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doctor seemed a reasonable character, if a little staid.
    Lightning flickered somewhere a few miles distant and the overcast was lit briefly. It was the middle of the day but so gloomy with thick, low clouds that the perimeter lights had been switched on, and through the rain no-man’s-land bathed in the ethereal glow usually reserved for darkness.
    At the timber pile he pulled back the tarpaulin and retrieved a couple of large logs, shoving them into the front of his jacket to keep them as dry as possible during the short sprint back.
    â€˜You there!’
    The day grew suddenly brighter and Erich found himself caught in the sharp glare of one of the tower spotlights. Through the rain a voice floated, tinny and amplified.
    â€˜Stay right there.’
    The light stayed unwaveringly upon him, and a green figure in an Australian uniform detached itself from the gloom near the compound gate and hurried through the mud, rifle held ready.
    â€˜Whatcha think you’re doing?’
    Erich recognised the guard as the young one who called the names through the megaphone at morning roll. He didn’t answer, waiting until the guard was standing right before him.
    â€˜You speak English?’
    â€˜ Ja .’
    â€˜Right. So what are you doing here? Stealing wood?’
    â€˜Not stealing. For the stove in the hospital. The doctor sent me.’
    The guard snorted. A few tufts of red hair sprouted from under the brim of his slouch hat. Erich could see a smattering of pimples dotting his chin.
    â€˜Not likely, mate. He always sends Domenico for this sort of thing.’
    â€˜I am his new orderly. Domenico is back in the forest chopping wood, and has been for a week.’
    The guard’s eyes narrowed.
    â€˜You better watch how you speak to me, Fritz.’
    The insult drew no response and the two stood eyeing one another in the rain, Erich acutely aware of the Australian fingering the trigger-guard of his rifle. He drew upon all of his self-control. No fear. Not in the face of the enemy.
    â€˜Come on.’ The guard waved his rifle at the hospital. ‘Let’s check your story out, and you better not try anything. Understand?’
    Erich trudged back through the mud, up the steps, and into the infirmary. The guard, rifle levelled at the middle of his back, followed.
    If the doctor was at all surprised to have an armed guard follow Erich into the room, he didn’t show it.
    â€˜Thomas. To what do we owe the pleasure?’
    â€˜This bloke was nicking wood from the pile.’
    â€˜Not at all, Thomas. This is Erich, my new orderly.’
    The boy threw a sullen look at the far end of the room, where Erich had dumped the timber into the hopper and was busying himself re-stoking the fire.
    â€˜Wasn’t informed about no new orderly.’
    â€˜I’m sure the paperwork has been held up somewhere in administration, Thomas. You know how things are around here. You can take my word for it, though. Erich is simply doing as I asked.’
    â€˜If you say.’ Thomas seemed reluctant to let it go.
    â€˜I do say.’
    The boy turned to leave, but the doctor stopped him. ‘And Thomas . . .’
    â€˜What?’
    â€˜I’d consider it a personal favour if you wouldn’t bring a loaded rifle into the hospital in future.’
    â€˜Can’t leave it outside. Regulations.’
    â€˜Then I imagine that next time you’ll simply have to stay outside with it. Have a nice day, Thomas.’
    The door slammed and the guard was gone.
    â€˜I’m terribly sorry about that, Erich. Thomas is only young, and at times can tend to be a little . . . enthusiastic. He’s really not a bad boy, for all that.’
    Erich shrugged.
    The man on the bed moaned again and Doctor Alexander returned his attention to his patient. Standing by the fire to dry out and warm up, Erich considered the look in the young guard’s eyes and wasn’t so certain.

Four
    Vinnie
    The morning