Joey leads Topthorn and the gun moves.

Incoming fire from advancing British.

Coco and Heine are left behind.

Heine makes headway, out of the scene. Coco staggers, and falls, and is unable to rise. She seems dead.

Enter the carrion crow.

TWENTY-FIVE

Territory recently vacated by Germans, October 1918.

Dusk. Silence.

Enter British soldiers, singly and in pairs, like wraiths in a mist. They’re hunting for the new German positions. They’re scared of finding them, and ambushes, and booby traps. So they’re as silent as possible and don’t show lights.

They’re led by Sergeant Fine.

Enter Albert and David.

Sergeant Fine Corporal?

Albert Sarge?

Sergeant Fine What d’ye think, Corporal?

Albert This horse is still warm, Sarge, so Jerry’s not far away.

David There’s fresh tracks. One carriage. Deep ruts. A gun. If this was one of their team they’ll be struggling.

Sergeant Fine That gun is our target. Let’s take a pause before we catch up with them. The men are done in.

Albert I think so, Sarge.

Sergeant Fine Three minutes rest, no smoking, no lights.

Fine indicates two sentries to stand guard. The non-sentries squat rather than sit. They drink water. They lean on their rifles. They don’t speak – too tired.

Sergeant Fine That gun’s en route to a new firing position. Most likely against our tanks. They’re only half an hour behind us, so we need to move sharpish before that gun can –

Albert Jesus!

Sergeant Fine Corporal?

Albert I thought this horse moved, Sarge.

Sergeant Fine Maybe it did.

They study Coco.

Albert Its nerves still twitching.

Sergeant Fine How are your nerves, Corporal?

Albert Good.

Sergeant Fine You’ve had a long war. Volunteered early on, didn’t you?

Albert I’m all right, Sarge. I thought the dead horse moved, it was an honest mistake.

Sergeant Fine … Thought we’d lost you this morning.

Albert My lid stopped it, Sarge.

All the soldiers become alert and fan out, ready for action.

The following exchange could be gestural.

Sentry Shaw Enemy front!

Sentry Ready!

Albert Hold your fire – I think it’s a child!

Sentry Shaw Hold fire!

Albert It is a child!

Emilie stops. Albert tries to bring her over, but she resists.

Jesus!

Fine approaches Emilie.

Sergeant Fine Français? Parlez Anglais?

Emilie shakes her head.

Ou allez? Ou chez nous?

Emilie J’ai perdu mon cheval.

Sergeant Fine Lost? You lost? Perdu is lost?

Albert She’s saying she’s lost her horse, Sarge.

Sergeant Fine Ask her if she’s seen a Jerry gun.

Albert Vu les Allemagnes?

Emilie Oui.

Albert Oui? Ou?

Sergeant Fine deploys the men.

Emilie Chez nous.

Albert Ou chez nous?

Emilie C’est plus là. J’ai perdu mon cheval.

Albert ’S all right, ’s all right, calm down.

Sergeant Fine Give her some water … Corporal?

Albert Sarge.

Sergeant Fine What d’ye think?

Albert Two things: one, she might have some intelligence about Jerry, and two, we can’t leave her wandering about here, can we?

Sergeant Fine I agree. Three, can’t take her with us, either, can we?