13th June: Mapping out surroundings

Edward looked around and took in the precision with which the guards had built their camp. It came close to how he had always imagined it, but now, having had a first glimpse of the reality behind it, he now began to understand both the efforts it required and the pride to keep that little place of home as perfect as possible.

Hefting the rolled map under one arm more firmly, he approached the tent that a guardsman had pointed out to him as Captain Blackwood's. Hopefully he wasn't disturbing him when he had duties to perform, but Edward felt that after their short meeting this morning a more formal introduction might be in order. Besides, he could use the captain's opinion.

Straightening his uniform jacket, he cleared his throat and softly called: "Captain Blackwood?"

Someone was calling for him from outside his tent. Blackwood did not look up from the letter he was attempting to write. "Come in."

He had little idea who it might be but neither did he particularly care. It seemed that his mood had been blunted since the strange incident with the Rifles earlier. Perhaps he needed a strong drink with dinner. He would have to ask his batman to find something. Even though doing so would probably mean taking his life into his hands.

Edward took of his hat and entered. Giving a polite salute, he said:

"Good day to you again, Sir! I hope I'm not disturbing you?"

Ah. The engineer officer - Torrington, as he'd introduced himself. Blackwood set his pen aside and stood up.

"Not at all, sir," he greeted, returning the salute. "What may I do for you?"

"As our introduction was somewhat ... irregular, for want of a better word, I thought it might be appropriate to remedy that."

He gave a rueful half-grin.

"On a more mundane side, I want to enlist your help on a project."

He indicated the rolled map he carried. It was both a curse and a blessing that the engineers always had to relay on other arms of the service to provide men for their undertakings.

This was not at all an unreasonable desire, certainly. Blackwood nodded.

"It was rather unusual, to be sure," he agreed and glanced at the map in the engineer's hand. "An exploring project, perhaps?"

Edward nodded and switched from his society persona to the more comfortable, business-like engineer. "My orders include to map out this area with all possible speed. The maps the Portuguese have are rather unreliable, and in some areas non-existent. I collected all I could find and have compiled a first sketch of a map from them, but, as you can see, there are some discrepancies between them and the few measurements I have already taken, and some very blank spots."

He unrolled the heavy paper and turned it so Blackwood could study it. It was one of the few available Portugese maps, annotated by hand in several places and colours, with several additional contours sketched in.

"It will be impossible to do a proper survey in the time allotted, so I would require some help from your knowledge of the landscape. More precisely: In which parts have you found those maps that you have accurate enough for military purposes and which areas or points need to be redone?"

The engineer's descriptions of Portuguese maps was perfectly accurate. From what little he'd seen of them, they were a poor answer to a proper survey - though as Torrington himself admitted, a proper survey was simply out of the question.

"I have had not looked seriously at a locally-produced map in some time," he confessed as he studied the markings scattered across the map Torrington had unrolled. "Though the general feeling is that they are, as a whole, quite worthless."

Edward bit down on his lip; he had half expected that answer, but that didn't mean he liked it any better.

"If one remembers the brilliant naval maps the Portuguese used to produce, one can only wonder at that."

He pointed to two blank spaces and shrugged.

"Then it seems we need to gather all required information ourself. You are more conversant with the necessities of war. What do you think is needed first? Those areas aren't mapped at all, but from their surroundings they may contain only rather impassable mountains. Is it of any use to spend time on them? I should perhaps also warn you that for any survey I would need men from one of the companies here, so perhaps the more pertinent question is how we can work out a plan that makes best use of them without interfering with their usual duties or tiring them out."

The important word was may. Torrington's assumption could very well prove true, but they would not know if they did not find out. Blackwood considered. Recent events suggested the necessity for caution in any expedition beyond the lines.

"I should think it worthwhile to explore them, yes. There is no way of knowing which direction the army might move in, or be obliged to go, so knowing as much about the country we are in as possible can only be a benefit." He paused and wondered how Colonel Trevor would view a request to detach even part of the Light Company for escort duty. It would be good for the new lads to get some experience in the field, certainly.

"You may find my own lads better suited to this manner of work than men from any of the other companies," Blackwood went on. "Heavy infantry does, I find, tend to struggle when removed from the Line for unusual duties."

Edward nodded gratefully.

"I confess I had hoped you would offer. I will put in an appropriate request with your Colonel then. If Captain Vickery can supply some men as well, there will be little need to trouble the other companies; it might perhaps be quicker and simpler if we could handle this with only a small pool of men who have some understanding of what we will be doing. Maybe your Colonel could even spare one of his subalterns? If we could make up two surveying tables, work would go much faster."

He looked down at the map again:

"I would propose to start work tomorrow, or even this afternoon, if possible, in the valley we are currently in. That way the men could learn what is necessary. It isn't that difficult, but of course some precision is required. I only need two assistants as it is, but it might be better if more knew how to do it."

The likelihood of Colonel Trevor agreeing to loan one of his officers was slim, but Blackwood did not trouble himself to say so. It did depend on the colonel's mood at the time. And who was not perhaps in his favour at that instant.

"Perhaps two sections in total will suit?" One of his and one of Vickery's would be ideal. "I believe one of the lieutenants in Major Croft's company has some knowledge of cartography. Mister Eckert is the fellow's name."

That same afternoon was a bit soon, if they were to receive Colonel Trevor's blessing. Blackwood was not about to risk losing his company by taking any of his men out beyond the lines for any reason, without the necessary permission. He had come near enough to that recently as it was.

"Will it take very long to provide basic instruction in the work?"

"Mr. Eckert." Edward committed the name to memory. He had not met Major Croft yet, in truth did not even know what company he commanded, but he would certainly make an effort to get his cooperation and his lieutenant. If he could enlist the man's help, his task would suddenly be reduced from impossible to barely manageable, provided they did not find that there was really no piece of Portuguese mapping that could be accepted as half-way passable.

He considered the Captain's question: "It doesn't take long to explain how the measurements are taken, and any intelligent man should have enough practise after half an hour. Where they are to be taken is more complex, but I don't think we need to go into this right now. If some of the men have an aptitude for it, it will quickly show. Until then, I'm perfectly content to point out all the relevant spots exactly to them."

Looking at the desk, he asked:

"If you think this a practical solution, perhaps I could ask Colonel Trevor to loan me a dozen men in the course of this afternoon, in groups of three for an hour each? That should provide a big enough group, even if some prove unsuitable."

Ah. He considered the men of his company and mentally picked out the most likely fellows. "I can think of three who may take most easily to the work," he said. "Corporal Miller and Privates Chester and Gray."

There would need to be more, though. If the engineer required a dozen men, it may take some trial and error before twelve suitable candidates were found. "The sooner any request is made, the better, I should think."

Edward had to agree with that. Captain Blackwood had been very helpful, but he suspected that he shouldn't depend too much on finding the Colonel equally forthcoming.

"Then perhaps you could provide me with some paper to put it in writing? Or would your Colonel prefer a personal request?"

That it would depend on the colonel's mood that afternoon was not perhaps something Blackwood felt comfortable admitting. He moved toward his little desk and fetched out two clean sheets. "It may prove wiser to submit such a request in writing," he advised. "If the colonel deems it worthwhile, he will send for you."

"Thank you!" Edward accepted the paper with a little bow. Already he mentally run through the different ways to word such a request. He was no friend of the convoluted style, and his request was reasonable, so he decided on a rather direct phrasing.

After they had taken form in his head, he wrote out the words quickly, only stopping at the signature. He usually didn't like to use his title in connection with his work, but he knew it sometimes produced results he wouldn't get otherwise. On the other side, there were quite a few officers who reacted adversely, and he had no idea to which group Colonel Trevor did belong to. The brief interview he had had with the man had been rather uninformative in all respects.

No, he decided. If it was only his title that made the man cooperate, he better learned that fact now. Signing himself simply 'Captain Torrington, CRE', he waved the paper to dry the ink, then folded it.

With a rather rueful expression, he turned to Blackwood again.

"I fear I must even further take advantage of your goodwill and beg the use of one of your men to deliver this."

Blackwood inclined his head with a smile. "Of course." He crossed to the tent flap and called a name out. In a moment, a trim, pinch-faced corporal appeared. "Corporal Miller," he said in introduction, and the corporal offered a salute.

Edward returned the salute and tried to get a first impression of the man Captain Blackwood had named as one most likely to take to surveying work. He looked sensible enough, and his trimness bode well; the expression on his face could be more friendly, but Edward needed men who could do a job effectively, not people to socialize with. If the man would like the work, it was only of secondary importance if he liked him as well.

Handing the note over, he said:

"Could you please deliver this to Colonel Trevor with Captain Torrington's compliments?"

"Yes sir," Miller answered. There was the barest hesitation before the corporal saluted again and departed. Blackwood suppressed a smile. He knew Miller's nature and had little doubt he would manage somehow to read the note before delivering it.

"A decent lad, Miller," he commented, glancing out of the tent in casual search of his batman. He could do with a cup of tea and wished to offer his guest one as well. "Would you care for some tea, sir?"

An offer Edward very much appreciated, but unfortunately had to decline. He would have liked to spend some social time with Captain Blackwood. Edward had received more help than he could have expected, yet he still knew barely a thing about the man who had given it. But considering the tight schedule he was on and the red tape that needed to be observed, he would have to hope that a similar occasion presented itself soon.

"That would be very agreeable, thank you, Sir, but perhaps I should put my proposal before Captain Vickery now, if he can spare the time. If the projected training is to start this afternoon, it would be preferable if his men could join from the start."

The best solution would of course be if Vickery would join them and they could work out a schedule that would - provided both Colonels agreed - guarantee that his work would fit into the normal routine of both companies, but still ensured that he had enough men to carry out the proposed surveys quickly. This was Blackwood's tent, however, and Edward would never presume to ask him to extend his invitation. But perhaps he could ask them both for lunch?

"Yes, of course." Blackwood nodded. "Colonel Trevor will have received your request by now, and should he have questions about it, you will be sent for at once."

Likewise, if the request was approved, Corporal Miller would return with a note saying so. Blackwood found himself wondering about the practicality of having Chester and Gray present themselves to Captain Torrington for instruction anyway. Just in case.

"Thank you, Captain. Would you perhaps care to continue this conversation over lunch today?"

Edward phrased the invitation as neutral as he could, to give Captain Blackwood every oportunity to decline should his duties or his inclinations run counter to it.

That, he reckoned, was an excellent idea. "I should be glad to," he replied with a smile.

"Then I will look forward to see you then, Sir. "

Edward spoke with cool politeness, as was usual for him, but his eyes held real warmth.

"If you'll excuse me now, I will go and try my luck with the Rifles. If Fortuna smiles, we will have some excellent maps of this terrain soon."