"May I have this one?" he rehearsed casually to himself and then stated it out loud to the side of the girl's face. But she had already started walking away, not having heard his small voice. Jasper felt angry and humiliated, and finally disgruntled and bored.

Suddenly Jack Marsh stood before him. "Where's your friend, Silk," he said with a half smile. Jasper stuttered, but said, "He went to town." The smile remained on Jack's mouth. "Why aren't you with George and Ed?"

Jasper was startled at the association, but he collected his wits and said, "Should I be?"

The smile left Jack's face. The bayonets struck. "Nobody's telling you what you should be," Jack said. "Even Silk."

"Silk?' Jasper said with much surprise, and played dumb.

"Yes, Silk," Jack answered. "He shoots his mouth off. And you swallow it." "Swallow what?" Jasper said cautiously.

"Look!" Jack said withdrawing the bayonets now. "You go find George and Ed and stop being such a smug bastard. Remember something. Not from Sergeant to Private, but from me to you. You can't hurt anybody in the long run except yourself. You're not George. Or Ed. And you're not me. And most of all, you're not Silk. You are yourself," and Jack bore one finger into Jasper's chest. "Understand?"

Jasper opened his mouth to reply but Jack had turned back to the dance floor. "Why can't everything be simple?" Jasper thought.

When he looked up he saw George and Ed. Recognition was held back behind their eyes. They were deliberately waiting Jasper's attack, or his explanation, or a show of indifference.

"Where are your girls?" Jasper asked, jokingly, trying to smile.

George said calmly, "I don't dance."

"Don't you want to? Everybody else does. Don't you?" Jasper asked.

"No." Ed replied.

"Neither do I!" Jasper said and felt relieved at saying so. George and Ed smiled faintly and stood there motionless until Jasper said. “You want to go see what's at the movies?"

"I don't care what's at the movies,' George said. "But I'll walk down with you. if Ed wants to."

"Sure," Ed said and smiled frankly. The tensions were gone.

Jasper looked at George's and Ed's faces which were still cool, but relaxed. He wondered if he would tell them about the letter. Would they understand? Everything?

He knew he would have to tell them. He hoped they would understand. He wanted them to understand and they would. They, of all the men in the barracks. would, if he insisted on it. And he would insist because to accept him they would allow him the mistakes he had made and he wanted to tell them. About Silk. About Bill.

Jack Marsh watched the three of them leave together.

"Having fun?' he said coyly to his partner, as the music began.

"Who were you talking to?" she asked.

"Kids. Men in my platoon. Having fun?"

She nodded her head vigorously.

"Me too," Jack said. laughing. and held her more tightly than ever.

11