‘Nothing wrong with that,’ he went on. ‘It’s like this. You’re sitting at home by the fire reading the paper. Your ma calls down the stairs, “Alfie, go up the corner for a tin loaf.” Nothing else for it. You put the paper down an’ you go up the road for the loaf. Then you sit down by the fire again and carry on reading the paper. Same with this now. Just like goin’ up the road for a loaf. It’s got to be done, Alfie boy, before we can live right again. What’s the use of marrying your Floss, an’ buying a home, an’ raising nippers if this lot’s gonna go on for ever? Wouldn’ like that, would you?’

‘No.’

‘Well, then, that’s what we’re goin’ over there for, to finish it all off an’ pay out the ones that started it. You’re doin’ it for Floss. I’m doin’ it for the old lady. All of them others I spoke about are doin’ it for someone.’

‘Won’t be much use to Floss if I don’t come back,’ said Alfie.

‘If,’ jeered Charlie, ‘if ifs an’ ands was pots an’ pans… You’re not a bad boy, Alfie. All them millions of others, you don’t mind taking your chance with them, do you?’

‘I’m not frightened,’ said Alfie, ‘if that’s what you mean. It was just thinking about Floss, an’ worrying, an’ doing that in my blanket. I felt so ashamed, Charlie. I see it different now, though.’

‘That’s the boy. Lord love me, worryin’ about that. You won’ ’arf laugh about that one day, you an’ Floss, after you been wed.’

A voice interrupted them from the other side of the wire fence. ‘Get to bed, lads.’ It was the guard commander on his rounds.

‘O.K. Sergeant,’ said Charlie Venable, ‘good night.’

‘Good night.’ The sergeant went on his way.

‘That git,’ said Charlie, ‘he oughter a known what you was worryin’ about. He’d a killed hisself laughing. Come on, boy, into kip.’

Alfie looked doubtfully at the blanket on the fence.

‘That’s all right, cocker,’ said Charlie, ‘you oughter know me by now. Charlie Venable the wide boy from Bow. Never wants for nothing, an’ no more do ’is friends. Got three blankets in there, I ’ave, an’ just for tonight I’m gonna be Santa Claus an’ tuck you up in two of ’em. In you go.’

He settled down on his palliasse and lay for a while, until he was satisfied that Alfie was asleep. As he slid down at last under his own blanket, a voice came softly from the darkness.

‘Charlie.’ It was Lance-Corporal Feather.

‘You awake, Corp?’

‘Been awake all the time, Charlie. Charlie, you know what you are? You’re a gentleman.’

‘Dear, oh dear,’ sighed Charlie, ‘I do get called some names. Good night, Corp.’

‘Good night, Charlie.’