Haig didn't go to greet Shire; he sat at the desk within the command office, pretending to review documents while waiting for Shire to report in.
He thought it was reasonable. After all, he was the expeditionary force commander, and Shire was the vice commander; wasn't it proper for Shire to report in?
But after waiting for a long time, there was no sign of Shire; instead, he heard cheers coming from outside the command office.
Haig stopped writing and, perplexed, asked his staff: "What is Shire doing?"
"General," the staff replied, "Shire seems to be having a lively conversation with the colonial army soldiers."
Haig felt a momentary unease. The colonial army's heart was already leaning toward Shire; if they became more familiar, it would become increasingly difficult to control them.
With this thought, Haig quickly put away his pen and stood up, then turned back, took his weapon belt from the hat rack, fastened it, and adjusted his general's cap in front of the mirror.
