Friedrich Es gibt keine Kavallerie mehr. [There’s no cavalry any more.]

Karl Gibt es wohl, berittene Infanterie. [Yes there is, they’re mounted infantry.]

Friedrich Das wusste ich nicht. Ich geh gleich und schliess mich denen an. [I didn’t know. I’ll go and join them.]

Karl Halt! Für Sie heisst es Feuerkommando! [Stop! It’s a firing squad for you!]

Friedrich Nein! Nein, nein! [No! No, no!]

Karl Oder wir handeln. Du und deine Pferde ziehen meine Kanone, ja? [Or we bargain. You and the horses pull my gun, yes?]

Friedrich looks as if he might run.

Dann mach. [Go on, then.]

Friedrich has no choice. He unhitches Joey and Topthorn and takes them to the gun team.

Feigling. Scheiss-Feigling. [Coward. Fucking coward.]

Joey and Topthorn don’t want to go straight back into harness. They resist Friedrich.

Joey shows his dislike for Coco and Heine. It’s reciprocated.

Friedrich harnesses the more compliant Topthorn to the gun first.

Joey still resists being harnessed.

Emilie Joey!

Karl (to Joey) Ho! Ho! Geht darein! [Harr! Harr! Get in there!]

Because Joey is leaving her, Emilie resists being taken inside by Paulette. Exit Emilie and Paulette.

Karl viciously strikes Joey, just as Ted did. Joey’s response is the same: he shapes to kick Karl. Karl falls, scrabbling for his pistol. He gets up and aims.

Joey’s going to get himself killed! Friedrich hurls himself in the way.

Friedrich Sie brauchen sie doch! [You need them!]

Karl (pushing Friedrich) Aus dem Weg! [Get out of the way!]

Friedrich (in the way again) Sie brauchen sie! [You need them!]

Karl Ich werde schiessen! Ich werde schiessen! [I’m going to shoot! I’m going to shoot!]

Something goes out of Friedrich.

Friedrich Dann machen Sie doch. [Go on, then.]

Beats.

Karl (lowering gun) Spannen Sie sie vor die Kanonen. [Harness them to the gun.]

Aber Sie haben recht. Ich brauche diese Pferde um die Kanonen zu ziehen. Und wir brauchen die Kanone um den Krieg zu gewinnen. Spannen Sie sie ein, und los. Vielleicht können sie den Tod an mir riechen – vor dem Krieg war ich Metzger. Schauen Sie, hier ist ein guter Schnitt, und hier. Hartes Fleisch allerdings. Am besten weichkochen bevor man es röstet. Ist Muller ihr richtiger Name? [But you are right. I need the horses to pull the guns. And we need the gun to win the war. Hitch them up, let’s go. Perhaps they can smell death on me – I was a butcher before the war. This is a good cut. And here. It’s tough meat, though. Better to parboil it before roasting. Is Muller your real name?]

Friedrich Ja. [Yes.]

Karl Wenn Sie versuchen abzuhauen, Muller, bring ich Sie um. [Try to escape, Muller, I kill you.]

TWENTY-FOUR

France: second passage of time sequence, from Christmas 1917 into 1918.

Soldiers – including the dead Nicholls – advance.

Explosions on screen.

Men die on screen.

Ribs emerge from the earth.

Huge poppies grow.

Mud takes over.

Joey and Topthorn’s story:

The gun team is noticeably slowing. Coco and Heine are going so slowly that they’re holding the team up. Topthorn is coughing. Karl halts the team. He and Friedrich inspect Heine and Coco. Both horses are on the verge of collapse, adding to the workload. They remove them from the harness. Then they have a very close look at Topthorn because he is coughing. Friedrich wills Topthorn better. Joey and Topthorn bend and strain but the heavy gun won’t move.