Camomile Lawn Read Online Free Page A

the Marne, Wipers, the B.E.F., General Haig, General French, trenches, conchies, war profiteers, yankees, comradeship and what does it produce? Cotton poppies and two minutes’ silence. Christ Almighty!’
    ‘I don’t feel, somehow,’ Polly was laughing, ‘that he’d call you officer material if he heard you now.’
    ‘Too true. I’m for the ranks.’
    ‘Really? After all that O.T.C. at school?’ Polly was intrigued. ‘I should have thought you’d go straight into the Guards as an officer.’
    ‘Not after the International Brigade.’
    ‘I suppose not. Was there comradeship there?’
    ‘Lots of comradeship.’
    ‘Making bonfires?’
    ‘Yes, yes, yes. Now let’s plan the new game. Sophy!’ Oliver shouted through cupped hands towards the twins who were swimming to shore, Sophy between them, a hand on each twin’s shoulder. ‘Like to join the Terror Run this year?’
    ‘What?’ The child scrambled up the rocks. ‘What did you say?’
    ‘I said would you like to join the Terror Run this year?’
    ‘Yes, please.’
    ‘You’ll have to practise.’
    ‘I know the path. I know it better than any of you.’
    ‘Not in the dark, not by moonlight.’
    ‘Yes, I do.’
    ‘Well, you must let me see you run it so that I’m sure.’
    ‘I’m sure. There’s a man with a snake on it. Will you watch the whole way?’
    ‘Yes. We’ll watch both ends and the middle and see how you do.’
    ‘Oh, thanks, Oliver.’
    ‘See what it is to give happiness.’
    Calypso sat beside the twins, who watched Oliver, who watched the drops of water run down her legs into her groin.
    ‘Will you run?’ Polly invited the twins.
    ‘Yes,’ they said. ‘When is it?’
    ‘Full moon, whenever that is.’
    ‘And the Killing Game?’ Calypso looked round. ‘You both in on that?’
    ‘Yes,’ they said, surprising the cousins.
    ‘That makes six of us,’ said Walter.
    ‘Seven,’ said Sophy. ‘It’s me, too.’
    ‘Oh, Sophy, you’re too small to kill anyone.’
    ‘Oliver said, he said.’ Sophy looked from face to face, distressed. ‘Besides, I shall grow up.’
    ‘Oh, let her.’ Calypso wiped the salt water from her arms with fastidious movements. ‘I think we should include Aunt Helena and Uncle and Betty and Cook and the Rector; make it more of a lottery.’
    ‘Not Father,’ said the twins.
    ‘All right. Aunt and Uncle then, not Betty or Cook.’
    ‘Why not? Because they’re village, not our class?’ Walter jabbed at Oliver. ‘I thought all you Comrades were classless.’
    ‘Far from it,’ said Oliver, laughing, ‘as you’d know if you’d been there. No, Betty and Cook might get ideas.’
    ‘Above their station?’
    ‘No, you fool. They might easily go full tilt, might take it seriously.’
    ‘Go to the police?’ Polly grinned.
    ‘Oh, forget it. Just don’t include them.’
    ‘I thought the whole idea was that it is serious.’ Calypso stared at Oliver maliciously. ‘Wasn’t it?’
    ‘May I do my practice run soon? Will you watch me?’ Sophy put her pale face close to Oliver’s so that he squinted into her large black eyes. He put up a hand and pushed back her hair, black too like a cat’s and silky.
    ‘Puss.’ He caressed her as he would an animal. Calypso and Polly watched, amused.
    ‘Why not this afternoon? How would that be?’ Oliver patted the pale cheek dismissively.
    ‘We shall have to see that she doesn’t cheat.’ Walter stretched his arms to the sky.
    ‘It’s so hot.’ Polly turned over on to her stomach.
    ‘It won’t be hot if we line along the top of the cliffs. We will get the breeze. It’s Sophy who will get hot.’ Calypso closed her eyes, lifting her face to the sun. ‘Is my nose getting red?’
    ‘Put a leaf over it.’ The twins spoke in chorus.
    ‘Clever. Find me one.’ Calypso lay with a leaf shading her nose while they all cooked gently on the rocks.
    The only flaw in her looks, thought Polly, observing her cousin, was that both sides of her face were