Lights are being switched on in main streets throughout the land; store windows are filled with tempting goodies, ad agencies work flat out to create irresistible TV impressions of their client’s products and soon forests of conifer will be cut down for private decoration as pantomimes offer new productions of Puss in Boots to Mother Goose. All of them contributing to the arrival of that great Christian festival of Christmas. Yet though it may come as a surprise, many of the traditions we take for granted as part of the Christmas celebration were taking place thousands of years before the birth of the Christ child.
The history of this feast dates back over 4000 years. Many of our present day Christmas traditions, the 12 days of Christmas, the bright fires, the Yule log, the giving of gifts, carollers going from house to house, the holiday feasts and the church processions can all be traced back to the early Mesopotamians. Their chief God was Marduk and throughout the winter it was believed that Marduk battled with the forces of chaos. With the coming of New Year the Mesopotamians held a celebration of thanks called Zagmuk which lasted for 12 days during which the king would go to the temple and swear his faithfulness to the God. Tradition required the king to die then return with Marduk to fight at his side, but to spare the King the Mesopotamians would chose a criminal as a mock king who was dressed and treated as the king until the end of the celebrations when he was stripped of his regal clothes and slain. Similar festivals called Sacaea were celebrated by the Babylonians and Persians who would change places with their slaves throughout the celebrations.
During the winter months in Scandinavia, the sun would completely disappear so after 35 days scouts were dispatched to mountain tops to watch for its return. At the first sign of light they would bring back the good news and a great festival of celebration called Yuletide would be held, with a feast served around a large fire burning the Yule log. Bonfires would also be lit to celebrate the return of the sun and people would tie apples to tree branches to remind them of the coming spring. The Romans celebrated the feast of Saturnalia in veneration of their God Saturn, decorating their houses with green trees lit with candles, feasting, giving gifts and changing places with slaves. It is said the Christian Christmas was invented to compete with the pagan celebrations held in December of which the 25th day was sacred in both Roman and Persian religions. But in 350 AD Julius I, Bishop of Rome settled the matter once and for all by proclaiming December 25th as the Christian observance of Christmas day. Although there is no historical record of the Christmas stocking it is said the tradition began in Europe where children would place their boots, filled with carrots, straw, or sugar, near the chimney for Odin's flying horse, Sleipnir, to eat. Odin would then reward children for their kindness by replacing Sleipnir's food with gifts or candy.
So there it is, like so many other events we think we know so well, Christmas has been held a sacred feast day by other beliefs for thousands of years. Not that its history should mar our celebrations in any way, the fact its ancient origins are lost in the mists of time should if anything enhance them. For us it is the present celebration that is important and as such may I wish everyone a very happy Christmas.
Tuesday 15 November 2011
Thursday 4 August 2011
Time for people to use their new voice
However much we might find fault with democracy, Stalin's USSR, Hitler's Germany, Franco's Spain and Salazar's Portugal prove that totalitarianism ends in disaster for both right and left. But for democracy to function properly it needs the true voice of the people to be heard, and not the present form of lip service to it of one vote per person every five years. But that voice needs to be both active and informed or Churchill's quote ' The best argument against democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter' will remain true and we will continue to be ruled by those who think they know best, pay little attention to our wishes and refer to us disdainfully as the general public. Up to now we have been powerless to change this system but today we have the possibility of being rescued by technology. The Internet together with all the new systems of communication have now empowered us with a voice that leaders ignore at their peril. But it is not only important we use them but be informed when we do so.
Unfortunately we are now faced with a new form of totalitarianism in the form of the EU. True we have representation by MEPs but few have much contact with their constituents who in turn usually have no idea who they are. While our own national members of parliament have increasingly less say in making legislation as most new laws are made by directives from Brussels. Here we come to the nub of the problem for these EU commissioners and their officials who decide on legislation that effects every nation within the EU are not even elected and therefore cannot be held to account by anyone.
But now this quaisi dictatorship is facing the nemesis of it’s politically created currency. The idea that euro interest rates would be viable for economies as diverse as Germany and Greece was a disaster in the making. Now the problem has spread to Ireland and Portugal with Spain and Italy waiting in the wings close behind. No matter how the EU diehards might huff and puff, if the euro is to survive it will be in a new two tier Europe divided between the stronger industrial northern countries and their weaker partners in the south.
The political elite ensured that few countries were given a vote on the creation of this new political union of Europe, despite pre-election pledges by all British parties to do so. With a gross cost to Britain of £65 billion every year at a time of cuts and hardship it is important we use the Internet and every other IT communication available to make our opinions known.
Unfortunately we are now faced with a new form of totalitarianism in the form of the EU. True we have representation by MEPs but few have much contact with their constituents who in turn usually have no idea who they are. While our own national members of parliament have increasingly less say in making legislation as most new laws are made by directives from Brussels. Here we come to the nub of the problem for these EU commissioners and their officials who decide on legislation that effects every nation within the EU are not even elected and therefore cannot be held to account by anyone.
But now this quaisi dictatorship is facing the nemesis of it’s politically created currency. The idea that euro interest rates would be viable for economies as diverse as Germany and Greece was a disaster in the making. Now the problem has spread to Ireland and Portugal with Spain and Italy waiting in the wings close behind. No matter how the EU diehards might huff and puff, if the euro is to survive it will be in a new two tier Europe divided between the stronger industrial northern countries and their weaker partners in the south.
The political elite ensured that few countries were given a vote on the creation of this new political union of Europe, despite pre-election pledges by all British parties to do so. With a gross cost to Britain of £65 billion every year at a time of cuts and hardship it is important we use the Internet and every other IT communication available to make our opinions known.
Monday 25 July 2011
Writing is a Strange Business
Writing is a strange business. For some, ideas and words flow with the steady reliability of a great river while others struggle for hours or even weeks in search of either. Yet more write in the manner of a small stream, quietly placid one moment then like rippling rapids galvanized into frantic activity the next. But the majority of writers, and I include myself amongst them, fall somewhere in between. We have our moments of writer’s block but know that if we force ourselves to sit down and write, no matter what rubbish results, the block will lift and the way ahead will become clear once more.
In a recent interview I was asked what I thought was the secret of successful writing. Taking the question to be one of financial success I replied that probably one of the most important aims was to find a particular genre that came naturally then stick with it. Build up a following of those who like crime, thrillers, adventure or love stories. One only has to browse down a library shelf to see the truth in this, yet for some reason, probably lack of mental discipline, I have never managed to follow my own advice. Instead finding myself gripped by some new topic, sitting down to scribble my views on the subject only to discover the idea for a book emerging as a result. Which was how Mr Christopher was conceived.
One of the major problems facing the World today is man made Global Warming, at least that’s what we are told by a large part of the scientific community. Personally I tend to doubt the man made part though accept that Global Warming may well be taking place. After all the earth has been cooling and warming for millions of years, a classic example being the Swiss town of Geneva, which would have been covered by ten thousand feet of ice had it been built before the last ice age. Anyway, after a long discussion on the subject I sat down at the computer to put my views on record at which point as often happens the storyteller in me took over. I decided to go with man made global warming because it offered the best scenario for emotions like anger, blame, guilt, fear and love which are so important when constructing a storyline to hold the reader’s attention.
Next came the two principle characters. I decided the girl should be young and attractive yet old enough to have a history. Enter Holly Daffodil, aged 28 an ex advertising executive recently widowed from older professor of entomology husband from the local university. As no one on earth had come up with a global warming solution I had to look elsewhere for the man if the book was to end with a message of hope. At which point a Chrysltot Thought Entity from deep space who had arrived in the solar system in error a million odd years before and funnelled down to earth to relapse into thought mode and review the situation entered the story. As the Chrysltot begins to return from thought mode strange things happen to Holly and her farmhouse, ranging from lawns being miraculously mowed to seeing her dead husband in the sitting room and her cat Mr Magnus starting to talk, but eventually he materializes in human form and they meet. But as Holly finds Chrysltot too difficult to pronounce she calls him Mr Christopher and the story begins.
In a recent interview I was asked what I thought was the secret of successful writing. Taking the question to be one of financial success I replied that probably one of the most important aims was to find a particular genre that came naturally then stick with it. Build up a following of those who like crime, thrillers, adventure or love stories. One only has to browse down a library shelf to see the truth in this, yet for some reason, probably lack of mental discipline, I have never managed to follow my own advice. Instead finding myself gripped by some new topic, sitting down to scribble my views on the subject only to discover the idea for a book emerging as a result. Which was how Mr Christopher was conceived.
One of the major problems facing the World today is man made Global Warming, at least that’s what we are told by a large part of the scientific community. Personally I tend to doubt the man made part though accept that Global Warming may well be taking place. After all the earth has been cooling and warming for millions of years, a classic example being the Swiss town of Geneva, which would have been covered by ten thousand feet of ice had it been built before the last ice age. Anyway, after a long discussion on the subject I sat down at the computer to put my views on record at which point as often happens the storyteller in me took over. I decided to go with man made global warming because it offered the best scenario for emotions like anger, blame, guilt, fear and love which are so important when constructing a storyline to hold the reader’s attention.
Next came the two principle characters. I decided the girl should be young and attractive yet old enough to have a history. Enter Holly Daffodil, aged 28 an ex advertising executive recently widowed from older professor of entomology husband from the local university. As no one on earth had come up with a global warming solution I had to look elsewhere for the man if the book was to end with a message of hope. At which point a Chrysltot Thought Entity from deep space who had arrived in the solar system in error a million odd years before and funnelled down to earth to relapse into thought mode and review the situation entered the story. As the Chrysltot begins to return from thought mode strange things happen to Holly and her farmhouse, ranging from lawns being miraculously mowed to seeing her dead husband in the sitting room and her cat Mr Magnus starting to talk, but eventually he materializes in human form and they meet. But as Holly finds Chrysltot too difficult to pronounce she calls him Mr Christopher and the story begins.
Monday 15 November 2010
Physician Heal Thyself
The proverb is generally attributed to Jesus, though since he would not have been speaking in English we are reliant on the translation skills of a Catholic priest named William Tyndal who was executed and burned at the stake for these 'heresies' in 1536. The moral behind the proverb is counsel to attend to one's own defects rather than criticizing defects in others. But as is the way with some ancient texts, modern science while not disputing the moral aspects of the original have managed, or are well on the way to making the actual heading come true.
We live in an age when regenerative medicine, a broad definition for innovative medical therapies that will enable the body to repair, replace, restore and regenerate damaged or diseased cells, tissues and organs is transforming our lives. Scientists worldwide are engaged in research activities that may enable repair of damaged heart muscle after a heart attack, replacement of skin for burn victims, restoration of movement after spinal cord injury and regeneration of pancreatic tissue to produce insulin for people with diabetes. Regenerative medicine promises to extend healthy life spans and improve the quality of life by supporting and activating the body’s natural healing.
Although the clinical benefits of cell-based therapies are already being seen, unlocking the full potential of stem cells will take decades of dedicated research. With each day, we move closer to realizing the promises of cell therapy and regenerative medicine. We already live in an age where heart, liver, kidney, lung transplants are carried out daily with even face transplants now possible. While stem cell research offers enormous potential to deliver new treatments for currently incurable illnesses, like chronic heart disease, diabetes and Parkinson's. Researchers in Germany say they have successfully tested a visual aid for patients with an inherited form of blindness, using a chip placed behind the retina and British scientists have developed the world’s first stem cell therapy to cure the most common cause of blindness, which surgeons predict will become a routine, one-hour procedure that will be generally available in six or seven years’ time.
But incredible though these advances in medicine are they only represent the threshold of a miraculous future where organs and limbs will have the ability to regenerate themselves. The coming of Nanotechnology will present new opportunities for the improvement of the quality of human life with the potential for new treatments for disease. Tiny autonomous robots or, 'nanobots,' might one day be sent into a person's body to cure cancer or repair cells, or possibly even extend the person's life span by a number of years. At this time the simple devices that have been created by nanotechnology are not of the complexity envisioned with nanomachines and nanobots but these will come in due course.
There are other even more exciting advances to come that now appear more like science fiction than medical science but that those in the 22nd century will doubtless accept these as the norm. For by then we will truly be able to say Physician Heal Thyself and know it to be a fact.
We live in an age when regenerative medicine, a broad definition for innovative medical therapies that will enable the body to repair, replace, restore and regenerate damaged or diseased cells, tissues and organs is transforming our lives. Scientists worldwide are engaged in research activities that may enable repair of damaged heart muscle after a heart attack, replacement of skin for burn victims, restoration of movement after spinal cord injury and regeneration of pancreatic tissue to produce insulin for people with diabetes. Regenerative medicine promises to extend healthy life spans and improve the quality of life by supporting and activating the body’s natural healing.
Although the clinical benefits of cell-based therapies are already being seen, unlocking the full potential of stem cells will take decades of dedicated research. With each day, we move closer to realizing the promises of cell therapy and regenerative medicine. We already live in an age where heart, liver, kidney, lung transplants are carried out daily with even face transplants now possible. While stem cell research offers enormous potential to deliver new treatments for currently incurable illnesses, like chronic heart disease, diabetes and Parkinson's. Researchers in Germany say they have successfully tested a visual aid for patients with an inherited form of blindness, using a chip placed behind the retina and British scientists have developed the world’s first stem cell therapy to cure the most common cause of blindness, which surgeons predict will become a routine, one-hour procedure that will be generally available in six or seven years’ time.
But incredible though these advances in medicine are they only represent the threshold of a miraculous future where organs and limbs will have the ability to regenerate themselves. The coming of Nanotechnology will present new opportunities for the improvement of the quality of human life with the potential for new treatments for disease. Tiny autonomous robots or, 'nanobots,' might one day be sent into a person's body to cure cancer or repair cells, or possibly even extend the person's life span by a number of years. At this time the simple devices that have been created by nanotechnology are not of the complexity envisioned with nanomachines and nanobots but these will come in due course.
There are other even more exciting advances to come that now appear more like science fiction than medical science but that those in the 22nd century will doubtless accept these as the norm. For by then we will truly be able to say Physician Heal Thyself and know it to be a fact.
Wednesday 10 February 2010
Global Warming
Global Warming
Is global warming happening and if so is it caused by mankind’s dependence on carbon producing products or is there another totally unrelated reason behind it? Enthusiasts point to pictures of empty seas and blame global warming for the areas of disappearing ice, once the habitat of the now near extinct polar bear. Opponents show pictures of desolate icebound landscapes and claim the Arctic, monitored by US Army sensor buoys show the ice has thickened by at least half a meter since last March last year and is presently on the increase along with the of polar bear population. The enthusiast say the melting ice will increase sea levels by as much as six meters and show mock up pictures of great cities half submerged by hungry seas. Opponents like Swedish geologist and physicist Nils-Axel Mörner, formerly chairman of the INQUA International Commission on Sea Level Change and the uncompromising verdict of Dr Mörner, who for 35 years has been using every known scientific method to study sea levels all over the globe, is that all this talk about the sea rising is nothing but a colossal scare story and the predictions of enthusiasts are just that; based on computer Climate Models that produce answers dependent on the facts fed into them. Another theory by physicist Henrik Svensmark explains how an interplay of clouds, Sun and cosmic rays carrying sub-atomic particles from exploded stars seem to have more effect on the climate than man-made carbon dioxide.
Being no scientist my opinion is pretty worthless, but according to what I have read the earth is still warming up from the last ice age which is why fish, birds and insects are on the move northwards as they head for the cooler climes they have long been accustomed. Personally, I think the main problems of the future lie in an ever-increasing world population together with a growing shortage of water and food to feed them, though that’s another issue.
But back to Global Warming, for the dogmatically convinced on either side of the argument the only true test of their convictions will be time. For the unresolved differing opinions continue.
Is global warming happening and if so is it caused by mankind’s dependence on carbon producing products or is there another totally unrelated reason behind it? Enthusiasts point to pictures of empty seas and blame global warming for the areas of disappearing ice, once the habitat of the now near extinct polar bear. Opponents show pictures of desolate icebound landscapes and claim the Arctic, monitored by US Army sensor buoys show the ice has thickened by at least half a meter since last March last year and is presently on the increase along with the of polar bear population. The enthusiast say the melting ice will increase sea levels by as much as six meters and show mock up pictures of great cities half submerged by hungry seas. Opponents like Swedish geologist and physicist Nils-Axel Mörner, formerly chairman of the INQUA International Commission on Sea Level Change and the uncompromising verdict of Dr Mörner, who for 35 years has been using every known scientific method to study sea levels all over the globe, is that all this talk about the sea rising is nothing but a colossal scare story and the predictions of enthusiasts are just that; based on computer Climate Models that produce answers dependent on the facts fed into them. Another theory by physicist Henrik Svensmark explains how an interplay of clouds, Sun and cosmic rays carrying sub-atomic particles from exploded stars seem to have more effect on the climate than man-made carbon dioxide.
Being no scientist my opinion is pretty worthless, but according to what I have read the earth is still warming up from the last ice age which is why fish, birds and insects are on the move northwards as they head for the cooler climes they have long been accustomed. Personally, I think the main problems of the future lie in an ever-increasing world population together with a growing shortage of water and food to feed them, though that’s another issue.
But back to Global Warming, for the dogmatically convinced on either side of the argument the only true test of their convictions will be time. For the unresolved differing opinions continue.
Saturday 30 January 2010
Surprise Attack
The rifleman of the Napoleonic Peninsular war, 1810 to 1814, was the forerunner of the modern day SAS. Armed with the formidable Baker rifle, the first of its kind to be produced and a more accurate weapon with a longer range than the musket. Their job was to operate in pairs ahead of the main infantry to scout and harass the enemy by sniping at senior officers and NCOs in the hopes of causing as much chaos, disorganization and panic as possible. In comparison to the musket, the inferior weapon of the infantry with a range of 60 yards at best, the Baker rifle had an accurate range of 200 and on occasion 300 yards, which came as an unwelcome surprise to the enemy. In place of the visibly bright scarlet tunics of the infantry, the rifleman’s uniform of dark green provided camouflage for the first time, allowing them to merge with the surrounding landscape as they stalked his targets.
Life was tough for riflemen, they were trained to move fast, endure long forced marches while living off the land. Shooting game if it was available and safe to do so or else surviving on nuts, grubs and even grasses, and all for the princely sum of a shilling a day. But unlike the rest of the army they were seldom flogged and even dined with their officers, something unheard of at the time. Moving in pairs to ensure one loaded weapon always faced the enemy, trained riflemen were capable of reloading twice or even three times a minute giving them an edge in any fire fight.
As a military unit they were a good hundred years ahead of their time, which is why I chose a rifleman to be one of Charlie Parker’s lives in my book Private Lives. I hope you will enjoy the following excerpt.
We had gone no more than ten miles before we made contact with the enemy and slithering like snakes through the underbrush we reached the brow of a small hill overlooking the French position. Obviously unaware the British had landed, they were taking none of the usual precautions, laughing and singing amongst themselves while drinking wine and roasting stolen cattle over open fires with the casual confidence of conquerors, so sure their position was secure they hadn’t even bothered to post sentries. I felt the tap of Pete’s rifle barrel on my shoulder and following its lead saw a full colonel with members of his staff emerge from one of the tents. At 200 yards with not a breath of wind he was a sitting target. Sighting the area where nose and forehead joined I held my breath and gently squeezed the trigger. I heard the satisfactory thwack of ball on bone and knew my target dead, but Ben had moved swiftly up into to the lead position before I had time to see the man fall. A good rifleman was trained to reload in 30 seconds, but that was standing upright and using his weight to ram the ball down the rifling. Lying on one’s side made things more difficult and though we each carried a small wooden mallet to help tap the ball home it should have slowed the process. But necessity makes the impossible possible and somehow I found my rifle reloaded and ready by the time Pete fired a scant 20 seconds later.
I edged forward to witness a scene resembling a disturbed ant heap, with two officers down many of the soldiers had panicked, running about directionless in search of their muskets. A great bull of a man, a senior sergeant of some kind by the look of him, was standing on top of some packing cases bawling orders which seemed to be having a stabilizing effect on the men. I snapshot him through the throat in less than ten seconds and the blood gouted from his mouth like fermenting beer from a busted cask. But by now some of the soldiers were pointing in our direction. It was time to go. I tugged at Pete’s coat to let him know I was away, but he looked round with a grin and two closed fingers, indicating he was going for a double shot. The practice was strictly forbidden for to shoot two men with a single ball meant staying put until the distance to target closed to less than 60 paces. To attempt the shot at longer range was doomed to failure, as the ball would lack the power to pass through one solid target and sufficiently damage the next. It also meant the chances of us getting away were far from good which was why the penalty for attempting a double, even if successful, could well result in a flogging unless judged vital to aid escape.
But a second glance quickly explained why Pete was so taken with the idea and my own heart began thudding in shared excitement. The leading Frenchman was scrambling up the hill on all fours, head held high, his gaze fixed on our position doubtless betrayed by muzzle flash or powder smoke. No more than a pace behind the next soldier followed upright, placing their necks in near exact alignment no more than a yard apart. It was a chance in a thousand, the perfect double shot. Holding my breath I felt myself almost become a part of Pete as he gently caressed the trigger. The blast of rifle fire followed by the smack of lead on flesh was no more than expected. But my gaze was riveted on the second soldier and despite my training I damn near broke cover to cheer as his head whipped back to display the familiar red rose blossoming beautifully just below his chin.
We sank back into the undergrowth intending to use the hill as cover as we doubled back down to shelter in a field of ripening corn below. But though expert marksmen we were new to war. The French on the other hand were seasoned campaigners and though taken by surprise by our first shot had reacted with an automatic counter-attack of veterans before the second. While some were still milling around like bewildered recruits, a detachment of hardened veterans had broken away and rounded the hill to cover our flank. As we bounded down towards the cornfield with Pete in the lead the world suddenly erupted in a crashing volley of musket fire as the air came alive with a whine of angry hornets. Something tugged hard at the bottom of my leggings while a white-hot poker was laid sizzling across my back. Four paces in front, Pete’s head exploded in a haze of pink, his sprinting body crumpling like an emptied sack of coal. How I survived that first volley I shall never know but I was hidden deep in the chest-high corn before they had time to reload a second. The French made a half-hearted attempt to flush me out, but none were too keen to risk their lives for the sake of one man and after a while they contented themselves with setting fire to the field. But for the second time that day luck was with me, for the wind veered round to the opposite quarter providing a readymade smokescreen to aid my escape, leaving the French coughing and spluttering at my heels.
Life was tough for riflemen, they were trained to move fast, endure long forced marches while living off the land. Shooting game if it was available and safe to do so or else surviving on nuts, grubs and even grasses, and all for the princely sum of a shilling a day. But unlike the rest of the army they were seldom flogged and even dined with their officers, something unheard of at the time. Moving in pairs to ensure one loaded weapon always faced the enemy, trained riflemen were capable of reloading twice or even three times a minute giving them an edge in any fire fight.
As a military unit they were a good hundred years ahead of their time, which is why I chose a rifleman to be one of Charlie Parker’s lives in my book Private Lives. I hope you will enjoy the following excerpt.
We had gone no more than ten miles before we made contact with the enemy and slithering like snakes through the underbrush we reached the brow of a small hill overlooking the French position. Obviously unaware the British had landed, they were taking none of the usual precautions, laughing and singing amongst themselves while drinking wine and roasting stolen cattle over open fires with the casual confidence of conquerors, so sure their position was secure they hadn’t even bothered to post sentries. I felt the tap of Pete’s rifle barrel on my shoulder and following its lead saw a full colonel with members of his staff emerge from one of the tents. At 200 yards with not a breath of wind he was a sitting target. Sighting the area where nose and forehead joined I held my breath and gently squeezed the trigger. I heard the satisfactory thwack of ball on bone and knew my target dead, but Ben had moved swiftly up into to the lead position before I had time to see the man fall. A good rifleman was trained to reload in 30 seconds, but that was standing upright and using his weight to ram the ball down the rifling. Lying on one’s side made things more difficult and though we each carried a small wooden mallet to help tap the ball home it should have slowed the process. But necessity makes the impossible possible and somehow I found my rifle reloaded and ready by the time Pete fired a scant 20 seconds later.
I edged forward to witness a scene resembling a disturbed ant heap, with two officers down many of the soldiers had panicked, running about directionless in search of their muskets. A great bull of a man, a senior sergeant of some kind by the look of him, was standing on top of some packing cases bawling orders which seemed to be having a stabilizing effect on the men. I snapshot him through the throat in less than ten seconds and the blood gouted from his mouth like fermenting beer from a busted cask. But by now some of the soldiers were pointing in our direction. It was time to go. I tugged at Pete’s coat to let him know I was away, but he looked round with a grin and two closed fingers, indicating he was going for a double shot. The practice was strictly forbidden for to shoot two men with a single ball meant staying put until the distance to target closed to less than 60 paces. To attempt the shot at longer range was doomed to failure, as the ball would lack the power to pass through one solid target and sufficiently damage the next. It also meant the chances of us getting away were far from good which was why the penalty for attempting a double, even if successful, could well result in a flogging unless judged vital to aid escape.
But a second glance quickly explained why Pete was so taken with the idea and my own heart began thudding in shared excitement. The leading Frenchman was scrambling up the hill on all fours, head held high, his gaze fixed on our position doubtless betrayed by muzzle flash or powder smoke. No more than a pace behind the next soldier followed upright, placing their necks in near exact alignment no more than a yard apart. It was a chance in a thousand, the perfect double shot. Holding my breath I felt myself almost become a part of Pete as he gently caressed the trigger. The blast of rifle fire followed by the smack of lead on flesh was no more than expected. But my gaze was riveted on the second soldier and despite my training I damn near broke cover to cheer as his head whipped back to display the familiar red rose blossoming beautifully just below his chin.
We sank back into the undergrowth intending to use the hill as cover as we doubled back down to shelter in a field of ripening corn below. But though expert marksmen we were new to war. The French on the other hand were seasoned campaigners and though taken by surprise by our first shot had reacted with an automatic counter-attack of veterans before the second. While some were still milling around like bewildered recruits, a detachment of hardened veterans had broken away and rounded the hill to cover our flank. As we bounded down towards the cornfield with Pete in the lead the world suddenly erupted in a crashing volley of musket fire as the air came alive with a whine of angry hornets. Something tugged hard at the bottom of my leggings while a white-hot poker was laid sizzling across my back. Four paces in front, Pete’s head exploded in a haze of pink, his sprinting body crumpling like an emptied sack of coal. How I survived that first volley I shall never know but I was hidden deep in the chest-high corn before they had time to reload a second. The French made a half-hearted attempt to flush me out, but none were too keen to risk their lives for the sake of one man and after a while they contented themselves with setting fire to the field. But for the second time that day luck was with me, for the wind veered round to the opposite quarter providing a readymade smokescreen to aid my escape, leaving the French coughing and spluttering at my heels.
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