Звездный десант
Chapter 12
Wewouldbe"temporarythirdlieutenants"--arankasnecessaryasfeetonafish,wedgedintothehairlinebetweenfleetsergeantsandrealofficers.Itisaslowasyoucangetandstillbecalledan"officer."Ifanybodyeversalutedathirdlieutenant,thelightmusthavebeenbad.
"Yourcommissionreads‘thirdlieutenant,’"hewenton,"butyourpaystaysthesame,youcontinuetobeaddressedas‘Mister,’theonlychangeinuniformisashoulderpipevensmallerthancadetinsignia.Youcontinueunderinstructionsinceithasnotyetbeensettledthatyouarefittobeofficers."TheColonelsmiled."Sowhycallyoua‘thirdlieutenant’?"
Ihadwonderedaboutthat.Whythiswhoopty-doof"commissions"thatweren’trealcommissions?
OfcourseIknewthetextbookanswer.
"Mr.Byrd?"theCommandantsaid.
"Uh...toplaceusinthelineofcommand,sir."
"Exactly!"ColonelglidedtoaT.O.ononewall.Itwastheusualpyramid,withchainofcommanddefinedallthewaydown."Lookatthis—"Hepointedtoaboxconnectedtohisownbyahorizontalline;itread:
ASSISTANTTOCOMMANDANT(MissKendrick).
"Gentlemen,"hewenton,"IwouldhavetroublerunningthisplacewithoutMissKendrick.Herheadisarapid-accessfiletoeverythingthathappensaroundhere."Hetouchedacontrolonhischairandspoketotheair.
