Closing the newspaper and with it the subject, Allenby turned the conversation back to Morland. “What is the Army going to do with you?”

“The CO hasn’t told me what he wants me to do next. I’ve been hanging around barracks, trying to keep busy. To be honest, I’m not sure about staying in the Army. I’ve loved my time, but I guess I’ve already had more than my share of excitement. The problem as I see it is that, with these endless cuts, there isn’t much of a future any more for people like me.”

“That bad?”

“Yes, that bad. Did you know that Sergeant Wild has PVR’d—resigned—and with him going, Archer and Watson are talking about following him into civvie street. It’s not as if I have any arguments to stop them.”

“You don’t think the politicians will have learned from their lucky escape this time . . . Maybe improve things?”

“Come on, Nicola! Not a chance of it,” Morland said bitterly. “There’ll be lots of eye-catching, big-ticket items. Like lashing out on money for Special Forces, or jam-tomorrow equipment purchases that will make for great headlines. But precious little of what really matters. What’s needed is for the powers-that-be to recognize the need to put some genuine muscle back on the bones from where it’s already been hacked away. Don’t tell me that the Baltics were won back by air strikes, cyber and smart bombs alone.

“Sure, they were essential props. But without the right people doing the right things at the right time, shiny toys will only get you so far. And the unavoidable fact is that the Russians only had a go at the Baltics in the first place because the President reckoned our weakness gave him that opportunity on a plate. Putting that right is going to cost real money and I just can’t see it happening. As any politician will tell you, there’s no votes these days in spending money on defense. Even after what so nearly happened. That simple.