Звездный десант
Chapter 5
Butwedidslackdownanyhowandwordcamedownfromthetopthatifwedidn’tgetonthebounce,theincidenceofrealoneswouldbechangedtooneinahundred...andifthatdidn’twork,tooneinfifty.Idon’tknowwhetherachangewasmadeornot—nowaytotell—butIdoknowwetightenedupagain,becauseaboyinthenextcompanygotcreasedacrosshisbuttockswithaliveone,producinganamazingscarandalotofhalf-wittycommentsandarenewedinterestbyallhandsintakingcover.Welaughedatthiskidforgettingshotwherehedid...butweallknewitcouldhavebeenhisheadorourownheads.
Theinstructorswhowerenotfiringriflesdidnottakecover.Theyputonwhiteshirtsandwalkedarounduprightwiththeirsillycanes,apparentlycalmlycertainthatevenarecruitwouldnotintentionallyshootaninstructor—whichmayhavebeenoverconfidenceonthepartofsomeofthem.Still,thechanceswerefivehundredtoonethatevenashotaimedwithmurderousintentwouldnotbeliveandthesafetyfactorincreasedstillhigherbecausetherecruitprobablycouldn’tshootthatwellanyhow.Arifleisnotaneasyweapon;it’sgotnotarget-seekingqualitiesatall—
Iunderstandthatevenbackinthedayswhenwarswerefoughtanddecidedwithjustsuchriflesitusedtotakeseveralthousandfiredshotstoaveragekillingoneman.Thisseemsimpossiblebutthemilitaryhistoriesagreethatitistrue—apparentlymostshotsweren’treallyaimedbutsimplyactedtoforcetheenemytokeephisheaddownandinterferewithhisshooting.
