Звездный десант

           Hendrickgulped."Iwanttoresign!"

           "TheCourtwillnotpermityoutoresign.TheCourtwishestoaddthatyourpunishmentislightsimplybecausethisCourtpossessesnojurisdictiontoassigngreaterpunishment.Theauthoritywhichremandedyouspecifiedafieldcourt-martial—whyitsochose,thisCourtwillnotspeculate.Buthadyoubeenremandedforgeneralcourt-martial,itseemscertainthattheevidencebeforethisCourtwouldhavecausedageneralcourttosentenceyoutohangbytheneckuntildead.Youareverylucky—andtheremandingauthorityhasbeenmostmerciful."LieutenantSpieksmapaused,thenwenton,"Thesentencewillbecarriedoutattheearliesthouraftertheconveningauthorityhasreviewedandapprovedtherecord,ifitdoessoapprove.Courtisadjourned.Removeandconfinehim."

           Thelastwasaddressedtome,butIdidn’tactuallyhavetodoanythingaboutit,otherthanphonetheguardtentandthengetareceiptforhimwhentheytookhimaway.

           AtafternoonsickcallCaptainFrankeltookmeofforderlyandsentmetoseethedoctor,whosentmebacktoduty.Igotbacktomycompanyjustintimetodressandfallinforparade—andtogetgiggedbyZimfor"spotsonuniform."Well,hehadabiggerspotoveroneeyebutIdidn’tmentionit.

           Somebodyhadsetupabigpostintheparadegroundjustbackofwheretheadjutantstood.Whenitcametimetopublishtheorders,insteadof"routineorderoftheday"orothertrivia,theypublishedHendrick’scourt-martial