Read Online We Shall Not Sleep by Anne Perry - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Anne Perry
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last year. He had been believed, too.
They wanted to find the Peacemaker so desperately, and time was running out. After the war was over, what chance would they have? Still, if he were honest, what chance had they ever had? Maybe their hunger for revenge was the Peacemaker's final act of destruction of the Reavley family?
He drifted into half sleep and confused dreams. Then without any warning it was daylight. Cold and stiff, moving as quietly as he could, he got up, shaved, and began the long routine of paperwork, letters of condolence, and helping the wounded. He tried to comfort, advise, assist with practical things like eating or drinking with bandaged hands, or none at all, dressing with a shattered arm or leg, simple tasks that had suddenly become monumental.
Matthew woke late and excused himself to find something to eat.
There was no word of any German prisoner asking to see either Joseph or Matthew, and there were so many coming through the lines in the general area of Ypres that it was impossible to check all the names. Joseph continued with his usual duties. More often than not he was far forward of the Casualty Clearing Station, beyond even the old trench line, as the armies moved forward. British troops had just taken Messines and were advancing on Menin.
Matthew spent the days restlessly, trying to look as if he were collecting some kind of information that would justify his presence in the junior intelligence work he had told Colonel Hook he was engaged in. He spoke to German prisoners, but there was nothing of use they could tell him, and the pretense would soon wear thin.
It was the middle of the afternoon of the sixteenth when Snowy Nunn came to tell Joseph that Colonel Hook wanted to see him. "Roight now, Chaplain," he added, his fair face puckering up with apprehension. "It's another German prisoner. Oi don't know what anybody done to this one. Officer an' all, by his uniform, and the way he stands. He's got a foot all mangled up, so looks loike someone ran over it or something."
"Right." Joseph's heart sank. Another piece of random brutality, pointless but so very understandable. "I'll be there."
Snowy nodded, his eyes grave. "Whole lot more for the hospital, Oi reckon. Some o' the poor sods are knocked about pretty bad. Look loike hell, they do. Oi thought winning weren't much fun after all, an' we waited long enough for it. But Oi reckon losing's got to be a whole lot worse. Roight away, Chaplain, he said."
"I'm going," Joseph said impatiently. He resented Hook sending for him over some breach of discipline. There were going to be lots of instances of loss of self-control. He had known people to nurse loved ones over years to a painful death, never complaining. Then when it was all over and there was some ease at last, they were suddenly overwhelmed, letting slip the courage and the selfless endurance that had governed their lives throughout the sacrifice. He could sense now the same longing for peace and fear of change. They wanted to go home to what they had originally left, what this whole bloody war had been about saving, but it wasn't there anymore. The past never is. The England they had paid for with such a price no longer existed.
He walked quickly through the mud, used to keeping his balance in it, not avoiding the rain because he was already wet and there was no point.
He found Colonel Hook in the command bunker nearly a mile farther east. He looked tired and too thin.
"Ah, Reavley." He looked up from his maps spread out on top of a packing case. "Odd things come up." He looked puzzled rather than angry, and it was unusual that he had addressed Joseph by name rather than rank or calling.
Joseph stood to attention. "Yes, sir?"
"Got a German officer, says he's a colonel, but I think he might be more senior than that, although my German's not good enough to be certain. Know everyday language well enough, but not the differences of education and class. But he's asked to speak to
They wanted to find the Peacemaker so desperately, and time was running out. After the war was over, what chance would they have? Still, if he were honest, what chance had they ever had? Maybe their hunger for revenge was the Peacemaker's final act of destruction of the Reavley family?
He drifted into half sleep and confused dreams. Then without any warning it was daylight. Cold and stiff, moving as quietly as he could, he got up, shaved, and began the long routine of paperwork, letters of condolence, and helping the wounded. He tried to comfort, advise, assist with practical things like eating or drinking with bandaged hands, or none at all, dressing with a shattered arm or leg, simple tasks that had suddenly become monumental.
Matthew woke late and excused himself to find something to eat.
There was no word of any German prisoner asking to see either Joseph or Matthew, and there were so many coming through the lines in the general area of Ypres that it was impossible to check all the names. Joseph continued with his usual duties. More often than not he was far forward of the Casualty Clearing Station, beyond even the old trench line, as the armies moved forward. British troops had just taken Messines and were advancing on Menin.
Matthew spent the days restlessly, trying to look as if he were collecting some kind of information that would justify his presence in the junior intelligence work he had told Colonel Hook he was engaged in. He spoke to German prisoners, but there was nothing of use they could tell him, and the pretense would soon wear thin.
It was the middle of the afternoon of the sixteenth when Snowy Nunn came to tell Joseph that Colonel Hook wanted to see him. "Roight now, Chaplain," he added, his fair face puckering up with apprehension. "It's another German prisoner. Oi don't know what anybody done to this one. Officer an' all, by his uniform, and the way he stands. He's got a foot all mangled up, so looks loike someone ran over it or something."
"Right." Joseph's heart sank. Another piece of random brutality, pointless but so very understandable. "I'll be there."
Snowy nodded, his eyes grave. "Whole lot more for the hospital, Oi reckon. Some o' the poor sods are knocked about pretty bad. Look loike hell, they do. Oi thought winning weren't much fun after all, an' we waited long enough for it. But Oi reckon losing's got to be a whole lot worse. Roight away, Chaplain, he said."
"I'm going," Joseph said impatiently. He resented Hook sending for him over some breach of discipline. There were going to be lots of instances of loss of self-control. He had known people to nurse loved ones over years to a painful death, never complaining. Then when it was all over and there was some ease at last, they were suddenly overwhelmed, letting slip the courage and the selfless endurance that had governed their lives throughout the sacrifice. He could sense now the same longing for peace and fear of change. They wanted to go home to what they had originally left, what this whole bloody war had been about saving, but it wasn't there anymore. The past never is. The England they had paid for with such a price no longer existed.
He walked quickly through the mud, used to keeping his balance in it, not avoiding the rain because he was already wet and there was no point.
He found Colonel Hook in the command bunker nearly a mile farther east. He looked tired and too thin.
"Ah, Reavley." He looked up from his maps spread out on top of a packing case. "Odd things come up." He looked puzzled rather than angry, and it was unusual that he had addressed Joseph by name rather than rank or calling.
Joseph stood to attention. "Yes, sir?"
"Got a German officer, says he's a colonel, but I think he might be more senior than that, although my German's not good enough to be certain. Know everyday language well enough, but not the differences of education and class. But he's asked to speak to
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