Traditionally “Eight bells” signifies the times of midnight, 4am, 8am, noon, 4pm, 8pm and midnight again. But when a sailor has died he or she can be honoured with the sounding of eight bells; meaning “end of the watch”. The term “eight bells” can also be used in an obituary, as a nautical euphemism for being finished. In fiction, When Eight Bells Toll is a novel by Alistair MacLean from 1966, combining spy and detective novels, set amongst terrain of western Scotland. The title signifies midnight…