'And your kit? Good, is it?' Tanner asked. He patted the younger man's pockets, felt the shape of a cigarette packet and took it out. 'Cheers,' he said, shook out a cigarette and lit it.
'Yes,' said the older man. 'We have the best kit of any fighting soldier in Norway.'
'Good,' said Tanner, 'because ours is pretty useless.' He pushed his way through the men, measuring his feet against theirs until he was standing beside a man of similar height and size. 'Yours look about right. I'll have those.' The man looked at him blankly, so Tanner mimed his demand. Reluctantly, the prisoner did as he was ordered. 'And you tell them,' said Tanner, turning back to the English-speaker, 'that I want all of you stripped. I want your jackets, tunics, boots and caps. And your goggles.' He took the pair from above the peak of the man nearest him and put them on.
'Isn't that against the Geneva Convention, Sarge?' asked McAllister. 'They could freeze to death.'
'Mac, do you want to survive this?' Tanner snapped.
'Yes, Sarge.'
'Then don't worry your head about things like that. And, no, I don't think it is against the Geneva Convention. Let's get on with it. And I want them to empty their packs too. Look for food, fags, ammunition, grenades - anything.'
'You can't do this to us,' said the English speaker.
'I can and I will,' said Tanner. 'Now, give me your pack and get undressed.' The man slowly slipped off his rucksack and passed it to Tanner, who emptied it on to the ground. To his delight there was some food - a chunk of dark, dry bread and some cured sausage. The man had a small flask of schnapps too. Tanner ate hungrily, took a swig from the flask and felt the sweet, burning liquid soothe his throat. Ah, that feels good. He passed the flask and food to Hepworth, rolled up the tunic, cap and green-grey jacket, then strapped them to his pack. Finally, he exchanged his own boots and ankle gaiters for the German's dark brown ankle boots and puttees. 'Beautiful,' he said aloud. 'Bloody beautiful.' He threw his own to the prisoner whose boots he was now wearing. 'Here,' he said, 'have these.'
He went to help Sykes and the others, and found them laying stones and boulders on top of Gibson's grave. 'Take it in turns to get yourselves some kit from the prisoners,' he told them. 'Kershaw, hop it.'
'Nice boots, Sarge,' said Sykes.
Tanner smiled ruefully. 'Make sure you get a pair too, Stan. They're bloody marvellous, I'm telling you.'
'I have already.' He grinned, jerking a thumb towards a shoeless German corpse. 'Just haven't put 'em on yet.'
Tanner took out two cigarettes and gave one to the corporal.
'What do we do now, Sarge?' Sykes asked, as he exhaled a large cloud of smoke. He held his cigarette between finger and thumb, hovering in front of his mouth.
'We're too bloody late to get to Tretten.'
'I can hear. Or, rather, I can't.'
'We should have gone last night when I said.'
'No point agonizing over it, Sarge. It's done now.'
'Sodding French bastard.' Tanner kicked at the snow.
'I should have stood my ground.' He sighed. 'If I'm honest, Stan, we've got to find somewhere to rest. A farm or something. I need to think clearly and I can't right now.'
'Can't we just take our lads and scarper?' Sykes asked.
Tanner shook his head. 'I promised Gulbrand. It's not that, though - it's what he said. If this Sandvold really is as important as the colonel made out, we've got to get him out of here. I can't abandon him to Chevannes. I wouldn't trust him to get Sandvold to safety for all the money in the world.'
The minutes passed. The burial was completed, as was the reassignment of German kit. The prisoners, huddled together, stripped to their shirts and trousers, were shivering.
Eventually Chevannes reappeared with the German officer. 'Are you done, Sergeant?'
'Yes, sir.' Tanner turned to the German.
'Captain Zellner,' said Chevannes.
'Heil Hitler,' said Zellner.
'Don't you bloody Heil Hitler me, you Nazi bastard,' said Tanner, then asked Chevannes, 'What have you got out of him?'
'The captain refuses to say anything.'
Tanner was about to speak when Lieutenant Larsen appeared from across the stream.
'Wait,' he said, hurrying towards them. As he saw the German, his eyes widened. 'You!'
Zellner seemed surprised. 'Do I know you?'
'You were at the farm,' said Larsen. 'At Okset. North of Elverum.'
Zellner's eyes narrowed
'It was you,' said Larsen, jabbing his finger into Zellner's chest. 'You were looking for us. What did you do to the farmer?'
Zellner nodded - yes, I remember now - and glanced at Chevannes. 'Nothing,' he said. 'Nothing at all.'
'Liar!' said Larsen. He wiped his hand across his mouth, then punched Zellner hard in the stomach. The German doubled over and collapsed on to the ground.
'Lieutenant! My God, man, what do you think you are doing?' shouted Chevannes.
Larsen grabbed Zellner by the scruff of the neck, pulled him to his feet. Clasping the German's jaw in his hand, said, 'Tell me what you did!'
Zellner glared at him, his pale eyes wild with defiance.
'Lieutenant, that will do!' yelled Chevannes.
'He's lying!' shouted Larsen, face red with fury. 'I know he is! I want to know what he did to my cousin!'
Chevannes turned to Zellner. 'Capitaine,' he said, 'can you give me your word as an officer that you did not harm Lieutenant Larsen's cousin?'
Zellner coughed, and ran his hand round his collar. 'Of course. I give you my word.'
'For pity's sake,' said Tanner. He put a hand on Larsen's shoulder. 'Leave it, sir.'
Larsen glared at Zellner. 'You lie.'
'Lieutenant! Enough!' said Chevannes. 'He has given you his word.'
Shaking his head, Larsen walked away.
'Sir,' said Tanner now, 'do you really think his say-so counts for anything? He's a bloody Nazi.'
'He may be, but he is still an officer,' the Frenchman replied. 'You may not understand what honour is, Sergeant Tanner, but I and my men most certainly do.'
'I don't believe this.' Tanner spun round and went to his men.
The German caught sight of his troops a short distance away, huddled in the trees, and spoke angrily to Chevannes, who turned sharply.
'Sergeant! Come back! What have you done to the prisoners?'
'Nothing. Just taken a few bits of clothing, weapons and so on.'
'They will die of cold if we leave them like that.'
'Then that's one less thing to worry about, isn't it, sir? Actually, sir,' Tanner continued, ignoring the lieutenant's barely disguised fury, 'I was wondering what you were thinking of doing with them.'
'Doing with them?'
