Звездный десант

           IthinkitwasmeanttobeaprivateremarkbuttheywerestandingaboutsixfeetinfrontofwhereIwasslowlyfreezingsolid.

           Zimsteppedbackandcalledout,"Okay,we’vegotonemaninthiscompany,atleast.Ifeelbetter.Dowehaveanotherone?Dowehavetwomore?Anytwoofyouscrofuloustoadsthinkyoucanstanduptome?"Helookedbackandforthalongourranks."Chicken-livered,spineless—oh,oh!Yes?Stepout."

           Twomenwhohadbeensidebysideinrankssteppedouttogether;Isupposetheyhadarrangeditinwhispersrightthere,buttheyalsowerefardownthetallend,soIdidn’thear.Zimsmiledatthem."Names,foryournextofkin,please."

           "Heinrich."

           "Heinrichwhat?"

           "Heinrich,sir.Bitte."Hespokerapidlytotheotherrecruitandaddedpolitely,"Hedoesn’tspeakmuchStandardEnglishyet,sir."

           "Meyer,meinHerr,"thesecondmansupplied.

           "That’sokay,lotsof‘emdon’tspeakmuchofitwhentheygethere—Ididn’tmyself.TellMeyernottoworry,he’llpickitup.Butheunderstandswhatwearegoingtodo?"

           "Jawohl,"agreedMeyer.

           "Certainly,sir.HeunderstandsStandard,hejustcan’tspeakitfluently."

           "Allright.Wheredidyoutwopickupthosefacescars?Heidelberg?"

           "Nein—no,sir.Konigsberg."

           "Samething."ZimhadpickeduphisbatonafterfightingBreekinridge;hetwirleditandasked,"Perhapsyouwouldeachliketoborrowoneofthese?"

           "Itwouldnotbefairtoyou,sir,"Heinrichansweredcarefully."Barehands,ifyouplease."

           "Suityourself.ThoughImightfoolyou.