He said.

"So what are we going to do now?" Fawkes asked, he was looking forward to showing off his skills in tunnelling and didn't like setbacks.

"We keep storing the gunpowder so that we can quickly move it, and so it should be quite safe there." Catesby said — the team had rented some lodgings near the target house, it had a landing on the Thames and so they were able to bring barrels of gunpowder up the river to the lodgings.

"It's being stored correctly? You can't let the powder get wet you know." Fawkes asked concerned as these people didn't really know what they were dealing with.

"Don't worry it's all firmly under control." Catesby said reassuringly

Lord Howard, however, was getting angry. "Well? Just what have they done?" He asked an underling who had been assigned to help Catesby's group.

"It's the bloody rooms they've rented..." The man said he was also annoyed, "The only one available is in use at the moment, and I can't..." He wasn't allowed to finish as Howard had risen to his feet.

"SO?" he shouted and then lowered his tone, "Get them out of there! Tell them the rooms are needed for important work!" He said in a tone that implied his anger at his minion for not doing so.

"Bu ... bu ... but y'Lordship, it's the Scottish Commissioners! They're working on the Union Bill. There's no way I can stop them!" He pointed out

Howard stopped and rubbed his chin, "Hmm, I see ... so what else are they doing? I hope they're not trying to talk to Philip again?" He asked.

"No y'Lordship, I managed to get them a place nearby to store the powder, it's slightly damp being near the river but should be fine for them." He said

"Well I suppose they know how to look after the stuff, very well carry on and I want reports on a regular basis." Howard said dismissing the man and missing the look that was given to him on his remark.

In another office, Robert Cecil was listening to a similar report from one of his spies, "you were right in assuming they would try for that room Sir." That worthy said to his chief, "I've ensured that there aren't any other suitable locations available." He said with a smile on his face,

Cecil nodded, he was pleased as well. "Good and I can ensure that the commissioners will deal with the bill very carefully, we need time to prepare everything to catch them in the act." He said

"With you permission sir, why don't we just go ahead now and take them all, we could get them for conspiracy of treason, wouldn't that be enough?" The man asked.

Cecil snorted, "Not really, yes we'd be able to charge them, but where's the actual proof? We'd have to show that they wanted to blow up the King, and without being able to question them properly there's a chance that they'd get away to do it again. No, we have to catch them in the act so that we'd be free to use all necessary force to question them, that way we'd have everyone involved..."

- "Hold on a moment, everyone knows they used torture on their prisoners, it's in the history books!" Kathy said.

- "No so, it was a surprisingly enlightened time, there were very few crimes that allowed the use of torture to get information, normally incarceration was used to hold the prisoner until they offered to talk, if only to return to their families. With clear evidence of treason they could induce the prisoner to talk, but as Cecil said there is no real proof at the moment." Robert replied

- "I'm going to have to re-read the stories again I suppose?" Kathy said.

- "Or open your mind to the Priests and let them show you ... but later." Cathy said, "I want to see more of this."

" ... so as you see we have to catch them in the act before we can proceed, it's not nice but that is the law." Cecil finished as if no time had passed, which of course for them it hadn't.

The spy nodded, "Of course your Lordship, what should we do about them now?" He asked.

Cecil thought for a moment, "I wouldn't worry about them, keep an eye on them but they are not really cut out for manual work, I would think they'd be expanding their workforce shortly, get involved in that and I'll ensure that you are not mentioned in any reports, we do need you. I'll arrange for the Union Bill to take it's time, after the start of this session of Parliament at least. Keep an eye on them and try to get more involved, thank you Johnson, you may go." He said and dismissed Ben Johnson from his presence.

In early December 1604 the Commissioners finished their work and the bill was presented to the King for his perusal before it was passed onto Parliament — although the Commons and the Lords had to vote on the bill before the King could grant it added to the constitution.

The rooms were vacated and the Lord Percy and his 'manservant' John Johnson — actually Guy Fawkes — took residence.

Their first task was to get provisions into the rooms, enough to last the group while they tunnelled under the Houses of Parliament. Fawkes was supposed to be Percy's man looking after the rooms while his master was not there, it was a good cover as Fawkes wasn't as well known as the other conspirators.

Catesby was the first one to start digging, "We do this for the future of Catholics in England." He said as he removed the first stone from the floor, the group started to remove a wide area of stones to show the ground beneath.

Using a variety of tools, some resembling modern pick-axes, to dig through the packed soil and shovels to remove the soil which was placed into sacks. It was difficult work, especially for these men for as Cecil had predicted they were not used to such heavy digging. But due to their faith they were at the main wall of the Parliament buildings.

Catesby decided that it wouldn't be right to dig through the Christmas period and so they paused to celebrate the festival with their families.

But the feeling of goodwill wasn't shared, "So have they started yet?" Howard demanded of his spy.

"Oh yes y'honour, but from the way they're rubbing their arms I'd bet none of thems done an honest days' work before." The man said with a laugh.

Howard sighed and shook his head, "Well you'd better suggest to them that they need more help, at this rate they'll be digging until next December, and we want action earlier than then." He said.

"Certainly y'Lordship, I'll try my best." The spy said and found himself being held by his jerkin.

"You will ensure that they listen to you, or you'll never talk to anyone again!" Howard said into the spy's face.

The man pulled back and nodded, "Yes y'Lordship, certainly y'Lordship, they'll do as I tell them." He said and quickly ran from the room.

Howard shook his head, why did he have to work with amateurs? He called for another man. "Williams come in here!"

The unfortunate one arrived quickly, he had been in the next room, and stood before his master. "Yes your Lordship?" He asked.

"I'm not happy with this gunpowder thing, we need some way to get them inside the Parliament buildings, as close to the Lords house as possible, next to it would be better. I want you to sort this out ... before the start of the next session preferably!" Howard directed.

"Certainly sir, I'll make the enquires ... If I may ask, how much knowledge does this Fawkes person actually have, would he be able to work the powder as it has to be positioned correctly." The man asked.

Howard looked at some papers he had on a desk, "Well he does know about tunnelling and setting charges, but I'm not sure about his navigation skills." He said.

The man frowned, "Your pardon my Lord, will that be a problem for them, all they have to do is to dig straight." He said

Howard laughed, "It only takes a small deviation at the start to put the tunnel into the Thames, as long as Fawkes knows where they are then they should be alright." He said and dismissed the man.

- "Does it really matter about the direction? And how does an English man know about mining?" Charlotte asked the group.

- "Well, it was a normal method of blowing up the walls of a castle to break a siege, there would be sappers who would dig under the foundations, then soldiers would bring in casks of gunpowder, then a long fuse would be lit. But sometimes the sound of the sappers would be enough to frighten the people in the castle to surrender" Robert said to her

- "But what did they do with all the sacks of soil that they had brought out of the hole?" Kathy asked.

- "Oh that was simple, Old London was always having some improvement or another, all they had to do was to dump the waste at some street corner and nobody would think about it." Robert said with a smile

Cecil listened to the report from Ben Johnson after the men had returned to their work, "They've brought in a new person, Robert Keyes, but I'm trying to tell them that they need more, I've listened to Wright talking and he thinks I'm a sympathiser with their cause." At Cecil's look he shook his head, "Nay my Lord, I've advised him against talking too much to others, as they're not so understanding as I am." He added with a smile.

Cecil nodded, "Good, I understand that John Wright has a brother, mayhap you can suggest him to John and insinuate yourself in the group?" He suggested.

Ben nodded and bowed, knowing that he had been dismissed. Cecil penned a note which a page delivered to King James and then he relaxed, he had an assignation with Lady Walsingham later that night.

- "That sounds better, can we follow him instead?" Sharon asked gleefully.

- "I'm afraid not, although Robert Cecil was notorious for his 'night-time activities' they are not what we are here to study." Maurice said dismissively although he thought that Sharon might take some time later to question the priests and gain access to those records

And so it was that the group was persuaded to expand, as well as having a secondary plan for the Princess Elizabeth, In January 1605 Catesby and Percy wrote to Robert Winter and John Grant, both letters asked them to meet Thomas Winter and Catesby in Oxford at a pub called the Catherine Wheel.