As the Crow Flies by Jeffrey Archer Read Free Book Online

hundred hours he turned down the gaslights in
the barracks room.
    “Yes,
thank you, Corp,” came back the sarcastic cry.
    “Good,”
said the corporal, “because we’re always gentle with you on the first day.”
    A
groan went up that Charlie reckoned must have been heard in the middle of
Edinburgh. Above the nervous chatter that continued once the corporal had left
Charlie could hear the last post being played on a bugle from the castle
battlements. He fell asleep.
    When
Charlie woke the next morning he jumped out of bed immediately and was washed
and dressed before anyone else had stirred. He had folded up his sheets and
blankets and was polishing his boots by the time reveille sounded.
    “Aren’t
we the early bird?” said Tommy, as he turned over. “But why bother, I ask
myself, when all you’re goin’ to get for breakfast is a worm.”
    “If
you’re first in the queue at least it’s an ‘of worm,” said Charlie. “And in any
case... “
    “Feet
on the floor. On the Door,” the corporal bellowed, as he entered the billet and
banged the frame on the end of every bed he passed with his cane.
    “Of
course,” suggested Tommy, as he tried to stifle a yawn, “a man of property like
yourself would need to be up early of a mornin’, to make sure ‘is workers were
already on parade and not shirkin’.”
    “Stop
talking you two and look sharpish,” said the corporal. “And get yourselves
dressed or you’ll find yourself on fatigues.”
    “I
am dressed, Corp,” insisted Charlie.
    “Don’t
answer me back, laddie, and don’t call me ‘carp’ unless you want a spell
cleaning out the latrines.” That threat was even enough to get Tommy’s feet on
the floor.
    The
second morning consisted of more drill accompanied by the ever-falling snow,
which this time had a twoinch start on them, followed by another lunch of bread
and cheese. The afternoon, however, was designated on company orders as “Games
and Recreation.” So it was a change of clothes before jogging in step over to
the gymnasium for physical jerks followed by boxing instruction.
    Charlie,
now a light middleweight, couldn’t wait to get in the ring while Tommy somehow
managed to keep himself out of the firing line, although both of them became
aware of Captain Trentham’s menacing presence as his swagger stick continually
struck the side of his leg. He always seemed to be hanging about, keeping a
watchful eye on them. The only smile that crossed his lips all afternoon was
when he saw someone knocked out. And every time he came across Tommy he just
scowled.
    “I’m
one of nature’s seconds,” Tommy told Charlie later that evening. “You’ve no
doubt ‘card the expression ‘seconds out.’ Well, that’s me,” he explained as his
friend lay on his bed, staring up at the ceiling.
    “Do
we ever escape from this place, Corp?” Tommy asked when the duty corporal
entered the barracks a few minutes before lights out. “You know, for like good
behavior?”
    “You’ll
be allowed out on Saturday night,” said the corporal. “Three hours restricted
leave from six to nine when you can do what you please. However, you will go no
farther than two miles from the barracks, you will behave in a manner that
befits a Royal Fusilier and you will report back to the guardroom sober as a
judge at one minute before nine. Sleep well, my lovelies.” These were the
corporal’s final words before he went round the barracks turning down every one
of the gaslights.
    When
Saturday night eventually came, two swollen-footed, limb-aching, shattered
soldiers covered as much of the city as they possibly could in three hours with
only five shillings each to spend, a problem that limited their discussions on
which pub to select.
    Despite
this, Tommy seemed to know how to get more beer per penny out of any landlord
than Charlie had ever dreamed possible, even when he couldn’t understand what
they were saying or make himself understood. While they were in their