Звездный десант

           Ifacadetwasn’tevenintheArmy--

           "Colonel!"

           "Eh?Speakup,youngman.Mr.Rico."

           IhadstartledmyselfbutIhadtosayit."But...ifwearen’tintheArmy...thenwearen’tM.I.Sir?"

           Heblinkedatme."Thisworriesyou?"

           "I,uh,don’tbelieveIlikeitmuch,sir."Ididn’tlikeitatall.Ifeltnaked.

           "Isee."Hedidn’tseemdispleased."Youletmeworryaboutthespace-lawyeraspectsofit,son."

           "But—"

           "That’sanorder.YouaretechnicallynotanM.I.ButtheM.I.hasn’tforgottenyou;theM.I.neverforgetsitsownnomatterwheretheyare.Ifyouarestruckdeadthisinstant,youwillbecrematedasSecondLieutenantJuanRico,MobileInfantry,of--"ColonelNielssenstopped."MissKendrick,whatwasMr.Rico’sship?"

           "TheRodgerYoung."

           "Thankyou."Headded,"—inandofTFCTRodgerYoung,assignedtomobilecombatteamSecondPlatoonofGeorgeCompany,ThirdRegiment,FirstDivision,M.I.--the‘Roughnecks,’"herecitedwithrelish,notconsultinganythingoncehehadbeenremindedofmyship."Agoodoutfit,Mr.Rico—proudandnasty.YourFinalOrdersgobacktothemforTapsandthat’sthewayyournamewouldreadinMemorialHall.That’swhywealwayscommissionadeadcadet,son—sowecansendhimhometohismates."

           Ifeltasurgeofreliefandhomesicknessandmissedafewwords."...