Land of Hope and Glory Read Free

poised in the darkness, just a few feet away from the lad, then stepped out. ‘Bang – you’re dead.’
    Edwin jumped and fell back against the wall. ‘Christ! You nutter.’
    ‘If I was an intruder, you’d be lying there dead and I’d be on my way to the house.’
    Edwin sniffed. ‘But you’re not an intruder. There are no intruders. Nothing ever happens around here.’
    ‘And that’s the danger. It’s quiet. You get lazy. Then – pow – you’re dead.’
    ‘You’re mad, you are. We’re in the middle of the country. There’s no one around.’
    Jack smiled darkly, his weather-beaten features creasing more deeply. He had a triangular face that seemed to emphasise his eyes and his craggy brow. His eyes were narrow and pale, the irises almost white in the dim light. His long hair was tied back in a ponytail, and he wore a brown, knee-length tunic that was spotlessly clean.
    ‘That’s what you think.’ He looked about as if there were enemies in the trees. ‘There are thieves and vagrants. You get bandits in the hills.’
    ‘Bandits? How often have they tried to get in here, then?’
    ‘They know we’re here watching. If they come, they see us and go on to the next farm. But if they see us dozing, that’s when they’ll strike.’
    ‘If you say so.’
    Jack shook his head. He was too soft on the boy. That sarcastic attitude would have been beaten out of him within one day in the army.
    ‘Did you hear about the Ghost?’ Edwin asked. ‘Struck again last night. Knocked out the sattva link to Bristol.’
    ‘That so.’
    ‘They can’t stop him. He’s there one minute, gone the next. I heard he’s a sorcerer.’
    Jack snorted. ‘Don’t you believe everything you hear down the market. The Rajthanans are a lot stronger than you
    think.’
    Edwin looked sideways at Jack, then spoke more softly. ‘Word is, the rebels will win.’
    ‘Watch your mouth, lad.’ Jack glanced over his shoulder.
    ‘The master hears you talking like that, he’ll fire you. If you’re lucky.’
    ‘I’m not scared of him.’
    ‘Well, you should be. You’re talking treason. You’ll get yourself reported to the sheriffs.’
    Edwin looked down and scuffed the ground with his boot. ‘It’s still true.’
    ‘The Rajthanans rule all of Europe, and a lot of other places besides. You really think a few mutineers in England can beat them?’
    ‘They’ve got London now, and the whole south-east.’
    ‘Once the Rajthanans have built up their army they’ll smash those mutineers to pieces.’
    Edwin muttered something inaudible.
    ‘Listen, lad. I’ll give you some advice. Forget about this Ghost or the mutiny or whatever other rubbish is filling your head. There’s an order to things and there’s no point in fighting against it. Some people rule, others follow. That’s the way of it. The Rajthanans rule here and we follow. Now, you look sharp and keep your eyes peeled. And don’t you dare fall asleep.’
    Edwin bowed with his hands pressed together, as if Jack were an army officer. ‘Namaste, great master.’
    Jack rolled his eyes and walked off into the darkness to continue his evening rounds. Edwin had no idea what he was talking about. The rebels might have won a few battles, but that was only because there were hardly any foreign troops in England – there had never needed to be. Now the Rajthanans were bringing in French and Andalusian regiments, and even soldiers from Rajthana itself. Once they’d built up their army in the south-west they would crush the rebellion. It was as simple as that.
    He followed the stone wall for a few feet, went through a gap in the trees and came out on the front lawn. Before him stood the house. It was two storeys high, more than a hundred feet wide, and built in the style of a Rajthanan palace with miniature spires and domed towers. In places, lacy detail in bas-relief lined the rust-coloured walls. The leaded-light windows glowed and cast a series of bright blocks across the