Chapter 1

           Comeon,youapes!Youwantaliveforever?

           Unknownplatoonsergeant,1918

           Ialwaysgettheshakesbeforeadrop.I’vehadtheinjections,ofcourse,andhypnoticpreparation,anditstandstoreasonthatIcan’treallybeafraid.Theship’spsychiatristhascheckedmybrainwavesandaskedmesillyquestionswhileIwasasleepandhetellsmethatitisn’tfear,itisn’tanythingimportant—it’sjustlikethetremblingofaneagerracehorseinthestartinggate.

           Icouldn’tsayaboutthat;I’veneverbeenaracehorse.Butthefactis:I’mscaredsilly,everytime.

           AtD-minus-thirty,afterwehadmusteredinthedroproomoftheRodgerYoung,ourplatoonleaderinspectedus.Hewasn’tourregularplatoonleader,becauseLieutenantRasczakhadboughtitonourlastdrop;hewasreallytheplatoonsergeant,CareerShip’sSergeantJelal.JellywasaFinno-TurkfromIskanderaroundProxima—aswarthylittlemanwholookedlikeaclerk,butI’veseenhimtackletwoberserkprivatessobighehadtoreachuptograbthem,cracktheirheadstogetherlikecoconuts,stepbackoutofthewaywhiletheyfell.

           Offdutyhewasn’tbad—forasergeant.Youcouldevencallhim"Jelly"tohisface.Notrecruits,ofcourse,butanybodywhohadmadeatleastonecombatdrop.

           Butrightnowhewasonduty.Wehadalleachinspectedourcombatequipment(look,it’syourownneck—see?),theactingplatoonsergeanthadgoneoveruscarefullyafterhemusteredus,andnowJellywentoverusagain,hisfacemean,hiseyesmissingnothing.