Звездный десант

           Somethings,themoreyouunderstandthemoreyouloathethem.MysympathyisreservedforBarbaraAnneEnthwaitewhomIhadneverseen,andforherparents,whowouldneveragainseetheirlittlegirl.

           AsthebandputawaytheirinstrumentsthatnightwestartedthirtydaysofmourningforBarbaraandofdisgraceforus,withourcolorsdrapedinblack,nomusicatparade,nosingingonroutemarch.OnlyoncedidIhearanybodycomplainandanotherbootpromptlyaskedhimhowhewouldlikeafullsetoflumps?Certainly,ithadn’tbeenourfault—butourbusinesswastoguardlittlegirls,notkillthem.Ourregimenthadbeendishonored;wehadtocleanit.Weweredisgracedandwefeltdisgraced.

           ThatnightItriedtofigureouthowsuchthingscouldbekeptfromhappening.Ofcourse,theyhardlyeverdonowadays—butevenonceis‘waytoomany.Ineverdidreachananswerthatsatisfiedme.ThisDillinger—helookedlikeanybodyelse,andhisbehaviorandrecordcouldn’thavebeentoooddorhewouldneverhavereachedCampCurrieinthefirstplace.Isupposehewasoneofthosepathologicalpersonalitiesyoureadabout—nowaytospotthem.

           Well,iftherewasnowaytokeepitfromhappeningonce,therewasonlyonesurewaytokeepitfromhappeningtwice.Whichwehadused.

           IfDillingerhadunderstoodwhathewasdoing(whichseemedincredible)thenhegotwhatwascomingtohim...exceptthatitseemedashamethathehadn’tsufferedasmuchashadlittleBarbaraAnne—hepracticallyhadn’tsufferedatall.