Summary

Xavier retains his first person narration in this next chapter. A coughing fit awakens him and he is amazed that he and Elijah survived this great fire only to end up in the trenches. He wishes he was resilient as the bush that has grown back. Niska asks if he is alright and her words make Xavier angry and he feels the morphine loosening its hold on him. He tells Niska that there were so many men buried in the war that if the trees grow back there will be skulls hanging from their branches. He then tells her how they buried the dead and came back a few months later and there were blood red flowers growing out of the ground where the men were buried. Niska does not respond but Xavier knows that she is listening. Niska tells him to sleep...