Once again we are beholden to the current executors of the Knolly estate for letting us publish this, the second package of the great man's journals and memoirs.

I paused on the steps and glanced over my shoulder, of my new fragrant acquaintance there was no sign.

'Hmm, you’re either very good or you think I wont pay you when I return.' I thought to myself. 'No matter, we’ll see if you materialise in an hour or so.'

I straightened my coat and dusted myself down once more and noticed a tear in my sleeve where the road had worn through the elbow, on closer inspection it was quite sore to touch, no blood though. I took a deep breath to settle myself and went in.

The lobby of the Admiralty office was its usual bustle (I don’t think I’ve ever seen it quiet) and I nodded to various clerks and lesser mortals I knew. Happily no one took any notice of my slightly ruffled appearance and so I waved my pass at the uniformed Royal Marine on guard duty and made my way up the three flights of stairs to the office Bertie and I had been currently making use of.

'May as well see if anything new had been thrown our way since yesterday morning.' I muttered, 'After all, we don’t know when we’ll be back in town.'

The office door was ajar and light from the afternoon sun cast a shadow on floor, a shadow of a person moving around inside. Dash it all, someone was sitting in my chair, at my desk! I threw the door open fully, my dander well and truly up and ready to confront the interloper.

'I say, what’s the meaning of th……' I stopped mid tirade.

The occupant swivelled round to face me – my swivel chair too! (Well for the moment it was my chair and desk.)

'Good, Knolly, hope you and Bertie don’t mind, my office is getting a trifle smelly even with the window open….crumpet…cup of tea?' Biggfat waved at the tray of food and drink.

Somewhat taken aback by this half hearted confession that his pipe smoking was obviously getting too much even for him I could hardly refuse.

'I … ER was just on my way to see you sir, but thought I’d check my In Tray, you know how it is these days, out of the office a few hours and all manner of stuff has built up. Lord knows the messages Bertie and I had to wade through the other day, I know we’d been away a bit, but you would think that someone could have filtered out the less useful bits and pieces and I’m sure that most people knew we were out of the country.'

Biggfat nodded and handed me a cup and saucer which he’d filled during my rambling conversation.

'Knolly, if you think that’s bad, you should see mine and I’m in the office nearly every day. Did you know your sleeve is torn?'

I nodded and looked around for another chair, there should have been one but obviously some enterprising young fellow had realised Bertie and I were going to be absent once more and 'borrowed' it.

Biggfat could see I was uncomfortable standing there with my tea and looking at the remaining crumpets.

'Come on, my office should be a bit easier on the lungs now.'

He picked up the tray with teapot and crumpets and bade me follow him down the hall. He was right, his office was much sweeter smelling and the walls a much paler yellow than yesterday. Biggfat sat down at his own desk and smiled as I sat opposite and quickly took the offered crumpet.

'Your Aunt paid me a visit after we left your birthday celebration and made some accusations about my health.'

'Ah.' Well, what else could I say?

'I’m sure you are aware of how strong willed she can be?'

'Quite so, sir.'

'So tell me how are things progressing, with your …um ….ER….undertaking. You have a plan?'

'Working on it sir, which is the main reason I’m here.'

'Knolly is the file safe? Someone else seems to be looking for it and is asking questions and, I believe they may go above my head soon to get the answers they seek.'

'Oh yes, quite safe.' I nearly dropped my tea, the file where was it?… Hobbes house, somewhere amongst his mess. 'It’s with Bertie sir.' I made a mental note to check with Hobbes and/or Bertie, better still both as soon as I was finished here to verify the safety of the Y- File.

Biggfat sighed with obvious relief, 'That’s good to know. Remember as I said at the outset, I can’t help you too much, but I will if I can.' He rummaged around in one of his drawers and popped a small card on the table, 'My tailor, he’ll get your jacket mended, just tell him I sent you.'

'Thank you sir, very useful.' I pocketed the card.

'Anything else then?'

'The Train sir, Hobbes said we could make use of it once its refit is completed.'

'Oh, Hobbes said did he?'

'Well actually it was Bertie that let that piece of information slip….'

Biggfat held up his hand and smiled. 'Well, Bertie is not wrong. Sup up your tea and we’ll go and see how things are getting along down below shall we?'

It is a little known fact that during the building of various London Underground links and stations, numerous little extensions were added to the main lines to give HM Government access to what amounts to a very private little railway system. One of these branch lines terminated below the very structure I was currently partaking of afternoon tea.

With tea over and the crumpets duly dispatched Biggfat stood up and walked to the fireplace.

'Aha!' I thought, 'a secret passage to the basement area. He’ll pull the fire tongs or something and a wall will revolve or slide open….'

'Knolly, why are you staring at me so wide eyed?'

Oh…nothing sir…well…it’s…'

'Don’t just sit there we have four flights of stairs to descend I’ve not got all day you know… Now where did I hide my pipe?'

He rummaged around in the coalscuttle. 'Gotcha!' He paused to strike a match and sucked and puffed like a man possessed. 'Oooh, that’s better, got to keep your strength up eh? Now come along, don’t stare so.'

On our way down to the corridor to the rear stairwell, I enquired about the advice my Aunt had given him.

'Knolly, it was very illuminating, and why I can see it might be of use to some people, it’s just not me is it?…I’m as fit a as a flea.' With that he mounted the banister rail as though a man much lighter than he seemed and shot off like a schoolboy hollering; 'Look out below!' I followed in the normal manner but taking two steps sometimes three at a time.

Biggfat was there waiting at the bottom, ruddy faced and puffing away on his pipe.

'What kept you?'

'My sanity.' I muttered. 'Had to stop and catch my breath sir.'

See..Hah!… You need to smoke a pipe, that will sort out your breathing.'

'Hmm, I don’t think Elspeth would…'

'No you are quite right, pipes and marriages don’t mix at all. So let us see how the Services new toy is getting along shall we?'

We passed out of the stairwell and out into a small anteroom where two Royal Marines waited to check our particulars. I confess all the extra security these days was playing on my nerves, but I suppose preventative measures always take time to settle in and these chaps due to my being away so much did not know me from Adam. Now there is someone I must look up – Adam Adamant, where is that fellow these days.

Biggfat chuckled at my discomfiture during said security inspection, which I endured as only an officer and a gentleman could. Once I was free to go he pushed me ahead of him through a pair of double doors and out into what at first glance seemed like any other underground railway station. The difference here though was it was as noisy as any boatyard I’d ever visited. There were no platforms and there was more than just a single pair of lines going off into the gloom. We moved in the direction of a siding which was dominated by two gleaming railway carriages, but this was not where any major work was being undertaken , the noise seemed to be coming from a screened off area.

I turned to Biggfat a question on my lips.

It’s something the Royal Arsenal has asked us to help with, nothing sinister.'

I pointed at the carriages. 'They look…?'

'They still have the Royal Train paintwork; we used them during the funeral.' Biggfat answered before I could even get the rest of that question out.

'Has much changed since Bertie and I last used them?'

'Last used and nearly wrecked them.' Said a voice from beneath a bogie. 'I’d heard you were back in the country, Commander Knolly, Sir.' The voice added my title with some scorn I might add.

The voice belonged to one Chief Engineer Archie Meeds RN. A man who treasured and pampered anything that Hobbes built and passed his way and frowned on the way Bertie and I handled the Navy’s precious equipment.

Meeds crawled out from beneath the nearest carriage and wiped his greasy hands on a passing Naval rating. He saluted smartly saluted Biggfat, but gave me one that would not have passed muster at Portsmouth but I decided to let it go.

'I’ll leave you two then shall I? Lots to discuss… Hmmm.' Puffed Biggfat, 'They don’t like me smoking near all this ordinance.' Chief Meeds smirked.

Biggfat took me to one side. 'Whatever you sort out Knolly is fine with me; just don’t ask me to sign anything.'

With that he was gone, leaving me face to face with Meeds, who seemed to be intentionally blocking my way.

'So… it’s one of those Dark Operations I’ve been hearing about, and you want to take my babies with you?'

'Look Chief, I know we don’t get on, but using “The Train” is Hobbes' idea, you report to him and he says this is the best way to get everything I need up to Scotland.'

Meeds screwed his eyes up in thought. 'I’m only doing this for Mr Hobbes you know. There’s no regulation chitty.'

'I’m aware of that, now can I go aboard and see what’s new?'

Meeds moved to one side to let me pass. 'I had a message earlier this afternoon from Mr Hobbes says you need these ready in the next two to three days, is that right?'

'A message, already?'

'We have our methods sir.'

'So it would seem, and methods I hope to use in due course, now can you do it?

'It will be tight but yes it can be done, he also said we need to sort out a way of transporting an additional vehicle?'

I nodded, 'Yes, my automobile. Problem?'

Meeds sucked in through his teeth and rubbed his chin in that annoying tradesman way. 'Technical no, logistical yes. I’ll need to get a flat car up from the dockside and rig up a disguise too… and without a chitty it will be difficult.'

'Chief I have every confidence in you to come up with something. Now can you unlock the carriage door please?'

The Great Knolly Archive

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