Sir Thursday(62)

The bastions of the Star Fort were smaller versions of the ones in the lower defence lines. At the top of the stairs, Jarrow called out and did not proceed until he was answered by the sentry. Then, clearly illuminated by the greenish moonlight, they marched across the bare earth, crossed a ditch on a gangplank, and entered a sally port in the face of the bastion.

‘Reckon you could find your way out of here?’ asked Fred a little later, as they waited for Jarrow to finish talking to yet another lieutenant in yet another guard room – though this one was nicer than the ones below, as it had panelled wood walls rather than bare stone, and a blue-and-red carpet on the floor.

‘No,’ said Arthur. That thought had occurred to him too, probably because it was quite possible he, unlike Fred, might really need to get out again.

‘You’re going into Marshal Noon’s reception room,’ said Jarrow, turning back to them. ‘Apparently there’s already a number of Piper’s children waiting, and the Marshal will address you soon. Remember to stand at attention at all times unless ordered otherwise, and do not speak unless you are spoken to. Is that clear?’

‘Yes, sir!’ shouted Fred and Arthur.

Jarrow winced.

‘You don’t have to shout like that here. Save it for the parade ground. You’ve done well, Green, and you too, Gold. Good luck for the future. I hope we serve together again.’

He shook hands with them and was gone. Arthur and Fred turned nervously to the other door. A corporal grinned at them and opened it, gesturing for them to go inside.

Arthur felt an anxious, fluttering pain in his stomach. It didn’t look like this was going to be the prelude to Sir Thursday revealing his identity and doing something horrible to him. But he was nervous about whatever was to come, for it was an unknown, both to his soldier self and his secret role as the Rightful Heir.

They marched in together in perfect step. The room was large but not as expansive as the round-table room in Monday’s Dayroom. This room was much more spartan. It had a polished timber floor, with a spindly-legged desk in one corner, a black lacquered standing screen with maps pinned to it, several weapons mounted on the walls, and the preserved head of a monster – possibly a fish, as it looked like it might have come off a thirty-foot-long piranha. There were also twenty Piper’s children in two ranks of ten, standing at ease. Most were in scarlet Regimentals, but there were four Legionaries in dress armour, three grey-coated Artillerists, and two Borderers in green. They all turned their heads to look as Fred and Arthur entered the room and marched over to form up on the left of the parade.

‘Wait for it,’ whispered Arthur as they neared the ranks. ‘Fred and Ray, halt! Left turn!’

They executed the movements perfectly. The other Piper’s children looked to the front again. All except for one of the Borderers, who stepped back behind the parade and sidled down the line. Then she came over and stood at attention next to Arthur.

‘Hist! Arthur!’

Arthur slid his eyes to the left. The Borderer, a corporal no less, was Suzy!

Arthur’s head moved two inches in sheer surprise before he whipped it back in place. Even so, his eyes nearly left their sockets with the effort of peering at his friend. He felt incredibly relieved by her appearance and at the same time his anxiety ratcheted up a notch. Suzy’s arrivals normally anticipated serious mayhem and difficulties only by minutes.

‘Suzy! They let you join after all?’ he whispered out of the corner of his mouth. ‘And you’ve already made corporal?’

‘Not exactly,’ said Suzy. ‘It’s a bit complicated, but basically I got here, and they had a bit of trouble working out what to do with me. For a couple of hours they were going to shoot me as a spy. But it turns out I was in the Army before. I did my hitch four hundred years ago and have been in the Reserve ever since! Not that I can remember it, though a few bits and pieces are coming back now. I told them I’d just got cleaned between the ears and was a bit confused, and then this order came for all Piper’s children to report, no exceptions, so the major who was in charge said ‘good riddance’ and sent me along. The important thing is, Arthur, I’ve got the –’

‘Atten-hut!’

An immaculate Regimental Sergeant-Major, her scarlet sleeves adorned with laurel wreaths and crossed swords, had entered the room. She marched over to the Piper’s children, ramrod-straight, her boots clicking in perfect rhythm on the floor, a silver-pointed ebony pace-stick under her arm.

‘Close up that gap, soldier!’ she snapped, pointing to the hole Suzy had left. She halted in front of the two lines, did an about-turn, and saluted the Denizen who had just followed her in.