Behind the Walls by Nicola Pierce Page A

notice on the Markethouse to be read out to the men and boys of the battalion. April showers had created dozens of puddles throughout the Diamond. They sparkled like precious stones as they mirrored any slivers of sunshine that managed to puncture the grey clouds.
    Henry Campsie had turned up, much to the Sherrard boys’ surprise. His absence would have been understandable since he had buried his father that very morning. The brothers had attended the funeral with their parents but had been unable to get near poor Henry due to the huge number that turned up. The mayor had been a popular man and all his peers lined up to convey their personal sadness to his widow and eldest son. Afterwards Henry imagined he might stay home for the rest of the day. However, once home, he had an abiding need to get away from the room where his father died and away from his mother’s tears.
    Gervais Squire was the new mayor. His signature, along with the other city elders, adorned the ‘Mutual Agreement’,the document that was to be read out.
    The lawyer David Cairnes had returned from another visit to London, bearing a letter from King William about his appreciation for Derry’s efforts on his behalf and his promise to look after them. Mr Cairnes informed Lieutenant-Colonel Lundy and the city councillors that there were preparations taking place this very minute, in London, to help Derry and he strongly felt that nobody should be allowed to leave the city.
    With everyone fired up, knowing that King William was following their every move, it was decided to draw up a list of rules – a ‘Mutual Agreement’ – for the population to keep the city on her best behaviour.
    Robert and Daniel lined up with the other soldiers to hear the news. Robert quietly asked Henry how he was and received a half-hearted shrug for an answer, making him feel he should have asked a more sensible question. Daniel thought Henry looked different or strange. There was something about his clothes; they were too big for him. Later he would find out that Henry was wearing his father’s old tunic and trousers.
    Daniel struggled to concentrate on what was being said. The speaker, one of the aldermen, was making an announcement: ‘We will not put up with cowards. To this end, a pair of gallows is to be erected and anybody in the garrison, who commits treachery in its many forms, willbe hung by the neck until they are dead.’
    Soldiers were smiling and nodding enthusiastically. Daniel could not mimic their response. Instead, he swallowed hard and tried to imagine what it would be like to be swinging from a rope, wishing for death to come quickly.
    Daniel felt an unpleasantness steal into the atmosphere, despite the fact that some men were responding so positively to the man’s words. Surely , he thought, this means that we are now going to play judge and jury with our neighbours and friends . Anybody’s patriotism could be called into question by anybody else. Why did this sound familiar? And then it hit him that he was accidentally remembering James Morrison’s story about the crows, about the way they turned on the weakest in the community.
    Daniel looked at his brother to see if he shared his thoughts, but his brother cheered heartily when everyone else did. Daniel rushed to cheer himself, especially when Henry gave him a peculiar look. It seemed like the judging was to start immediately.
    The speaker continued: ‘Nobody is allowed to leave the city unless they have special permission from the newly formed Council of War, made up of our most prominent citizens and headed by Lieutenant-Colonel Lundy.’
    It was Robert who experienced a mixture of emotions at this. On the one hand, this was all hugely exciting andcouldn’t have happened at a better time. Suddenly he was part of something real and important. This was what he had been searching for, the chance for glory. On the other hand, this excitement and newly discovered self-belief made him impatient to see