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P.A. You asked me to take over at Meteren when you were scared out of your wits. You survived till the day you were marching along that ashy grey road. Remember? – that silly old bugger standing at the salute on the side of the road. Quentin, who had died, was marching by your side.
GHOST OF STOKES That's right. Quentin was religious; everyone jeered when he broke down – shell-shock they called it – and didn't return from leave. Lord! I thought you were going to crack up you looked so scared. Eyes left! They say the old man always salutes troops leaving the Second Army.
GHOST OF CLIFF Silly old fool. You were a pious bunch. Left, Right, Left, Right.
GHOST OF KEEN Even now the slog along that road makes me tired. You were glad to be going out of the Salient. They had to amputate my legs. At first they thought they would save my arms, but they couldn't. So I can march without fatigue and don't have to carry a rifle. Luckily that last arm did for me – I died. I can't help laughing when I think how funny I would have looked had I come out of the anaesthetic. I wouldn't still be marching, marching, marching with you on this long dusty road. They say it turns to star-dust. At the end of the journey –
P.A. ‘We shall have a…‘
GHOST OF KEEN
'A ___ for you and a ___ for me
There's a ___ for you and me …'
ROSEMARY Pox? Not bloody likely!
QUENTIN (laughing) How coarse you are.