Thank you M.B. Anchor. Yes, you did guess correctly (Brownies for you!)
The crowds had grown dense again after leaving the dense mass of Cally pool station.
Peter had nabbed a paper and was running a commentary while reading while trying to follow his younger brothers quick step. Holding the paper in his right hand - just because he could, occasionally bringing his hand into his hip just to prove that the elbow actually worked. They'd been back since January and he still smiled at its smooth movement.
"Aslan abroad, I am so glad we didn't have this democracy thing in play during our wars, that Chamberlain has resigned after his own party white-anted him"
"Ha!" was the muffled reply Edmund had a scarf despite the fine May day "I would have resigned from all of our wars if I could have - rubble to your left, provisioning them is my idea of hell"
Peter looked round the paper and deftly dodged the building material "you've got a point there, I would have resigned the second day in, if it was an option"
"So who's in charge of this country then? if the leader can just call in sick?" Edmund threw over his shoulder. "England going back to the king?"
They had moved into an area that had recent rubble on both sides of the road and the slight sweet smell mingled with the dust hinted that the rescue efforts had not retrieved all inhabitants. It brought with it memories of other battlefields.
"Least this mode of battle does half the job of burying the dead for you" Peter said in response to their non vocalised shared memory of spending days burying the dead. Even with burrowing animals they had never managed to do it fast enough for the High Kings liking "Chamberlain's not sick, just a bit too democratic for war I think, Looks like Churchill's got the guernsey, forming coalition government the paper says, there might be a bit of a bun fight if they tried putting the King back in around here"
" 'ello boys" said a grimy boy about Ed's age "youse pretendin' ta know how ta read Peta-ma-boy"
"Jus' watchin' tha world, Alfie" replied Peter waving the paper "wanna learn?"
"jus' gotta watcha the skies, Peta-boy, an listen, papers for da privy! I gotcha a box Eddie" indicating to a wooden ply box.
Edmund grinned, "I got the gentle queen, Alfie" he held up three cards, two aces with a red queen facing outward " lets see if we canna find 'er some boyfriends"
Alfie picked up the box "move it Eddie, I aint 'ad breakie" and Alfie began walking into the throng of humanity that was Caleidonian Street.
Edmund smirked up at his older brother "Just think, my King, if I hadn't spent all that time rehabilitating that confidence trickster we would be like the rest of Londons children, including our Alfie and we'd be begging for our sup tonight"
"Yes, Alsan works in strange ways" Peter said as he followed "although I'm still concerned at 'just' how much you are enjoying exploiting peoples vanity and greed"
Edmund turned and shouted "I'm not tha' coppa 'ere, Mah King"