wartime-bureaucracy
Interactions with the verger reveal the challenges of wartime organization, suspicion, and the need for official authorization and identity verification.
2 chapters across 2 books
To Say Nothing of the Dog (1999)Connie Willis
In the chapter "Preamble," the narrator and a small group including Carruthers, a new recruit, Mr. Spivens, and a verger, search through the ruins of Coventry Cathedral for the missing bishop's bird stump amidst the aftermath of wartime bombing. They navigate the destruction, deal with suspicion from the verger about their identities, and discuss the challenges of time travel attempts to reach the correct date. The narrator also recounts efforts to locate the artifact through jumble sales, highlighting the difficulties and absurdities involved in the search.
Blackout (2011)Connie Willis
In this chapter, Mike, a war correspondent recovering in a hospital after being injured at Dunkirk, struggles with the consequences of his actions that may have altered the course of World War II. Despite medical advice to stay for surgery, he is desperate to leave and return to his mission, facing bureaucratic hurdles, physical limitations, and suspicion from locals as he attempts to travel to Saltram-on-Sea. The chapter highlights his internal conflict about the impact of his interference and the practical difficulties of navigating wartime England as a displaced and injured outsider.