Journey's End Page #2

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Coming through.

(CHUCKLES) Oh, dear.

Now, right.

Let's see if we can't get some light

going down here for you, sir.

SOLDIER:
Right, here we are.

Out you get. Follow me.

First time, sir?

Yes, it is.

(JARVIS CHUCKLES)

JARVIS:
You see all this?

It's poison, sir.

It's the gas.

See, look.

All of it dead.

Sorry about the smell, sir.

Trench belonged to the French

before they deserted.

Didn't bury the bodies, but used them to

shore up the trench walls. Poor buggers.

New officer for C Company, sir.

Thank you, Jarvis.

Follow me, sir.

Keep your head down, sir.

This bit's not fixed yet.

Mind your backs, lads.

Officer coming through.

Here we are, sir.

Thank you, Sergeant Major.

Mmm.

Battalion Headquarters

told me to report here, sir.

Sorry. What?

Oh, I was...

I was told to report here, sir.

Whisky?

Yes. Just a small one. Thank you.

OSBORNE:
Say when.

When.

Thank you.

Here we are.

(RALEIGH COUGHS)

(EXHALES)

Here's to the next six days, sir.

Osborne... The name's Osborne.

You need only call me "sir"

in front of the men.

The other officers, they call me Uncle.

Raleigh. James.

Jimmy.

Ever been up the line before, Jimmy?

No. No. Uh...

Only just left Barford.

Barford? Really? Our company commander

lives at Barford. You know him?

I do. Yes, uh, Captain Stanhope.

He was my house monitor,

three years above.

He used to come and stay with me

and my sister Margaret in the holidays.

Really?

Well, you'll find him changed, I expect.

He's led this company

through all sorts of rotten times.

Big strain on the man.

(KNOCK AT DOOR)

Yes?

MASON:
Can I lay for supper, sir?

Yes, do, Mason. This is Mr Raleigh.

He's just joined the company.

Good evening, sir.

Hello.

What are you tempting us

with tonight, Mason?

Uh, soup, cutlets and pineapple.

Oh, pineapple? Splendid.

Mmm.

What kind of cutlets?

Oh, you got me there, sir. I shouldn't

like to commit myself too deep.

Ration meat?

Uh, ordinary ration meat, yes, sir.

But new shape.

Oh.

Smells like liver

without the smooth, wet look.

Thank you, Mason.

Very good, sir.

New boy?

Ought to have stayed at school,

poor sod.

He's keen.

(SCOFFS)

Show me a kid out here that hasn't been.

I'm keen. Keen on going home.

Yeah, well, you won't be, you pillock,

except on a stretcher.

So get off your arse

and wipe these plates.

F***.

(KNOCKS ON DOOR)

OSBORNE:
Yes?

I've had an unpleasant surprise, sir.

Yes?

The pineapples.

What about them?

They're apricots.

There wasn't a label on the tin?

(SIGHS) The captain'll

ring my neck, sir.

Well, haven't you anything else?

Well, there's the pink blancmange,

but it's not anywhere near stiff, sir.

Well, we'll just have to chance it

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