Звездный десант
Chapter 13
MypartinOperationRoyaltydidnotseemasuccesstome.IwasintheArgonnemorethanamonth,firstasapatient,thenasanunattachedcasual,beforetheygotaroundtodeliveringmeandafewdozenotherstoSanctuary;itgavemetoomuchtimetothink—mostlyaboutcasualties,andwhatagenerallymessed-upjobIhadmadeofmyoneshorttimeonthegroundasplatoonleader.IknewIhadn’tkepteverythingjuggledthewaytheLieutenantusedtowhy,Ihadn’tevenmanagedtogetwoundedstillswinging;
Ihadletachunkofrockfallonme.
Andcasualties—Ididn’tknowhowmanytherewere;IjustknewthatwhenIclosedrankstherewereonlyfoursquadswhereIhadstartedwithsix.Ididn’tknowhowmanymoretheremighthavebeenbeforeZimgotthemtothesurface,beforetheBlackguardswererelievedandretrieved.
Ididn’tevenknowwhetherCaptainBlackstonewasstillalive(hewasinfacthewasbackincommandaboutthetimeIwentunderground)andIhadnoideawhattheprocedurewasifacandidatewasaliveandhisexaminerwasdead.ButIfeltthatmyFormThirty-Onewassuretomakemeabucksergeantagain.Itreallydidn’tseemimportantthatmymathbookswereinanothership.
Nevertheless,whenIwasletoutofbedthefirstweekIwasintheArgonne,afterloafingandbroodingadayIborrowedsomebooksfromoneofthejuniorofficersandgottowork.
