Maralinga Read Online Free Page B

interview, shall we?’
    The brief glimpse Elizabeth had allowed was over. The shutters were down and it was back to business.
    â€˜Yes, of course. Sorry.’
    He sat up, straight-backed and duly chastised, but already wondering what possible tack he could take that might afford him another glimpse. He wanted to get to know Elizabeth Hoffmann.
    â€˜Tell me how you felt about today’s ceremony, Daniel. How did it affect you personally?’
    â€˜In what way?’
    â€˜In every way. You’re a young man embarking on a military career, and here you are in Aldershot, thevery home of the British army, celebrating 100 years of military tradition. Surely the symbolism of today must have had a tremendous impact upon you.’
    As her eyes locked onto his, seeking to make a connection, Daniel knew exactly the tack to take. The way to get to know Elizabeth Hoffmann was to appeal to her intellect. And the way to appeal to her intellect was to give her the best possible interview – one that would, hopefully, surprise her.
    â€˜Symbolism’s fine when you’re dealing with the past,’ he said, ‘but you need to consider the future. It’s all very well to celebrate the last 100 years, but what about the next ?’ Good, he thought, that had got her attention. ‘Wars don’t go away, you know.’
    It was the catchphrase repeatedly trotted out by his superiors in the officers’ mess, and it had exactly the desired effect. This was clearly not the response she had expected and he could tell she was interested.
    â€˜Go on,’ Elizabeth said.
    â€˜The government has developed a dangerous sense of post-war complacency,’ Daniel continued, in an excellent imitation of his superior officers. ‘The assumption appears to be that the army is nothing more than a peacekeeping force in Europe, when in fact our troops are still serving in highly volatile areas – Palestine, Korea, Singapore … Anything could happen. It’s most unwise of the British government to cut back on military funding to the degree that it has.’
    Elizabeth didn’t interject, she had no desire to stop the flow. Here was a whole new viewpoint to add to her feature. Post-war unrest in the military – an excellent angle, she thought. Contemporary, and also a touch controversial, particularly given the fact thatshe was reporting from Aldershot, the very home of the British army. She looked up intermittently from her notepad to nod encouragement.
    â€˜In my opinion, it’s all because of the Cold War,’ Daniel went on. Gratified by her attention, he stopped imitating his superiors and warmed to his own personal theme. ‘The government’s concentrating its resources on the race for nuclear power, and you can hardly blame them. They can’t rely on America to the extent they’d hoped – the Yanks are keeping their secrets very much to themselves. So if Britain wants to compete with Russia and France in the nuclear stakes – which, of course, she does – then she has to fork out hugely on scientific research. Which is exactly what the government is doing,’ he concluded, reverting to the imitation of his superiors, ‘and, might I add, to the severe detriment of its own armed forces.’
    Elizabeth flipped over another page of her notepad and hastily scribbled the last sentence. The speed with which he’d voiced his argument had tested her shorthand skills, but she’d got it all down.
    â€˜Well, Daniel,’ she said finally, leaning back to survey him with new-found respect, ‘for one who’s been in the army a relatively short time, you’ve certainly formed strong opinions.’
    â€˜Not altogether original ones,’ he admitted. ‘Not in regard to the government cutbacks anyway.’
    â€˜Oh?’
    â€˜It’s all they talk about in the officers’ mess.’
    Elizabeth found his admission