William fingered the grip of his sabre and masticated on this for a while before replying.
‘It’s all a bit … unusual though sir, is it not? I mean, all I’ve heard the others say ay India is tha’ the people are uncultured heathens, barbarians wi’ no concept of civilisation. Beggin’ your pardon sir, I’m just repeating what I’ve heard.’
Captain Liversage folded his arms across his chest and sighed, but a sharpness entered his eyes and gave his words a knife-blade edge.
‘What you’ve heard, William, is the ugliness of bigotry. It is, unfortunately, a prejudice held not only by the troopers of the ranks but also by my fellow officers, many of whom served in India with me. Suffice to say, these very same men who loudly tout the excesses of their reading and education, and who proclaim so vociferously the superiority of our British culture over all others, and who parade so cockily about, extolling the extent of their own self-vaunted virtues and intelligence … well, these men, my boy, are some of the most small-minded, ignorant and uncouth individuals I’ve ever had the misfortune of meeting.’
William was very surprised to hear an officer speak about his peers in this manner.
‘Really sir?’
‘Oh yes, dear boy! Believe you me. They spent most of their time in India needlessly slaughtering its magnificent wildlife for so-called sport, and mistreating and subjugating the native population, instead of attempting to learn anything from a culture that is, in fact, far more ancient and in some ways more sophisticated than our own.’
William nodded slowly as he mused on this information.
‘Well sir, your willingness tae learn from others seems tae ha’ done you very well.’
Captain Liversage chuckled and twirled his sabre about in a flamboyant flourish.
‘Indeed it has, my lad. Fit as a fiddle, I am, despite my advanced years. Now, have you had enough time to recuperate your energy? We are not yet finished with today’s fencing practice.’
***
24th October
‘Look who it is! We havenae seen much ay you in the past month, Will,’ Paul said with a broad grin when William walked into their tent.
‘Aye, Captain Liversage has been keeping me right busy, he has,’ William answered.
‘You’re quite the swordsman now though, eh?’ Paul commented. ‘That auld master has been teaching you all ay his tricks, has he no’? We’ve seen you twa battling it out day after day wi’ the practice sabres. He always wins ay course, but he doesnae hammer you quite as quickly an’ soundly as he did a few weeks ago, like.’
William laughed.
‘That’s right boyo, I can almost hold m’ own against the captain now!’
‘By “almost” you mean you can hold him off fir ten seconds, as opposed tae two seconds now, eh?’ Michael roared jovially.
All of them laughed heartily at this.
‘Aye, aye, lads,’ William said as the laughter died down. ‘He’s a right demon wi’ a blade in his hand, he is. I wouldnae like tae be the Russian who has tae face him in battle.’
Michael furrowed his brow and shifted uncomfortably on his stool.
‘He’s an odd one though, is he no’? The lads say all sorts ay strange things about him. You can tell us the truth, Will. We willnae let anyone else know. So, is he really a … a…’
‘A what, Mikey?’
‘A … devil worshipper?’
William let out a bemused chortle.
‘Is tha’ what they say about Captain Liversage, then?’
‘Watty says Liversage has all these strange, evil idols from the other side ay the world in his tent,’ Michael answered. ‘Says he does blood sacrifices or some such witchcraft too, an’ that’s how he looks so young an’ moves so fast despite his advanced years.’
Paul stood up and chipped in, an expression of consternation etched onto his freckled cheeks.
‘I heard tha’ when he was in India, he was part ay some human sacrifice cult. They’d steal chavies from the poor in the dead ay night, an’ sacrifice them on an altar in some dark heathen temple there, an’, an’ they’d … they’d all eat the poor bairn’s heart an’ drink its blood.’
‘I was also told tha’ he keeps snakes in there,’ Michael added, looking around worriedly, as if someone may be eavesdropping on their conversation. ‘That he’s got this kind ay snake called a “cobra” from India, it’s got a hood on its head, an’ it can spit deadly poison, an’ if ye go’ intae the tent wi’out Liversage’s permission, the cobra will spit its venom intae your eyes an’ blind you.’
William raised a sceptical eyebrow.
‘And what dae you lads think ay all that?’
‘Well I dunnae know, do I!’ Paul spluttered. ‘You’re the one who spends most ay his time wi’ the man. You’ve been in his tent a lot, you tell us!’
William stared each of his friends in their eyes, fixing them with a grave stare of intense sincerity, and as he spoke he lowered his voice to a soft and almost inaudible register.
‘What I’m going tae tell you lot about Captain Liversage, you’ve got tae swear tae never repeat tae another living soul. Swear it on your mothers’ graves!’
‘We swear it, Will, we swear it!’ Michael said eagerly, and the others mumbled in hasty agreement. Even Andrew was so enthralled that he put down his guitar and drew closer to William.
William nodded and swallowed slowly, as if preparing to divulge dark secrets of the occult.
‘He does things,’ he murmured quietly, his piercing gaze darting from man to man, ‘strange, unnatural and terrifying things.’
‘Sweet Lord Jesus, he does sacrifice babies an’ eat their wee hearts!’ Paul gasped.
‘He’s a bleedin’ sorcerer, a w-, w-, warlock, he is!’ Michael stammered.
‘Aye lads, tha’ much is true,’ William continued, his tone grave and severe. ‘An’ he’s inducted me intae his order ay evil.’ His eyes suddenly seemed to light up with a supernatural glow, and he flashed a twisted and demonic smile at his friends. It seemed momentarily as if the tent had become darker, and the shadows in the corners were swelling with some sort of malevolent
