Chapter 11 Empire

1914 London

A raven that quotes Chaucer - Dr.Gideon Marchant shook his

head in disbelief, even after a month it was still uncanny.

"Nothing ventured nothing gained." the raven cawed.

He fed it a slice of pear as it perched on the window sill.

The War Office had taken over the building and the

bird had been inherited from the previous tenants.

Gideon held out another piece of fruit. "No empty handed

man can lure a bird."

The raven crooked it's head as if considering his words

then took what was offered. Gideon looked at the crowds

gathering in the street below. Each day he watched the

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numbers of men who wanted to volunteer for War service

grow, and it had been that way since August.

The English army had its first engagement with the much

larger and more experienced invading German forces at

Mons in Belgium. After a small initial victory, it was an almost

inevitable defeat with heavy losses.

What followed was a demoralizing two week retreat into

France. Everyday now more and more men waited for the

enlistment depot doors to open.

"And thus the sins of the Father." Gideon said to the raven,

"will be visited upon the sons."

*

When the medical board offered him a civilian position with

the War department, Gideon closed his practice in Oxford

and moved to London. He told his family and friends that he

wanted to do his bit for the war effort. It was a lie, he didn't

care at all about the War or the King, or his damned British

empire.

The position was nothing more than regular paid employment

and the chance to escape the insufferable musings of the

Oxford social set.

He shared a terrace house with his sister Aida in central London

that overlooked Regents Park. Most mornings he walked

the two miles to the enlistment depot in Scotland yard and often

shared the streets with men he would see later in the day.

Walking unnoticed among them he listened to their conversations.

Some were after adventure. Some like himself, saw it as nothing

more than a way to earn money in difficult times.

But the majority?

They wanted nothing more than to fly the colours for King

and country. Their blind patriotism sickened him.

Why were they so eager to defend an Empire that had

nothing but contempt for the working class?

Had they thought about what would happen to their families

if they didn't come home, or worse, came home broken

beyond repair.

The men that stood out most to him though were the older

ones. Sober and quiet, they usually walked alone appearing

sometimes to be lost in thought. He knew what they were.

They were veterans like himself.

Men who had seen what the harvest of War brings.

*