Звездный десант
Chapter 12
ButthiswasthedaythatweheardthenewsofthedestructionofSanFranciscoandtheSanJoaquinValley;Ithoughthewouldgiveusapeptalk.Afterall,evenacivilianoughttobeabletofigureitoutnow—theBugsorus.Fightordie.
MajorReiddidn’tmentionSanFrancisco.HehadoneofusapessummarizethenegotiatedtreatyofNewDelhi,discusshowitignoredprisonersofwar...and,byimplication,droppedthesubjectforever;thearmisticebecameastalemateandprisonersstayedwheretheywere—ononeside;ontheothersidetheywereturnedlooseand,duringtheDisorders,madetheirwayhome—ornotiftheydidn’twantto.
MajorReid’svictimsummeduptheunreleasedprisoners:survivorsoftwodivisionsofBritishparatroopers,somethousandsofcivilians,capturedmostlyinJapan,thePhilippines,andRussiaandsentencedfor"political"crimes.
"Besidesthat,thereweremanyothermilitaryprisoners,"MajorReid’svictimwenton,"capturedduringandbeforethewar—therewererumorsthatsomehadbeencapturedinanearlierwarandneverreleased.Thetotalofunreleasedprisonerswasneverknown.Thebestestimatesplacethenumberaroundsixty-fivethousand."
"Whythe‘best’?"
"Uh,that’stheestimateinthetextbook,sir."
"Pleasebepreciseinyourlanguage.Wasthenumbergreaterorlessthanonehundredthousand?"
"Uh,Idon’tknow,sir."
"Andnobodyelseknows.
