Звездный десант

           "Youarebringingthistome,Sergeant?Officially?"

           Idon’tseehowamancanmanagetolookasembarrassedasZimlookedandstillhavenoexpressionofanysortinhisfaceorvoice."Sir.IftheCaptainpleases.Themanrefusedadministrativediscipline.HeinsistedonseeingtheBattalionCommander."

           "Isee.Abedrolllawyer.Well,Istilldon’tunderstandit,Sergeant,buttechnicallythat’shisprivilege.Whatwasthetacticalcommandanddoctrine?"

           "A‘freeze,’sir."IglancedatHendrick,thinking:Oh,oh,he’sgoingtocatchit.Ina"freeze"youhitdirt,takinganycoveryoucan,fast,andthenfreezedon’tmoveatall,noteventwitchaneyebrow,untilreleased.Oryoucanfreezewhenyou’realreadyincover.Theytellstoriesaboutmenwhohadbeenhitwhileinfreeze...andhaddiedslowlybutwithoutevermakingasoundoramove.

           Frankel’sbrowsshotup."Secondpart?"

           "Samething,sir.Afterbreakingfreeze,failingtoreturntoitonbeingsoordered."

           CaptainFrankellookedgrim."Name?"

           Zimanswered."Hendrick,T.C.,sir.RecruitPrivateR-P-seven-nine-six-oh-nine-two-four."

           "Verywell.Hendrick,youaredeprivedofallprivilegesforthirtydaysandrestrictedtoyourtentwhennotondutyoratmeals,subjectonlytosanitarynecessities.YouwillservethreehoursextradutyeachdayundertheCorporaloftheGuard,onehourtobeservedjustbeforetaps,onehourjustbeforereveille,onehouratthetimeofthenoondaymealandinplaceofit.Youreveningmealwillbebreadandwater—asmuchbreadasyoucaneat.