these details are correct and sign the attestation,’ he said. ‘Once you have taken the oath with these other men you will be given the King’s shilling and will officially be a member of His Majesty’s army. If you wish to change your mind, now is the time. Once the oath has been taken and the King’s shilling received you will be bound to a minimum of three years’ service or for the duration of the war.
‘Next!’ he shouted over George’s shoulder.
George signed the attestation, while Tom walked into the room clutching his own paperwork. ‘All good, George, as they say.’
The magistrate ordered them to line up. Patrick and their friends were nowhere to be seen. They must have already given their oath of allegiance to the Crown. He and Tom were so close to joining them.
‘I told you it would be fine,’ Tom whispered.
‘Shh. It’s not sealed yet. It was nerve-wracking back there. I thought that officer had found me out and decided to play a game with me. The doctor treated me like a prize horse. If I wasn’t standing here with you, I’d think they were still having me on.’
‘Odd. The doctor barely touched me. Took one look, made me read the letters, and shoved me through that door. Hold up, here we go.’
The magistrate had shut the door to the room.
‘Where’re Patrick and Harry?’ George said in a hush. He hoped that the officer didn’t notice his lack of discipline.
‘I don’t know. They must’ve gone, ended up in a different section. At least it means we won’t have to put up with them out there.’ Tom’s voice was slightly louder than George’s and earned a disapproving glance from the magistrate.
‘Right, men. Raise your right hand like this.’ He raised his hand to shoulder height with his palm facing outwards. ‘Repeat after me, inserting your name one at a time in the correct place.’ He picked up a piece of paper from the desk and began reading aloud, ‘I…’ He nodded to the first man in the line, who after a second’s hesitation barked out his name in a hurry, and it stuck in his throat as if he hadn’t spoken yet that day, ‘Johnny Smith.’ Then the magistrate nodded at the second man who was ready. ‘Albert Jones,’ he said. Every man along the line announced their name.
‘George Abbott.’
‘Thomas Adams.’
It took a few minutes for the assembled men to speak their names for the oath, and the magistrate carried on where he left off as soon as the last man spoke.
‘Swear by Almighty God.’
‘Swear by Almighty God,’ the men replied in chorus.
The call and repeat carried on until every man had all said the final line, ‘so help me God.’
The magistrate went down the line of men handing each the King’s shilling and dismissing them. He got to George and said, ‘This is the King’s shilling. Take it and you are a member of the regiment.’ He pushed a shilling into George’s palm. ‘Take this.’ He then gave him a sheet of paper with his name and the name of the regiment on it. ‘We will tell you when to report for mobilisation. In the meantime, you will attend training drill starting from Monday. Dismissed.’
George and Tom were now members of the King’s Liverpool regiment. The enlistment felt like it had taken hours, stretching George’s confidence to his wits’ end, but in reality it had only been a few minutes. He had expected a sense of something new but he didn’t feel any different. Tom grinned that grin at him and, taking George around the shoulders, said, ‘That’s that then, we’re men now.’ He laughed. ‘Now to go home and wait, lad. I should probably tell my ma too.’
It was done.
Joe had just woken up. He wasn’t sure what time it was, but the sun glared in through the window. Last night at the newspaper had been a late night, editing more and more news about the war, and trying to get his anti-war message in wherever he could without Ed noticing. When he had got home, he was out as soon as his head hit the thin pillow. He hadn’t even heard George leave in the morning. His brother had left before Joe had woken, which was unusual, as Joe was often disturbed by George. They didn’t socialise or talk much – they hadn’t since they were small children. One day, Joe would own his own home and bedroom.
Getting up early and reading was his usual morning pattern, but today he just got dressed. He tripped over George’s boots on his way downstairs. He had done enough reading last night for a few days, and his head was still sore from the concentration.
Halfway down the staircase he heard raised voices coming from the kitchen and stopped.
‘How dare you?’ his mother shouted, just loud enough to be heard through the walls. Joe didn’t hear the reply, mumbled as it was. ‘How dare you?’ his mother shouted again, loud enough to wake the house if anyone had still been sleeping.
There was silence for a few seconds, and Joe tried to relax. He daren’t go further down the stairs, should anyone realise he was there.
‘No, George. Not this time. You shouldn’t have done this.’ The anger in his mother’s voice had more control this time. Then he heard an unexpected voice, that of his Uncle Stephen; a voice he hadn’t heard in some time. He didn’t visit their home often. His uncle was how his parents had met. He and Joe’s father had served together and at a regimental dinner George’s mother and father had been introduced. He had heard the story many times. Joe’s heart raced as he thought of all the possibilities of what they were arguing about. He kept coming back to the same conclusion, and the thought made him sick. He hesitated, one foot on the bottom step and a hand on the banister. He dearly wanted to go upstairs and avoid the conversation, but his curiosity and his concern pulled at him. One day he would have to start confronting things.
‘You’re too young.’
The beating of his heart grew louder in his ears, and he still didn’t hear George’s response. Joe put his other foot on the stair, praying they wouldn’t creak.
‘Hello, Joe. What are you doing?’ enquired a young voice, followed by the click of a closing door. She made him start. He had been so engrossed he hadn’t heard his little sister creep up on him.
‘Shush, Lizzie. Not so loud!’ He waved his hands, but she only smiled in return and came closer. ‘I’m just thinking. Why don’t you run upstairs? And don’t tell anyone you saw me!’
He was getting in the habit of lying recently, and he hated himself for it. If he told her what was happening then she would no doubt tell her parents at some point. She was too young to understand. By now, he could no longer make out much of the conversation in the kitchen. His mother was no longer shouting, but he could feel the tension as she moved around the kitchen. Still, his sister stood and smiled at him, craning her neck to see what he was doing, mimicking him.
‘What are you thinking about? Is it to do with stairs?’
‘It’s not important, Lizzie. Now come along with you, up the stairs. Mum will be calling you down soon, and if you’re not ready she will be upset.’ Again he bent the truth to suit his needs, but Lizzie didn’t need to
