to those I promised them to at the Gritti. There wasn’t enough shooting to be enough feathers to do that boy’s wife any good with feathers. But they are all big ducks and fat and they will be good eating. I forgot to give Bobby the sausage.
There was no time to write Renata a note. But what could I say, in a note, that we did not say?
He reached into his pocket and found a pad and pencil. He put on the map reading light, and with his bad hand, printed a short message in block letters.
“Put that in your pocket, Jackson, and act on it if necessary. If the circumstances described occur, it is an order.”
“Yes, sir,” Jackson said and took the folded order blank with one hand and put it in the top left hand pocket of his tunic.
Now take it easy, the Colonel said to himself. Any further concern you may have is about yourself and that is just a luxury.
You are no longer of any real use to the Army of the United States. That has been made quite clear.
You have said good-bye to your girl and she has said good-bye to you.
That is certainly simple.
You shot well and Alvarito understands. That is that.
So what the hell do you have to worry about, boy? I hope you’re not the type of jerk who worries about what happens to him when there’s nothing to be done. Let’s certainly hope not.
