Звездный десант
Chapter 13
Afterall,thoselazytroopersdonothingbutsleepandeatandpolishbuttons--do‘emgoodtohavealittleregularwork.SosaystheNavy.
TherealNavyopinionisevenmoreextreme:TheArmyisobsoleteandshouldbeabolished.
TheNavydoesn’tsaythisofficially—buttalktoaNavalofficerwhoisonR&Randfeelinghisoats;you’llgetanearful.Theythinktheycanfightanywar,winit,sendafewoftheirownpeopledowntoholdtheconqueredplanetuntiltheDiplomaticCorpstakescharge.
Iadmitthattheirnewesttoyscanblowanyplanetrightoutofthesky
I’veneverseenitbutIbelieveit.MaybeI’masobsoleteasTyrannosaurusRex.Idon’tfeelobsoleteandusapescandothingsthatthefanciestshipcannot.Ifthegovernmentdoesn’twantthosethingsdone,nodoubtthey’lltellus.
Maybeit’sjustaswellthatneithertheNavynortheM.I.hasthefinalword.Amancan’tbuckforSkyMarshalunlesshehascommandedbotharegimentandacapitalship—gothroughM.I.andtakehislumpsandthenbecomeaNavalofficer(IthinklittleBirdiehadthatinmind),orfirstbecomeanastrogator-pilotandfollowitwithCampCurrie,etc.
I’lllistenrespectfullytoanymanwhohasdoneboth.
Likemosttransports,theToursisamixedship;themostamazingchangeformewastobeallowed"NorthofThirty.
