TIME MACHINE CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR
THE FOURTH OF AUGUST, 1914
During the next few weeks they mad attempts to repair the time machine; it seemed the first 'diagnosis' was incorrect after all and the dials were damaged. Ben was equivocal about this. He wanted to take the chance of going back and reuniting with his parents, but still felt distressed at the thought of leaving his new friends to a miserable and uncertain future. He ached to tell Robyn and her little 'set' that Britain would win the war, but then wondered if that would be consolation if their friends and brothers died fighting for their beliefs. One day while Ethan was in a petulant rage after the Defence of the Realm act had been prominently displayed with all its restrictions, his mood got to Ben. Ethan was making a desperate attempt to fiddle with the dials of the machine once more and then had begun to kick and thump the machine in total rage.
"Oh, leave the f*cking thing alone!" Ben snapped, which shocked the others, not because of the word, but because of Ben's unusual outburst.
"Nobody's even trying to repair this thing properly!" Ethan retaliated.
"Ethan, we've tried everything, we've tried the dials, we've nearly had the bloody thing apart, and still nothing. What we need is a manual, which dear Professor Hanssen didn't think to leave for us. But even if this thing did start to function again…"
Ethan butted in rudely, imitating Ben's voice:
"I don't know if I want to be safe and leave these nice people to a nasty war!"
"Cool it, Ethan, Ben's entitled to his views" chided Cal.
"And if I do, will Saint Chiltern of the World here be able to protect these people?"
"I can't protect them all but I can – pardon the cliché – do my bit" replied Ben.
"Tell him, Dylan!" stormed Ethan.
"I'm his partner, not his mother! But, Ben, seriously? You'd enlist? I thought you were a pacifist."
"Not exactly. I'm going to declare myself a conscientious objector, but-"
Dylan wasn't having this.
"Ben, no. You'd be spat at in the street. Do you know that conscientious objectors in World War One who ended up in hospital were often given 'special enemas' by the nurses? I've read about it. Jingoism can make people spiteful. Still… I'm glad you're not thinking of volunteering to go to the Front."
But Ben was shaking his head.
"I can't kill. I can't go and take lives when I know what a senseless waste this war will be. But what I can do is help another way. I've been reading too, Dylan. I'd volunteer as a stretcher-bearer or a member of the medical corps." He gave a sad little laugh.
"After all I'm qualified for the second."
"Oh bloody great! So you're still going to be target practise but you'll be totally unarmed yourself? For f***'s sake, Ben, wake up and smell the coffee!"
Dylan would come to loathe himself for his next words.
"Well, you've just proved that you don't give a shit about myself or Lucius, haven't you?"
"Damn you" Ben said quietly but with a savage edge to his voice, and walked off.
They made up in a fashion later that night. As he held Ben and stroked his hair, after Ben had agreed to wait a couple of months before making a decision, Dylan prayed that something would happen to stop Ben from enlisting. He'd forgotten the phrase 'Be careful what you wish for'.
Ethan wasn't so easy to pacify.
ROBYN'S JOURNAL
THE FOURTEENTH OF SEPTEMBER
Oh journal! I can hardly believe the news. My set and I have wept nearly all evening. The Government plans to requisition our school and turn it into a hospital for the troops. We shall never see our lovely teachers again! Benjamin has already told us that he plans to enlist in the medical corps, but the others have not yet decided on their plans. Oh, what if they never return! On a happier note, Fletcher the elder has already enlisted. He is somewhere down in London, I believe, and we are not likely to see his face again. Another thing – since the Defence of the Realm act I no longer dare write this in invisible ink. I would rather risk somebody – even Vinegar – reading this than be thrown into prison for breaking the law.
Oh that mean Lloyd and his cheeky friend Jamie! They have told us today that if food supplies continue to dwindle the school will be forced to cook and eat little Bonnie the pony! Lily said she would like to cook and eat both of them. Caleb caught me weeping and asked why. When I told him he said "I am surprised that somebody as intelligent as yourself, Robyn, has been deceived by such twaddle! And, because she is a pony and not a horse, she will not be requisitioned and sold for the war effort." He's so sweet and kind and I shall miss him so much!
Ethan is in a mean mood lately. I think it may be the food rationing. He is hardly speaking to Benjamin.
THE EIGHTEENTH OF SEPTEMBER
Today Captain Spiller and Sergeant Iain Dean came to visit the school to speak to Benjamin. Alicia has discovered a wonderful little recess that we can creep into and the whole of my set were crammed in it to listen. At first we feared that they would persuade Ben to enlist on the spot, but they had actually come to ask him if he would sing during an officer's dinner on the 30th. Benjamin and his chosen guest, Doctor Keogh, will get a free meal, too. It could have been Ethan but there is a rift between Ethan and Benjamin, and every time Benjamin tries to offer the hand of friendship, Ethan refuses it. So, ha, ha, no free dinner for Ethan! (I am glad Louise cannot see what I have written there, I know she dotes on Ethan but he's being so mean to Benjamin and in public, too. But our lovely singing teacher had better hold on to his heart – another singer, Taylor Ashbie, a star of musical comedies from London, has also accepted the invitation to sing, and she is very beautiful. Benjamin may well have his affections stolen away!
THE TWENTIETH OF SEPTEMBER
Oh journal, today is the saddest day I have ever known. It is the day we all had to return home, and I am sitting in my boring old room in boring old Leeds. I laugh so bitterly at the way I loathed school for so long, until the four Adonises came into my life for such a short time. My set and I hugged last night and vowed to keep in touch – if our letters are not confiscated by the Government. You never know with this war! We shall never forget our lovely teachers, especially after what Caleb and Benjamin did for us today to cheer us. They took us to a lovely little tea shop in the afternoon – due to the war, there are no lessons any more – and stood us all a cream tea. We asked about what Jess would do, since Ethan was not there to tell us and Benjamin said he believed that she would do voluntary work in the hospital until she became too – tired. So Jess is to have a baby! Louise looked a little jealous, then looked ashamed of herself. During our meal Ethan put his rude nose round the door and shouted that it was funny how Benjamin and Caleb could find money for treats for us all. Benjamin and Caleb just kept their dignity and did not reply. Ethan slunk away and Caleb told us all to keep smiling, that he was certain that Britain would win this war. Vinegar's eyes goggled to see Benjamin and Caleb escorting us back to school but she said nothing, mainly because Alicia has recently introduced her to a few hearty whacks with a hairbrush.
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