They were both silent.
But if they were quiet, the world around them wasn’t. Artillery from both sides had begun firing more frequently. The trench walls shook: water and dirt streamed down the sides to join the liquid mud in the bottom. Archie and Edmund were standing now, to keep clear of the water. At least they’d been able to slide their handcuffs up the post supporting the wall.
They ducked as a shell burst not far away, and waterlogged clods of earth flew through the air. Machine-guns snarled nearby, and rifles spat. Orders were yelled, although they couldn’t make out the words. Were the Germans attacking now? If they were caught in an enemy attack, they’d be helpless. They couldn’t even run.
‘I helped with some dead soldiers,’ Edmund said.
Archie watched him and nodded. ‘Go on.’
