(Travelling by train to visit Tony, Sefton Briggs is seated next to a man named Daniels.)

MR. DANIELS
Not much news today.

SEFTON BRIGGS
No.

DANIELS
Pity about Greece.

SEFTON
Yes.

DANIELS
We're... We're doing all right in Crete, though.

(Sefton does not bother to respond. Across the compartment, a soldier is necking with a young woman.)

TICKET COLLECTOR
Tickets, please. Have your tickets ready, please.

(At this, the soldier and his girl hurry to leave, and Sefton slams the door shut behind them.)

SEFTON
I don't think I recall seeing animals at the zoo behaving quite like those two. This war is doing terrible things to Britain...terrible. Immorality! They were planning to spend the night together, you know.

DANIELS
Well, we must expect moral standards to be suspended in wartime. We can't send boys away to the front, to shoot and bomb and kill, then be offended if they kiss a girl when they're on leave.

SEFTON
I never accept a general lowering of standards. And...this is a first-class compartment, but they did not have first-class tickets.

(He checks his pocket watch.)

SEFTON
Oh, we're running late.

DANIELS
(looking at his wristwatch)
Yes.

 

(from "Is Your Journey Really Necessary?" by Geoffrey Lancashire)