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engineers from about six countries.
    â€˜All I’m saying,’ I said, ‘is these blokes don’t need our help. The blokes on the front line are the ones who need our help.’
    Otton dropped his welding gear, grabbed the front of my shirt and dragged me over to where Daisy and his horse were standing in the shade of a pile of pipe sections.
    â€˜Tell him,’ Otton said to Daisy. ‘Tell him how this work is just as important as fighting the Turks. Tell him how if the army wasn’t putting this pipeline in, our blokes wouldn’t be fighting any Turks on account of they wouldn’t have any water.’
    Daisy gave me a look.
    I knew she didn’t get all the nuances of Otton’s argument, but I also knew she was a big fan of the pipeline. Fresh water every day, no drilling.
    â€˜All I’m saying,’ I said, ‘is that back home the volunteers have dried up, the chooks are naked from so many white feathers being chucked around, and the government’s talking about forcing blokes into the army. And here we are, two able-bodied fighting men, turning eighteen and legal in a few months, stuck here being plumbers.’
    Otton sighed.
    â€˜Allow me to paraphrase,’ he said. ‘What you’re saying is, you got us into this mess, you take full responsibility for your nong behaviour, and you’re terrified the war will end and leave you with an unavenged father and a plumber’s medal.’
    â€˜Yes,’ I said quietly.
    I hadn’t mentioned Dad or Joan for weeks. But Otton knew they were eating at my guts.
    â€˜Right-o,’ said Otton. ‘Why don’t we make a deal. A bilateral treaty. You pull your head in and don’t do anything stupid that ends us in the Cairo clink. And I’ll use my talents to get us time off for good behaviour. So we can get back to the front line.’
    I thought about this.
    â€˜You’re on,’ I said. ‘Thanks.’
    â€˜So,’ said Otton. ‘That’s a lot of sang-froid and patience from you, and a lot of ingratiating and bum-licking from me.’

    Daisy helped me keep my side of the bargain.
    As the months went by, and our blokes fought their way into Palestine, we were behind them with the pipeline all the way.
    I kept my mind active, thinking about what I’d do when I got back into battle.
    At night, in my swag, I’d stare up at the stars, waiting for my brain to follow my tuckered-out body into sleep.
    Daisy would lie down next to me sometimes, on the really cold nights.
    I’d feel her heart next to my ear, slow and steady.
    The most loyal heart in the world it felt like.

    Otton kept his half of the deal.
    Took him a year, but he did it.
    Friday and Saturday nights he sang in our Officers’ Mess. Other officers from fighting units were there sometimes, and Otton ended up mates with a few.
    Finally, he got some strings pulled.
    â€˜Big battle coming up,’ said Otton excitedly. ‘All the Light Horse for yonks around are in it. Us included.’
    I couldn’t believe it.
    I didn’t hug blokes as a rule, but I hugged Otton.
    â€˜We’re back with our troop tomorrow,’ he said. ‘Back in the thick of it.’
    My brain was spinning.
    â€˜Where’s the battle?’ I said.
    Otton frowned.
    â€˜Place in Palestine I haven’t heard of,’ he said. ‘Beersheba.’

It was grand to see the old faces.
    They were chuffed to see us, Bosworth and Lesney specially.
    â€˜What kept you?’ said Bosworth. ‘Afternoon tea in Cairo again? Did the nurses make you wash the dishes?’
    Lots of chiacking, but I could see how tense the blokes were underneath. They knew this was a big one. Most important battle we’d fronted up for.Do-or-die effort.
    Daisy must have known it was serious too. Muster and decampment in the dark. Usual long hot ride to the battle pozzie. Got there dusty and tired. Not a complaint from her.
    On the