Звездный десант
Chapter 2
ItwasnotuntilthenthatIrealizedthatImusthavealreadyflunkedeverychoiceonmylistaboveK-9Corps—andnowIhadjustflunkedit,too.IwassostartledthatIalmostmissedhisnextremark.MajorWeisssaidmeditatively,withnoexpressionandasifheweretalkingaboutsomeoneelse,longdeadandfaraway:"IwasoncehalfofaK-9team.WhenmyCalebbecameacasualty,theykeptmeundersedationforsixweeks,thenrehabilitatedmeforotherwork.Johnnie,thesecoursesyou’vetaken—whydidn’tyoustudysomethinguseful?"
"Sir?"
"Toolatenow.Forgetit.Mmm...yourinstructorinHistoryandMoralPhilosophyseemstothinkwellofyou."
"Hedoes?"Iwassurprised."Whatdidhesay?"
Weisssmiled."Hesaysthatyouarenotstupid,merelyignorantandprejudicedbyyourenvironment.Fromhimthatishighpraise—Iknowhim."
Itdidn’tsoundlikepraisetome!Thatstuck-upstiff-neckedold—
"And,"Weisswenton,"aboywhogetsa‘C-minus’inAppreciationofTelevisioncan’tbeallbad.Ithinkwe’llacceptMr.Dubois’recommendation.Howwouldyouliketobeaninfantryman?"
IcameoutoftheFederalBuildingfeelingsubduedyetnotreallyunhappy.AtleastIwasasoldier;Ihadpapersinmypockettoproveit.Ihadn’tbeenclassedastoodumbanduselessforanythingbutmake-work.
Itwasafewminutesaftertheendoftheworkingdayandthebuildingwasemptysaveforaskeletonnightstaffandafewstragglers.Iranintoamanintherotundawhowasjustleaving;hisfacelookedfamiliarbutIcouldn’tplacehim.
