Читать книгу Royal Regiment - Gilbert Frankau - Страница 25

Table of Contents

For several minutes after Godden’s departure, Rusty Rockingham sat on at his desk. The whole interview, seen in retrospect, was perturbing. Godden had nothing to gain, everything to lose, by rushing his fences. Why had one promised to put his case before Lampson immediately?

Most perturbing of all, however, seemed that last, “There’s bound to be another European war before we’re very much older”.

Queer, that barrack-room gossip should agree with Hawk Wethered! Who’d be mad enough to start a war nowadays? Italy—her hands full in Abyssinia? Germany? Surely she’d had enough of it for at least another generation?

Yet even William had not excluded the possibility. What had he said? “Unless we’re given the money to do our jobs, the civilian population will certainly be for it”.

The government must know something, too. Otherwise, they would not be in such a hurry to rearm.

Only—were they hurrying fast enough?

War. With a quarter of a million less men in the services than there had been in nineteen fourteen.

War. With London a wide open target for hostile aircraft.

Hell!