Прощай, оружие!

           Drinkitdown,baby,andlookforwardtobeingsick."

           Idrankhalftheglass.InthehallIcouldheartheorderlycalling."Soup!Soupisready!"

           Themajorcamein,noddedtousandsatdown.Heseemedverysmallattable.

           "Isthisallweare?"heasked.Theorderlyputthesoupbowldownandheladledoutaplatefull.

           "Weareall,"Rinaldisaid."Unlessthepriestcomes.IfheknewFedericowasherehewouldbehere."

           "Whereishe?"Iasked.

           "He’sat307,"themajorsaid.Hewasbusywithhissoup.Hewipedhismouth,wipinghisupturnedgraymustachecarefully."HewillcomeIthink.Icalledthemandleftwordtotellhimyouwerehere."

           "Imissthenoiseofthemess,"Isaid.

           "Yes,it’squiet,"themajorsaid.

           "Iwillbenoisy,"saidRinaldi.

           "Drinksomewine,Enrico,"saidthemajor.Hefilledmyglass.Thespaghetticameinandwewereallbusy.Wewerefinishingthespaghettiwhenthepriestcamein.Hewasthesameasever,smallandbrownandcompactlooking.Istoodupandweshookhands.Heputhishandonmyshoulder.

           "IcameassoonasIheard,"hesaid.

           "Sitdown,"themajorsaid."You’relate."

           "Good-evening,priest,"Rinaldisaid,usingtheEnglishword.Theyhadtakenthatupfromthepriest-baitingcaptain,whospokealittleEnglish."Good-evening,Rinaldo,"thepriestsaid.Theorderlybroughthimsoupbuthesaidhewouldstartwiththespaghetti.

           "Howareyou?"heaskedme.

           "Fine,"Isaid."Howhavethingsbeen?"

           "Drinksomewine,priest,"Rinaldisaid.