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As I set to the car moving, I beeped the horn and waved to my mother and Gerald. We bounced away down the drive and joined the valley road. As we neared the junction for Coombe Dare, I looked across to Kiniun.

'What time train do you have to catch?' I asked.

'No time, I will buy a ticket at the station. I wish to visit the cathedrals at Newton and Ironmont City.'

'Perhaps,' I said, 'I could save you some time and hassle. I live near Newton, so I'll happily give you a lift. I would also consider it a great honour if you would visit my parish, I would appreciate your advice about what we talked over earlier.'

'Very good.' Said Kiniun. 'I thank you.'

We continued up the Dare Valley and over the tops of the hills back to the main road. The journey back was much slower, there seemed to be many more drab-green military vehicles on the road. By the time we neared the checkpoint where we had been stopped before, the traffic had slowed to a crawl. We had not gone more than a few yards further when we ground to a complete stop. I pulled into the side of the road as a pair of Army ambulances made their way past us, blue lights flashing.

Five minutes crept past, then the same mouse corporal walked down the line of parked vehicles. As my car was, apparently, the only civilian vehicle he came over to us. He tapped his paw on the window and I opened it for him.

'There's been an incident up the road.' Said the mouse. 'You will have to wait here.'

'Thank you, Corporal.' Said Harry from the back seat. This caused the mouse to peer into the car. His eyes widened when he saw our clerical collars.

'Are you priests?' He asked.

'Yes.' I replied.

The soldier turned away from the car and pressed a switch attached to his uniform. He pressed a paw against his headset.

'Roaming 4-1 to command, are you receiving?'

He listened for a moment.

'Major, we have a group of priests here. They could be at the checkpoint in five minutes.'

There was another pause. I looked at Harry and Kiniun and shrugged. I saw Harry's ears moving as he tried to hear the corporal's side of the radio conversation. The soldier tapped on the windscreen.

'Would you please head along the road, sir. You will be met by my commander.'

Having spent most of my formative years in The Borders, I knew better than to question instructions given by soldier. I put the car into gear and followed the corporal's pointing paw. We crept past the line of stationary trucks and armoured cars. As the checkpoint came into view we were waved to a stop by two more soldiers.

They signalled to me to get out of the car, and as I did, I saw the cause of our delay. In the road the far side of the checkpoint's barricades a large prime mover vehicle was lying on its side, its great black tyres hanging limply from tangled suspension parts. Around the vehicle were knots of soldiers trying to stem the flow of diesel-fuel from a ruptured tank and rescue their comrades from the wreck. The two ambulances that had passed us were parked by the pillbox and a group of medics were working on the soldiers laid out on the ground. My gaze was drawn from the scene of carnage by a vixen in officer's uniform.

'You're the priest?' She asked.

'Yes.' I replied, taken somewhat aback by her abrupt manner.

'And your companions?'

'Yes they're priests as well.'

'Would you please all come with me?'

I looked into the car and tilted my head to Harry and Kiniun. They both climbed out of the car.

'Harry Cormack?' Said the officer. 'Is that you?'

'Good grief, Lieutenant Fuchs! Oh, sorry, Major Fuchs! I didn't know you were still in the Regiment.'

'I didn't know that you were a Padre!' Fuchs blinked and shook her head. 'I've got soldiers dying under that truck. Please, go to them - they need to see a priest.'

She waved to two of the nearby soldiers.

'Sergeant Lupus and Private Sylvestris will escort you. Please, hurry.'

We were hustled over to the crashed truck. I was shocked, I have never been this close to a road accident before. Once I had gathered myself, had suppressed the initial shock, I took in the scene. It appeared that the two soldiers in the cab had taken the brunt of the impact they were pinned under the weight of the vehicle. I knelt on the road by one of the stricken soldiers. He was a heavily built shire horse, his eyes wild with pain and fear.

'Can you hear me?' I asked. 'I'm Father Francis.'

The soldier grunted.

'What's your name?' I tried.

'Joe.' Replied the soldier.

'Okay, Joe.' I said. 'I'm going to keep you company; did you ask to see a priest?'

'Yes,' He managed, 'I know I can't survive this, I know, but I'm scared. Can you do what needs to be done, Father?'

'Yes.' I said.

I looked up at the sergeant.

'Sergeant Lupus, please go to my car. You'll find a little silver tube with screw caps on either end in the glove box. That's my oil stock - please bring it to me.'

The sergeant nodded and ran off. I returned my attention to Joe, he was breathing with difficulty, foam flicking his lips and nose. He stared up at me, panic and pain etched into his features. I looked around and caught the eye of one of the medics. As he came over, I asked:

'Can you do something for the pain?'

The medic nodded and knelt down next to me, he drew a syringe from a pouch at his hip and checked its label. Satisfied, he placed a paw on Joe's neck and administered the painkiller. Without a word the medic moved away. I stayed kneeling next to Joe, watching as the medication dulled the pain. I was distracted by a glittering on the horse's cheek; it was glass from the window. With great care, it brushed the diamond-like fragments away.

Behind me I heard steps, Sergeant Lupus held out the oil stocks to me. I took the tube and unscrewed one cap. With great care, I dipped the pad of my right paw into the fragrant oil, the sweet scent of the oil smelling out of place against the stench of spilt diesel and blood. Very gently, I traced across on Joe's forehead. I brought my head close to Joe's and began the Last Rites.

'By this holy anointing receive the Lord's peace. Rest in the peace of the King of Peace.'

Joe's breathing had become very shallow; he was nearing the end of his short life.

'Go now, O soul, from this world. Make thy way to thy Lord and Maker. Hear us, O Lord, as we pray: accept thy servant, Joe into thy Kingdom; meet him with mercy and welcome him into thy loving arms.

'May Almighty God bless you, Joe, Father, Son and Holy Ghost.'

I traced the sign of the Cross in the air above Joe and then laid my paw on his head. I was able to feel as the soldier shuddered and breathed his last. I watched as his eyes dimmed and his eyelids flickered closed for the final time. I let my chin sink to my chest and ran my free paw between my ears and over my eyes. I breathed out slowly and climbed back to a standing position.

The sergeant looked at me questioningly. I shook my head. I could just see as Harry and Kiniun stood: so, the other poor soul has died, I thought. I turned back to the sergeant.

'There is nothing more we can do, the bodies will have to be recovered.'

'Yes, Padre. I'll need you to report to Major Fuchs.'

We were all escorted back to the Major. She looked up from the clipboard.

'Thank you all.' She said. 'I know that this is an imposition, but our Padre has been taken ill - could you stay a while until the Padre from Drayton HQ arrives?'

I looked at Harry and Kiniun: Kiniun nodded and Harry shrugged.

'Yes, Major. We can stay.' I said

major Fuchs motioned for us to follow her. She led us to a 4x4 with an awning covering a radio set and laptop computer trestle table. She set her clipboard on the table and looked at us with her paws on her hips.

'This was all a terrible accident, that truck was too old and should never have been allowed on the road. We've lost two good soldiers and it should have never happened.'

She sat down heavily on one of the folding chairs and snatched her beret off her head and flung it violently on the table. Harry sat down next to her.

'How are you, Natasha?' He asked. 'When did you achieve your majority?'

'Five years ago now,' She said, 'I was still a lieutenant the last time I saw you. What happened to you after you left the Regiment? No one heard from you at all.'

'I had to have a clean break after, well... You know, after the attack. I was a wreck, Natasha, shaking all over, not sleeping. It took months to me not to see their faces every time I closed my eyes. I still do, you know, still see their faces from time to time. I just had to drop out of contact. Anyway, I'm supposed to be here for your troops, not here to tell you my recent history. Would you allow us, Major, to go and speak to those who want to speak to us?'

Fuchs all but saluted.

'Of course, Captain. Sorry, Reverend.'

We went around the soldiers, praying with them, anointing the wounded and offering a set of listening ears. Kiniun struck it off famously with a group of cadets from the Savannah who were on attachment with Harry's old regiment. There was no sign of the army chaplain by the time a huge tactical crane from the First Iron Duchy Regiment of Engineers arrived. I stood with Harry and a detachment of medics as the wrecked truck was slowly lifted clear of the road surface. It was particularly moving to see the gentleness in the young soldiers' faces and actions as they gingerly removed the bodies from the wreckage.

I had to fight the urge to be sick as the medics removed Joe's body from the cab. Suffice it to say that there wasn't much left of the poor horse below his chest. Joe's comrade was in no better shape and I was selfishly glad that the medics were quick in covering the bodies. I stood with Harry in front of the two body bags, he was shaking very slightly - no doubt remembering the losses he had endured that decade ago.

The terrible moment was, thankfully, broken by Kiniun and a greyhound. Kiniun coughed.

'Francis,' He said, 'This is, um, I'm not so sure about ranks, Mister Milgi.'

'Subaltern Milgi, Padre.' Said the greyhound. 'The lads were wondering if you could say a few words, like a short service. Joe and Arthur - Privates Cobb and Hygge were well liked. They are all quite shocked, I think it would help. I've cleared it with Major Fuchs.' He added.

I agreed and the subaltern went to speak to the waiting knot of soldiers. Very quickly the soldiers were lined up in front of me. Off to my left, stood a group of officers with Major Fuchs at their head, she was speaking quietly to Harry. I shifted my attention back to my unexpected congregation. There were perhaps thirty or forty soldiers standing in ranks, at parade ground attention. A couple of ranks back a huge Rottweiler with what I took to be the insignia of a sergeant-at-arms was weeping silently. I coughed nervously and opened my mouth to speak. Before I could get a word out, Major Fuchs was standing next to me.

'Stand at ease!' She barked, then more quietly: 'Sorry, Padre - force of habit, do carry on.'

'Thank you, Major.' I said. 'I know that this was a terrible shock for you all. It is never an easy thing to lose a friend.'

I spread my paws.

'Let us pray. The Joe and Arthur, their families and friends...'

I don't really recall what else I said. I spoke for ten minutes, mostly well-known prayers and an act of commendation for the souls of the dead. As I drew to a close, a staff car pulled up closely followed by another drab-green ambulance.

In an instant the crash site turned back to military bustle. The staff car disgorged a harassed -looking mountain hare, his white fur looking extraordinarily bright against the dull camouflage colours of his uniform. The black cross on his epaulettes marked him out as a chaplain stop this must be the Padre from the Borders Controlled Area Headquarters, I thought.

I made my way over to the chaplain. He glanced at me and then performed the most spectacular double-take I had ever seen.

'Francis Shepherd, what are you doing here?'

After a second it clicked in my mind.

'Padre Timmins, I had no idea you were still in Chaplaincy Division.'

'Yes indeed, I haven't seen you since you came to us on placement. Still, what are you doing here?'

'I was on my way home from visiting my mother and just got caught up in this.'

We stood aside as a party of medics carried the two body bags to the waiting ambulance. As the mortal remains of Cobb and Hygge were loaded into the back of the ambulance, the other two ambulances drove off with their blue lights flashing and sirens wailing.

'I'll go with the ambulances to the King Victor III Hospital in Drayton.' Said Timmins. 'I'm glad you were caught up in this, Francis. Thank you for your help.'

With that, Timmins climbed back into the staff car and headed after the ambulances. Behind me, was a sound of metal scraping against metal. I turned and saw as the ruined truck was placed on the back of a low loader lorry, a shower of metallic fragments, dust and gravel pattering and pinging on the load-bed. I watched as Kiniun threaded his way through the crowd of soldiers.

'Francis, you have a very strange idea of someone being on holiday!'

I smiled wanly at him and leant against one of the concrete blocks. Kiniun joined me and we watched absently as order was restored to the checkpoint. We were still leaning against the barricades when Harry and Major Fuchs came through the central gap.

'Thank you, Father Kiniun, Father Shepherd. I'm sorry to have got you mixed up in this awful mess, but I'm glad you were here.' Said Fuchs. 'If you don't mind, I'll send someone to set your car.'

'Thanks.' I said, and tossed my car keys to Fuchs. She passed the keys to Subaltern Milgi who trotted away to collect my car. Harry perched on the top of the barricade, swinging his foot paws back and forth. This earned him a sharp look from Major Fuchs.

'Ah!' Said Harry, waving his paw at Fuchs. 'You can't order me around, Major! I'm a civilian now.'

Although Harry was smiling, I could detect a certain brittle edge to his voice.

'Please, Reverend Cormack, would you be so kind as to climb down from the army's barricade.' Said Fuchs, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Harry jumped down from the concrete block, landing lightly at Fuchs' foot paws. He straightened up and grinned at.

'I'm not in the army any more, Natasha.' He said quietly. 'I always knew that you'd end up ordering me around, though.'

I was aware that there was more passing between the lynx and the vixen than I knew. There was something simmering in the background. I tried to put it from my mind, Harry would tell me if he thought it right.

The tension was broken by the return of Subaltern Milgi at the wheel of my car. Major Fuchs opened the door and, once Milgi had climbed out, gestured for us to get in.

'Thank you all again, but you will have to leave, now. We have orders to close the road for the crash investigators.' Her voice was brisk and business-like.

We piled in and headed away from the checkpoint, continuing eastward. I didn't feel myself begin to relax until we crossed out of the Borders Controlled Area and away from the military's sphere of influence.