Chapter Fifty-Five
The morning train to Verdun was filled with soldiers returning to the front. Heavy fighting, with tremendous losses for both German and French troops, took place in the villages around the city. It had become a matter of prestige for the German High Command to conquer Verdun itself. The defending armies prepared for a fierce battle. Recently, three more rail lines to the city had been constructed to move allied troops faster. Because they were officers, Denis and Ferrand had a seat in the overcrowded train, filled with the reek of onions, garlic, and goat cheese. The soldiers, knowing that they would soon be starving again in the trenches, hogged as much they could from the rich foodstuffs they had received, together with tears, embraces and good luck wishes, from the h
