Red Shift

“No, sir.”

“Decapitate, search and equip,” said Logan. “I’ll stand to.”

“Come on, Face,” said Magoo. “This must look for real. I’ll show you.”

Logan brought the pack mule in and began to load it. “Would Mothers take rye?” he called to Face.

“Yessir. They can’t grow enough.”

“We need it for winter,” said Magoo, “and a crop. We need to keep the heads, too.”

“We stay till dawn,” said Logan, “then bury army gear. And Buzzard.”

“Better load him, sir,” said Face, “while he’ll drape.”

“Liquid refreshments are now being served.” Magoo was braced in the opening of a hut, a grey jar in each hand. “Those Cats, they sure make beer.”

Logan and Face took the jars and drank. “Man,” said Face. “I needed that.”

“Go see what else.”

Face went into the hut. “I thought we got all,” he said.

“Glad we didn’t,” said Magoo. “Is she one hot trot!”

“What is it?” said Logan.

“I hold the army record,” said Magoo.

“We missed a girl, sir,” said Face.

“Kill her.”

“Not this,” said Magoo. “Not yet. Rest and Recreation, sir.”

“No.”

“She won’t be trouble. And if we’re setting up on that mountain, we need a woman.”

“No.”

“I can’t cook, sir.”

“She’s yours tonight,” said Logan, “but that’s it.”

“You next, sir?”

“No.”

“OK.” Magoo went back into the hut.

“We ought to have a woman, sir,” said Face. “Even if we’re temporary up there.”

“Risk,” said Logan.

“Not if we hamstring her. And we can’t spare anyone for fatigues, even Macey.”

“Point noted,” said Logan, drinking.

Magoo reappeared. “Face?”

“Goddam animals,” said Logan.

“Have a drink,” said Magoo. “We’re all you’ve got.”

“Yeh.”

“Can you go tribal, sir?”

“A soldier can do anything.”

“Uh-huh?”

“And still stay the Ninth.”

“The Ninth bit don’t bother me. It’s if you can’t stake out heads, or fight dirty: you won’t be tribal, you won’t be no Mother, and you won’t be no man.”

“We speak tribal as soon as we leave this stockade,” said Logan.

“But you gotta think tribal,” said Magoo. “Like us. You gotta feel it. That’s why Buzzard’s dead. You break him when he enlists, so he’ll be well motivated, and then you expect him to drop it and be himself. He couldn’t. He made you kill him. You’re harder than Buzzard, but right now I think you should be a goddam animal.”

Logan drank.

Face came out of the hut. “Feel free,” he said.

“After you, sir,” said Magoo.

“To hell with them,” said Logan, and went into the hut.

“What do you reckon?” said Face.

“I’ll tell you when he comes out,” said Magoo. “If he don’t give – I’ve seen Romans break. If he don’t do it to her he’s only got himself, and he don’t dare look right now.”

“You like Logan?”

“He’s shit gone wrong. I like surviving.”

“Buzzard?”