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gaine—a whole separate device—to foil any attempt at defusing。
he eased the device out towards him and unscrewed the gaine。 there was a white…green flash and the sound of a whip from the device。 the second detonator had gone off。 he pulled it out and set it beside the other parts on the grass。 he went back to the jeep。
“there was a second gaine；” he muttered。 “i was very lucky； being able to pull out those wires。 put a call in to headquarters and find out if there are other bombs。” he cleared the soldiers away from the jeep； set up a loose bench there and asked for the arc lights to be trained on it。 he bent down and picked up the three ponents and placed them each a foot apart along the makeshift bench。 he was cold now； and he breathed out a feather of his warmer body air。 he looked up。 in the distance some soldiers were still emptying out the main explosive。 quickly he wrote down a few notes and handed the solution for the new bomb to an officer。 he didn’t fully understand it； of course； but they would have this information。
when sunlight enters a room where there is a fire； the fire will go out。 he had loved lord suffolk and his strange bits of information。 but his absence here； in the sense that everything now depended on singh； meant singh’s awareness swelled to all bombs of this variety across the city of london。 he had suddenly a map of responsibility； something； he realized； that lord suffolk carried within his character at all times。 it was this awareness that later created the need in him to block so much out when he was working on a bomb。 he was one of those never interested in the choreography of power。 he felt unfortable in the ferrying back and forth of plans and solutions。 he felt capable only of reconnaissance； of locating a solution。 when the reality of the death of lord suffolk came to him； he concluded the work he was assigned to and reenlisted into the anonymous machine of the army。 he was on the troopship macdonald； which carried a hundred other sappers towards the italian campaign。 here they were used not just for bombs but for building bridges； clearing debris； setting up tracks for armoured rail vehicles。 he hid there for the rest of the war。 few remembered the sikh who had been with suffolk’s unit。 in a year the whole unit was disbanded and forgotten； lieutenant blackler being the only one to rise in the ranks with his talent。
but that night as singh drove past lewisham and black…heath towards erith； he knew he contained； more than any other sapper； the knowledge of lord suffolk。 he was expected to be the replacing vision。
he was still standing at the truck when he heard the whistle that meant they were turning off the arc lights。 within thirty seconds metallic light had been replaced with sulphur flares in the back of the truck。 another bomb raid。 these lesser lights could be doused when they heard the planes。 he sat down on the empty petrol can facing the three ponents he had removed from the sc…okg； the hisses from the flares around him loud after the silence of the arc lights。
he sat watching and listening； waiting for them to click。 the other men silent； fifty yards away。 he knew he was for now a king； a puppet master； could order anything； a bucket of sand； a fruit pie for his needs； and those men who would not cross an uncrowded bar to speak with him when they were off duty would do what he desired。 it was strange to him。 as if he had been handed a large suit of clothes that he could roll around in and whose sleeves would drag behind him。 but he knew he did not like it。 he was accustomed to his invisibility。 in england he was ignored in the various barracks； and he came to prefer that。
the self…sufficiency and privacy hana saw in him later were caused not just by his being a sapper in the italian campaign。 it was as much a result of being the anonymous member of another race； a part of the invisible world。 he had built up defences of character against all that； trusting only those who befriended him。 but that night in erith he knew he was capable of having wires attached to him that influenced all around him who did not have his specific talent。
a few months later he had escaped to italy； had packed the shadow of his teacher into a knapsack； the way he had seen the green…clothed boy at the hippodrome do it on his first leave during christmas。 lord suffolk and miss morden had offered to take him to an english play。 he had selected peter pan； and they； wordless； acquiesced and went with him to a screaming child…full show。 there were such shadows of memory with him when he lay in his tent with hana in the small hill town in italy。
revealing his past or qualities of his character would have been too loud a gesture。 just as he could never turn and inquire of her what deepest motive caused this relationship。 he held her with the same strength of love he felt for those three strange english people； eating at the same table with them； who had watched his delight and laughter and wonder when the green boyraised his arms and flew into the darkness high above the stage； returning to teach the young girl in the earth…bound family such wonders too。
in the flare…lit darkness of erith he would stop whenever planes were heard； and one by one the sulphur torches were sunk into buckets of sand。 he would sit in the droning darkness； moving the seat so he could lean forward and place his ear close to the ticking mechanisms； still timing the clicks； trying to hear them under the throb of the german bombers above him。
then what he had been waiting for happened。 after exactly one hour； the timer tripped and the percussion cap exploded。
removing the main gaine had released an unseen striker that activated the second； hidden gaine。 it had been set to explode sixty minutes later—long after a sapper would normally have assumed the bomb was safely defused。
this new device would change the whole direction of allied bomb disposal。 from now on； every delayed…action bomb would carry the threat of a second gaine。 it would no longer be possible for sappers to deactivate a bomb by simply removing the fuze。 bombs would have to be neutralized with the fuze intact。 someho