Звездный десант

           Facinguswasabigbroad-shouldered,mean-lookingman,dressedjustaswewere—exceptthatwhileIlookedandfeltlikeapoorjobofembalming,hischinwasshavedblue,histrousersweresharplycreased,youcouldhaveusedhisshoesformirrors,andhismannerwasalert,wide-awake,relaxed,andrested.Yougottheimpressionthatheneverneededtosleep—justten-thousand-milecheckupsanddusthimoffoccasionally.

           Hebellowed,"C’pnee!Atten...shut!IamCareerShip’sSergeantZim,yourcompanycommander.Whenyouspeaktome,youwillsaluteandsay,‘Sir’—youwillsaluteand‘sir’anyonewhocarriesaninstructor’sbaton—"Hewascarryingaswaggercaneandnowmadeaquickreversemoulinetwithittoshowwhathemeantbyaninstructor’sbaton;Ihadnoticedmencarryingthemwhenwehadarrivedthenightbeforeandhadintendedtogetonemyself—theylookedsmart.NowIchangedmymind."—becausewedon’thaveenoughofficersaroundhereforyoutopracticeon.You’llpracticeonus.Whosneezed?"

           Noanswer—

           "WHOSNEEZED?"

           "Idid,"avoiceanswered.

           "‘Idid’what?"

           "Isneezed."

           "‘Isneezed,’SIR!"

           "Isneezed,sir.I’mcold,sir."

           "Oho!"Zimstrodeuptothemanwhohadsneezed,shovedtheferruleoftheswaggercaneaninchunderhisnoseanddemanded,"Name?"

           "Jenkins...sir."

           "Jenkins..."Zimrepeatedasifthewordweresomehowdistasteful,evenshameful."Isupposesomenightonpatrolyou’regoingtosneezejustbecauseyou’vegotarunnynose.Eh?"

           "Ihopenot,sir."

           "SodoI.Butyou’recold.Hmm...we’llfixthat."