Molly began going down the stairs outside the barber shop; but then she stopped. She stood for a long moment, disturbed that Sherlock's demons were again devouring him.
She looked down and saw Archie washing the tables in the outdoor garden. He was serious about his work, vigorously scrubbing the tables with soap and water.
She watched him for a moment and then continues down the steps, "Archie… Sherlock requires you," Molly informed.
"Yes'm."
He went up the steps; Molly just stood, deep in thought.
Sherlock was finishing the letter as Archie entered the room.
"Mr H?" Archie enquired.
"You know where the Old Bailey is?" Sherlock asked, still writing.
"Oh, yes, sir. Not that I ever –"
Sherlock interrupted, folding up letter, "Take this there and seek out a Judge Moriarty. Repeat that. Repeat that."
"Go to the Old Bailey. Find Judge Moriarty,"
Sherlock handed him letter, "Put this into his hands. Only to him. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir, and while I'm out do you mind if I stop by the grocer and pick up the –" Sherlock pounced like a panther; he suddenly leapt up and grabbed Archie by the throat with shocking brutality.
"DON'T CHATTER, BOY! You are not to stop! You are not to speak! You are to deliver this letter! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!" Sherlock yelled. Archie was stunned and terrified. It was the first time he had seen this side of Sherlock
Sherlock releases him, and Archie races out.
Sherlock immediately begins pacing like a caged animal, back and forth, back and forth, whispering to himself neurotically, as day becomes evening.
Archie walked back to the pie shop, upset.
He stopped when he saw Sherlock at the window above, unblinking, gazing like a falcon into the street.
He continued on to Molly, who was clearing up the remains of a meal in the outdoor garden. "Where you been, lad? We had quite the luncheon rush! Me poor bones is ready to drop…" Molly looked at him, noticing his dark expression, "What is it, Archie?"
He sat and Molly sat next to him.
"Mr Holmes sent me on an errand…" Archie informed, "And on the way back I went by the workhouse. And I was thinking … But for you I would be there now; or someplace worse. Seems like the Good Lord sent you for me."
"Oh, love, I feel quite the same way–"
"Hear me out, ma'am… You know there's nothing I wouldn't do for you. Say, if there was someone around — someone bad — only you didn't know it–"
"What is this? What are you talking about?" Molly asked, concerned.
Nothing's gonna harm you,
Not while I'm around.
Nothing gonna harm you,
No, sir,
Not while I'm around…
Molly frowned, "What do you mean, "someone bad"?"
Demons are prowling
Everywhere
Nowadays.
I'll send 'em howling,
I don't care–
I got ways.
"Darling, hush now, there's no need for this…" Molly tried to assure, but Archie carried on anyway.
No one's gonna hurt you,
No one's gonna dare.
Others can desert you–
Not to worry–
Whistle, I'll be there.
Demons'll charm you
With a smile
For a while,
But in time
Nothing can harm you,
Not while I'm around.
"What is this foolishness now? What are you talking about?" Molly asked.
"Little things wot I been thinking… About Mr Todd…" Archie answered. When Molly's breath caught, he quickly tried to reassure her.
Not to worry, not to worry,
I may not be smart but I ain't dumb.
I can do it,
Put me to it,
Show me something I can overcome.
Not to worry, mum.
He leaned into her and she put her arms around him – but her expression was deeply troubled.
Being close and being clever
Ain't like being true,
I don't need to,
I won't never
Hide a thing from you,
Like some.
"Now, Archie dear, haven't we had enough of this foolish chatter…?" Molly reached for her purse, "Here, how about I give you a shiny new penny and you can fetch us some nice toffees?" She pulled Anderson's chatelaine purse from her dress.
"That's Signor Anderson's purse!" Archie yelled, backing away.
Molly startled, "No, no, love — this is just something Sherlock gave me for my birthday–"
"See that proves it — what I been thinkin'," He stood, urgently pulling her hand, "We gotta go, ma'am, right now — we gotta find the Beadle and get the law her –"
She pulled him down to her again, agitated, her mind racing. "Hush now, Archie, hush… Here, you just sit next to me nice and quiet… How could you think such a thing of Mr. Todd, who's been so good to us?" she kissed his temple in a display of motherly affection. He calmed down a bit as she holds him.
And she comes to a painful, dreadful decision.
Nothing's gonna harm you,
Not while I'm around.
Nothing's gonna harm you, darling,
Not while I'm around.
He leaned into her.
Demons'll charm you
With a smile
For a while,
But in time
Nothing's gonna harm you,
Not while I'm around.
There were tears in her eyes as she held him; but her gentle song had calmed him.
"Funny we should be having this little chat right now… 'Cause I was just thinking, you know how you've always fancied coming into the bake-house with me to help make the pies?" Molly asked softly.
"Yes, ma'am," he confirmed dreamily.
She quickly dried her eyes and turned him to look at her. Molly smiled, "Well… no time like the present."
Molly led Archie down the claustrophobic, long stairway toward the bake-house.
"My heart bleeds for you havin' to go up and down all these stairs!" Archie said sincerely.
"Well, that'll be your job now," Molly smiled faintly.
"Yes, ma'am!" Archie enthused.
She arrived at the heavy iron door to the bake-house and could hear the seismic rumble of the bake oven within. She unbolted the door and ushered Archie in.
The roof hung low in this subterranean chamber. The grisly tools of her trade were scattered about the place: a large, stained chopping block; a meat grinder; buckets of questionable viscous liquid; cleavers and bone saws and meat hooks; wet sewer grates for the blood.
A metal sheet, hinged at the top, had been attached to cover an opening in the wall: the mouth of the chute from the barber shop above. There was a thundering roar of flame coming from a large industrial oven against one wall.
Archie took in the cavernous bake house. "Coo, quite a stink, ain't there?" He covered his nose with his sleeve.
Molly pointed to the sewer grates, "Those grates go right down to the sewers and the whiffs come up, always a few rats gone home to Jesus down there."
"So — where do I start?!" Archie asked as she led him across to the thrumming, fiery oven.
"Now this would be the bake oven… Ten dozen at a time. Always be sure the doors is closed properly, like this."
"Yes'm, always closed properly," He repeated, trying to remember it all.
She leads him to the meat grinder:
"And here's the grinder. You pop in the meat, give it a good grind and it comes out here," She demonstrated.
He practiced with the grinder. "Good grind; comes out there," Archie repeated.
"That's my boy. Smoothly, smoothly — now I've got to pop upstairs, back in two shakes, all right?"
"Yes'm." She began to go, but he stopped her with, "Do you think I might have a pie while I wait?"
She turned. Archie was standing at a rack of cooling pies. "As many as you like, son… As many as you like," She assured, managing to keep the tears out of her voice.
She climbed the stairs and shut the door behind her. She leaned against the bake-house door, tormented, gasping for air. She slowly bolted the door.