Loyal Creatures Read Online Free PDF

that.’
    Bosworth snorted.
    â€˜You’ve been a trooper for three months,’ he said, ‘and you don’t even know the Arabic for beer.’
    Lesney and Bosworth wandered off, arguing.
    â€˜Thanks for getting that sergeant off my back,’ I said to Otton.
    â€˜No sweat,’ said Otton. ‘You got Johnson off my back, so now we’re commensurate.’
    â€˜Commensurate?’ I said.
    Otton grinned.
    I got the gist.
    The engineer sergeant came over.
    â€˜Effective as of now,’ he said, ‘you two are in the water deployment. I’ll speak to your commanding officer.’
    Otton wasn’t delighted by the idea.
    â€˜Actually, Sarge,’ he said, ‘I can’t work near water. My feet go mouldy. Plus it’d be a waste. I’ve got an advanced diploma in Military Strategy and Hand-To-Hand Combat from Tamworth Technical College.’
    The sergeant wasn’t impressed.
    â€˜The thing you’ve got an advanced diploma in, Trooper Otton,’ he said, ‘comes out the rear end of bulls.’

    I put Daisy back on the line and went to find Dad.
    He was unpacking in our troop’s tent.
    â€˜I’m in the water deployment,’ I said. ‘I’ve been co-opted.’
    Dad grinned.
    â€˜Two days in Egypt,’ he said, ‘and you’re speaking army.’
    â€˜There’s a spot for you too,’ I said. ‘Otton doesn’t want it. They’d bust a gut to have you.’
    Dad shook his head.
    â€˜Not this time, mate,’ he said. ‘This one’s yours.’
    I stared at him. Dad and me were a team. The water unit needed his experience as much as it needed mine.
    More.
    What was going on?
    â€˜Comes a time,’ said Dad, ‘when a bloke’s got to strike out on his own.’
    I agreed, but not yet.
    Back home, after the war, that’s when I’d be striking out on my own, with Joan.
    â€˜Let’s find the blacksmith,’ said Dad. ‘I want him to take a look at Daisy’s feet. She’ll keep going forever, but you’ve got to make sure her shoes are right.’
    I knew that.
    Why was he telling me that?
    Why wasn’t he doing something much more important?
    Getting himself a new horse.

A week later the penny dropped.
    I’d been out for an early morning gallop with Daisy. Just a quick one. She was still getting her sand legs after the boat trip. When we got back, the news was all over the camp.
    An order had come through. Some of the Light Horse outfits, including ours, were getting back on a boat to fight in the Dardanelles.
    On foot.
    Leaving the horses behind.
    â€˜Where are the Dardanelles?’ I said to Dad.
    â€˜Arse-end of Turkey,’ said Dad. ‘Pommy generals started an invasion and lost the plot. Me and some of the other blokes are going over to give ’em a hand. Reinforce our blokes already there.’
    â€˜I’m going too,’ I said.
    â€˜No you’re not,’ said Dad.
    â€˜Yes I am,’ I said. ‘What’ll Joan’s parents think if I pike out?’
    Me and Dad were face-to-face, so worked up we didn’t see the engineer sergeant come over.
    â€˜I’m going,’ I yelled.
    â€˜No you’re not,’ yelled Dad.
    â€˜I’ll second that,’ said the sergeant. ‘And that’s an order.’
    I was done for. I might have got round Dad, but not the army as well.
    â€˜Horses need you here,’ said Dad. ‘They’ll die of thirst with these clowns.’
    The engineer sergeant made Dad and me shovel horse poop for the rest of the day. But he didn’t tell Dad he was wrong.
    After a lot of shovelling, I calmed down.
    â€˜The horses need you just as much,’ I said to Dad. ‘Why aren’t you staying?’
    Dad just shovelled in silence.
    I didn’t get it. Dad was in the Light Horse. Why did he want to go off to some lump of rock and fight on foot?
    Then I did get