The base was finalised – Aubrey having abandoned his improvements to the guardian spells around the perimeter – stores were laid in, antennae were tuned, and George had even livened up the basement with a coat of paint, declaring that buttercup yellow always made a place more welcoming. Another message arrived, advising of another three-day delay. Aubrey took this in his stride. All the reading he’d done about military command had warned him about bored troops and the mischief they could get up to. While he didn’t think this was strictly applicable to Caroline and George – although he did have a passing moment wondering what sort of mischief Caroline would get up to if given the chance – finding worthwhile activity was probably the best thing to do. For him, if for no-one else. Moving their belongings from the boarding house was an immediate task which was usefully time consuming. Once they were gathered, the delicacy of the living arrangements was something that couldn’t be ignored.
