Sound the Retreat

"Sound The Retreat" is Volume VII of the novel sequence "Alms for Oblivion" by Simon Raven, published in 1971. It was the seventh novel to be published in The "Alms for Oblivion" sequence though it is the second novel chronologically. The story takes place in India from November 1945 to June 1946.

Characters, in the order of appearance

Peter Morrison – Cadet. Major character in Fielding Gray.

Alister Mortleman – Cadet.

Barry Strange – Cadet.

Miles Glastonbury – Lieutenant Colonel.

Earl of Muscateer – Cadet. Son of lord Canteloupe. Dies of jaundice after he have been food poisoned at Ley Wong’s.

Percy de Glanville Manwood – Officer.

Baxter – Major.

Betteredge – Captain.

Lafone – Captain.

Cruxtable – Sergeant Major.

The Maharaja of Dharaparam – Indian prince.

Captain Detterling – Military Instructor in Bangalore. Cousin of lord Canteloupe. Appeared in Fielding Gray.

Ley Wong – Chinese restaurant owner. Can provide almost anything.

Gilzai Khan – Captain of royal descent. Secularized Muslim. Commander of the cadets in Bangalore but eventually leaves the army to take up politics. Agitates for the continued British rule in India to prevent Muslims and Hindus from killing each other.

Zaccharias – Cadet.

Murphy – Cadet who gets promoted through circumstances.

Lord Canteloupe – Father of the Earl of Muscateer, who dies in India.

Lady Canteloupe – Mother of the Earl of Muscateer, who dies in India.

Edwin Turbot – Politician. Makes an inspection in Bangalore.

Margaret Rose Engineer – Prostitute who’s trying to blackmail Peter Morrison.

Thomas Oakes – Adjutant.

Plot summary

The story takes place between November 1945 and June 1946, for the most part in India. Peter Morrison and his comrades arrives for military service in Bangalore and are informed that they will have an Indian commander. The cadet Alister Mortleman disapproves strongly. During a visit with captain Detterling to the restaurant of Ley Wong is the Earl of Muscateer, the son of Detterling’s cousin lord Canteloupe, food poisoned. He later dies at the hospital because of jaundice.

The cadets meet their Indian commander, Gilzai Khan, and all of the (except Alister Mortleman) takes a liking to him. Khan starts a sexual relation with the cadet Barry Strange. During the funeral of Muscateer Khan is showing strong feelings and is later rebuked by Mortleman during some heavy drinking at Ley Wong’s. Khan challenges Mortleman to a duel of an unusual kind. The men will prove their sexual endurance with a number of women and the one who have the highest number of ejaculations win. Mortleman beats Khan with 3 – 2. Shortly after, Peter Morrison starts a relation with a prostitute, Margaret Rose Engineer.

Riots and unrest is taking place all over India an Khan, a non religious Muslim, is prediction the bloodbaths that will take place between Hindus and Muslims. Morrison is blackmailed by Margaret Rose who says that he’s promised her marriage and will most likely have to resign from the army. Khan saves him by planting false evidence (that will make it look like she’s been making false ID cards) at her home. The charge against Morrison is dropped. Shortly after that Khan is removed from his command because of his positive attitude to British rule and rumours about him having sexual relations with cadets. An emotional farewell dinner for Khan is held at Ley Wong’s.

Murphy, a cadet that has been to hospital for a while, is promoted to captain by chance. Morrison, Mortleman and Strange are reposted to Berhampore. When they arrive they are informed about Khan resignation from the army without any explanation. Morrison is visited by Murphy, now working for the viceroy, and he explains that Khan left the army to become a political agitator. Khan wants the British to remain in India to prevent the Hindus and Muslims from slaughtering each other. Murphy orders Morrison to “fix” the affair, i.e. kill the Khan. Shortly thereafter, Khan is also visiting Morrison. He reveals that his group will block the local railway and ask Morrison and his friends to stay away if they can. Morrison, on the other side tells Khan about his orders and they part on friendly terms.

Very soon, the action against the railway is taking place and Morrison, Strange and Mortleman faces Khan during the event. Morrison is trying to arrest Khan but Strange and Khan is having a quarrel and Strange stabs Khan with a sabre and he dies immediately. Despite Strange being devastated the men are hailed as heroes and cleared of any charges. Right before they are to return to England they are given news about Murphy being killed by a car bomb.