dimly , outside , amara heard a chime tolling the midnight hour `` change of the watch , '' bernard said `` if pluvus follows the regulations , he 'll go to his bed and appoint one of his senior centurions as the watch commander `` `` all right , '' amara said `` what does that do for us ' '' `` it gets us a chance to talk to someone i know , '' bernard said he rose , head tilted as he listened , and only a moment later the heavy door at the top of the cellar stairs rattled and banged open amara felt her heart race again `` will they let us out ? ''