Wake: A Novel by Hope Anna

Author:Hope, Anna [Hope, Anna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780812985313
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2014-02-11T00:00:00+00:00

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Two British undertakers walk through the winding, vaulted corridors of the château, their footsteps echoing on the flagged floors.

Their names are Mr. Sowerbutts and Mr. Noades. They arrived in France yesterday, on the evening boat train. In the pocket of his suit, Mr. Sowerbutts carries a letter of introduction from Sir Lionel Earle, permanent secretary of His Majesty’s Office of Works. Six British soldiers follow them, carrying the heavy, empty coffin that the undertakers have brought with them from London. The coffin has been hewn from an oak tree that grew at Hampton Court Palace. Messrs. Sowerbutts and Noades oversaw the construction themselves. It took two weeks, in which the oak was finished, planed, sanded, and polished to the undertakers’ exacting standards. Iron girders were strapped around the wood, and rings were riveted to the girders. A Crusader’s sword, given by the king, was grafted onto the lid, and the following was inscribed there in Gothic script:

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