contact. In the end, Harker had given up trying to talk to her, and just left.
Coop had been there, though. Good old Cooper, one of his best sergeants. On light duties after getting shot. Again. He smiled. Cooper’s fiancée, Rosie, said that if he collected any more lead they could use it to fix the guttering.
Your men come back . Well, yes; if Coop hadn’t, Rosie would be wearing Harker’s entrails as lingerie.
Charlie handed him a cup of tea and leaned back against his desk. She didn’t have one of her own, although she ought to. But then, Harker ought to have his own office and didn’t.
‘Any word on our new captain yet, Charlie?’
She shook her head.
‘I put you forward for it, by the way.’
He didn’t need to tell her. Half her promotions had come through him. Wheeler herself had seen to the rest. Wherever Harker went, there was always Charlie Riggs. Some of them called her his spaniel, behind both their backs of course.
Harker considered that a folly. For one thing, they ought to know he heard everything said behind his back; and for another, if they thought Charlie was a spaniel, they clearly didn’t know much about dogs. Or about Charlie, for that matter.
‘Thank you, sir.’ She looked at her watch. ‘Drink up. Time and Wheeler wait for no man.’
Harker did so, grimacing. When he’d joined the army as an enlisted man, a nice cup of hot, sweet tea was almost his constitutional right. But now he was an officer, he never had the time any more.
‘I dunno,’ he said. ‘Three months back pay I’m owed, and I still can’t finish a cup of tea. Never had to put up with this shit when I was a sergeant.’
‘Sir?’
‘Never mind.’ Harker grabbed his jacket, now dusty and creased, which was just the way he liked it.
Wheeler was donning her own immaculate coat and gloves as he entered her office. ‘You wanted to see me, sir?’
‘Yes, Harker. Walk with me.’
He did, following her back down the way he’d just come.
‘Lieutenant-Colonel Green’s men are clearing No Man’s Land,’ Wheeler said. ‘In about an hour I will be sending in the Grenadiers.’
Harker waited to see where this was going.
‘Did you drive your alien into the area?’
‘Yes, sir. Found an old map and took her to Mitcham. Nothing there, of course, sir. She went a bit …’
‘Yes, Major?’
‘Well, a bit mental, tell the truth, sir. Still don’t know if she’s mad or a spy, but I’ve sent her to St James’s anyway.’
‘Good. That’s one less thing. See if they can get anything out of her.’
Harker bristled at the implication that he hadn’t been able to, and almost forgot to open the door into the courtyard for Wheeler.
‘Now, Major. Colonel Watling-Coburg passed on to me a recommendation from you for the position of captain in C Company.’
‘Did she?’ Harker shivered; it was damn cold out here.
‘You know she did, Harker. And you know it was for Lieutenant Riggs.’
‘Yes, sir. I really think–’
‘I agree with you, Major. She would make a fine captain. And as I understand it, she’s been the de facto second-in-command of C Company for as long as you’ve had it.’
‘She’s been the de facto second-in-command wherever I’ve been. No disrespect to Captain Smith, sir, he was a fine officer, but Charlie’s the best second I’ve ever had.’
‘Yes, I know. I’ve often considered the two of you as brothers.’
‘Er, d’you mean she’s like my sister, sir?’
There was a pause as both of them brought to mind one Charlotte Riggs, the most ruthlessly unfeminine person on the planet.
‘All right, brother,’ Harker conceded.
‘And a very good officer. It’s shameful it took us so long to get her out of the ranks. But nonetheless, I am going to have to turn her down for the position.’
Harker blinked. ‘Might I ask why, sir?’
‘No, Harker. Not today, you may not.’
Anger boiled up within Harker, but years of experience had taught him to squash it,
Coop had been there, though. Good old Cooper, one of his best sergeants. On light duties after getting shot. Again. He smiled. Cooper’s fiancée, Rosie, said that if he collected any more lead they could use it to fix the guttering.
Your men come back . Well, yes; if Coop hadn’t, Rosie would be wearing Harker’s entrails as lingerie.
Charlie handed him a cup of tea and leaned back against his desk. She didn’t have one of her own, although she ought to. But then, Harker ought to have his own office and didn’t.
‘Any word on our new captain yet, Charlie?’
She shook her head.
‘I put you forward for it, by the way.’
He didn’t need to tell her. Half her promotions had come through him. Wheeler herself had seen to the rest. Wherever Harker went, there was always Charlie Riggs. Some of them called her his spaniel, behind both their backs of course.
Harker considered that a folly. For one thing, they ought to know he heard everything said behind his back; and for another, if they thought Charlie was a spaniel, they clearly didn’t know much about dogs. Or about Charlie, for that matter.
‘Thank you, sir.’ She looked at her watch. ‘Drink up. Time and Wheeler wait for no man.’
Harker did so, grimacing. When he’d joined the army as an enlisted man, a nice cup of hot, sweet tea was almost his constitutional right. But now he was an officer, he never had the time any more.
‘I dunno,’ he said. ‘Three months back pay I’m owed, and I still can’t finish a cup of tea. Never had to put up with this shit when I was a sergeant.’
‘Sir?’
‘Never mind.’ Harker grabbed his jacket, now dusty and creased, which was just the way he liked it.
Wheeler was donning her own immaculate coat and gloves as he entered her office. ‘You wanted to see me, sir?’
‘Yes, Harker. Walk with me.’
He did, following her back down the way he’d just come.
‘Lieutenant-Colonel Green’s men are clearing No Man’s Land,’ Wheeler said. ‘In about an hour I will be sending in the Grenadiers.’
Harker waited to see where this was going.
‘Did you drive your alien into the area?’
‘Yes, sir. Found an old map and took her to Mitcham. Nothing there, of course, sir. She went a bit …’
‘Yes, Major?’
‘Well, a bit mental, tell the truth, sir. Still don’t know if she’s mad or a spy, but I’ve sent her to St James’s anyway.’
‘Good. That’s one less thing. See if they can get anything out of her.’
Harker bristled at the implication that he hadn’t been able to, and almost forgot to open the door into the courtyard for Wheeler.
‘Now, Major. Colonel Watling-Coburg passed on to me a recommendation from you for the position of captain in C Company.’
‘Did she?’ Harker shivered; it was damn cold out here.
‘You know she did, Harker. And you know it was for Lieutenant Riggs.’
‘Yes, sir. I really think–’
‘I agree with you, Major. She would make a fine captain. And as I understand it, she’s been the de facto second-in-command of C Company for as long as you’ve had it.’
‘She’s been the de facto second-in-command wherever I’ve been. No disrespect to Captain Smith, sir, he was a fine officer, but Charlie’s the best second I’ve ever had.’
‘Yes, I know. I’ve often considered the two of you as brothers.’
‘Er, d’you mean she’s like my sister, sir?’
There was a pause as both of them brought to mind one Charlotte Riggs, the most ruthlessly unfeminine person on the planet.
‘All right, brother,’ Harker conceded.
‘And a very good officer. It’s shameful it took us so long to get her out of the ranks. But nonetheless, I am going to have to turn her down for the position.’
Harker blinked. ‘Might I ask why, sir?’
‘No, Harker. Not today, you may not.’
Anger boiled up within Harker, but years of experience had taught him to squash it,
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