1917 by James Farner

Author:James Farner
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: family saga, historical, coming of age, World War I, First World War, 20th century, Britain
Publisher: James Farner
Published: 2015-09-14T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

The Battle of Messines and Danny's promotion to corporal seemed to change the war. Henry's theory that the Americans would never actually send any troops didn't materialise, as at the end of June, news reached the general's headquarters of American troops landing at Saint Nazaire in France. Most people had never met an American before, so their presence in ever-increasing numbers became a constant subject of conversation.

June passed into July and the weather grew hotter. Working inside the darkened rooms was a slog of sweat and body odour. During this time, King George cast his German roots aside and switched his family name to Windsor. It felt like both sides were throwing the family heirlooms into the betting ring.

"Oi, George, what's going on with you?" said Danny in the hallway.

Captain George Burgess looked on sadly as a few men carried furniture out of one of the side rooms close to the general. "They've evicted me."

"Not been sacked, have you?"

"No, the general decided to move me away. He said he needed the room for somebody else."

"Who?"

"He wouldn't say." George wiped a hand across his shaven head. "My new room's barely the size of a cloak room."

"Probably someone really important...not that you're not important, but might be another general moving in."

"Maybe...probably not. What does it matter? All for a good cause, or so they say. Anyway, I'll see you later. I have to move the rest of my things." George dodged out of the way of a desk being carried out on its side.

Danny felt sorry for George. He'd always been courteous to him whenever he saw him. The general always seemed to favour the people like Fartown over the nice ones.

A hand fell upon his shoulder and swivelled him around. "Do I know you?"

Danny looked up at Henry standing with his cap under his arm and his face tinged pink from the beating sun. "Maybe...not sure."

"Ah, yes, you must be Daniel Keeton. I'm a friend of your brother Charlie's, from the trenches. Did he not mention you to me?"

"Nah. Don't really get the chance to talk to him. Haven't seen him since I was moved here."

Henry nodded. "Well, I hope we will have a productive relationship together. I helped your brother with a number of issues whilst we were out in the trenches. He would most likely tell you how heroic I was. After all, the battle at Messines was quite a conflict. We could have lost everything that day."

Danny raised his eyebrows. He couldn't fathom where Henry found the nerve to say he'd fought at Messines with a straight face. He'd hidden behind the line and admitted it to his face when he was playing the role of Charlie.

"Anyway, very nice to meet you." Henry took his hand and shook it. "I see you are twins, so I hope you will become as agreeable as Charlie. It would please me very much."

Henry laid his hand on his shoulder as he left and made his way towards George's old office. Now he knew who'd evicted George.

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