Chapter 8

           ThepaperbackI’dbeenreadingwasbesidemypillow.Isighed.

           "Keiji,signthis."Yonabarucranedhisneckdownfromthetopbunk.

           "Sir,yessir."

           "Listen.There’snothin’totomorrow’soperation.Sweatittoomuch,you’llturnintoafeedhead-enduplosingyourmindbeforetheyevengetachancetoblowyourbrainsout."

           "I’mnotsweatinganything."

           "Heyman,ain’tnothin’tobeashamedof.Everyone’snervoustheirfirsttime.It’slikegettin’laid.Untilyou’vedonethedeed,youcan’tgetitoutofyourhead.Allyoucandoispassthetimejerkin’off."

           "Idisagree."

           "Hey,you’retalkin’toamanwho’splayedthegame."

           "Whatif-justhypothetically-youkeptrepeatingyourfirsttimeoverandover?"

           "Where’dyougetthatshit?"

           "I’mjusttalkin’hypotheticallyisall.Likeresettingallthepiecesonachessboard.Youtakeyourturn,theneverythinggoesbacktohowitstarted."

           "Itdepends."Stillhangingfromthetopbunk,hisfacelitup."Youtalkin’aboutfuckingorfighting?"

           "Nofucking."

           "Well,iftheyaskedmetogobackandfightatOkinawaagain,I’dtell’emtoshoveituptheirasses.Theycouldsendmetoafuckin’firingsquadiftheywant,butIwouldn’tgoback."

           Whatifyoudidn’thaveachoice?Whatifyouhadtoreliveyourexecutionagainandagain?

           Attheendoftheday,everymanhastowipehisownass.There’snoonetomakeyourdecisionsforyou,either.