A Symphony of Echoes (The Chronicles of St. Mary's #2)

by Jodi Taylor

Contrary to popular belief, we historians aren’t completely stupid.

I don’t know why medical staff think they have a sense of humour. I went for a smear test last year and Helen swore there was an echo. How funny is that?

‘This time last month, you were enjoying your lives, your jobs (I’m assuming), and everything was just fine. Now, it’s not and that’s understandable. But we can all get through this. Not now. Not tomorrow, either, but one day.

Season robustly, lay on a wide plank or something similar, and cook over an open fire or BBQ until the juices run clear. Carefully separate the light meat from the dark. Throw the whole lot away and eat the plank.

Plus, of course there’s always the fear that I’ll burst into flames as I cross the threshold. And I know churches aren’t supposed to be comfortable. Most gods seem to like their followers to suffer.

In the Middle Ages, the Church was the most powerful institution in the western world. In England, the struggle between church and kings would take centuries to resolve. Interestingly, in the end, neither institution came out on top. Today, each is as powerless as the other. As people power emerged, we invented politicians. We’re not bright.

It was just faintly possible I’d done a good job here. I wondered if the Boss would agree. Of course, he might feel that actually commanding St Mary’s myself would give me insight and wisdom, and make me more amenable to the day-to-day rules and regulations pertaining to the smooth running of his unit. I looked forward to correcting this unreasonable assumption.

Someone you hate is as much the centre of your world as someone you love. Indifference is the killer.

Peterson and I, who knew as much about horticulture as the average politician knew about effective and efficient government, were allocated the north side of the park.

This was an old argument. I would argue that we’d been missing for six weeks and our pay packets should reflect that fact. He would respond that according to my personal timeline, only three days had passed and therefore I was only entitled to three days’ pay. I never won, but I never wearied of the argument, either. It’s our responsibility to keep senior managers on their toes. I was doing him a kindness, really. He was never the slightest bit appreciative but we should never let management ingratitude deflect us from our duty.