IN SHOCK
589
"It's not enough," I told Jason. "I didn't lose. He didn't hurt
me. I gave as good as I got. But I'm marked."
Jason told me to stop being foolish. "He's not worthy of you,
Arthur. Don't play his game. It's unnecessary to expose yourself."
Why did I resist, he wondered, joining my own at Headquarters?
But I didn't want to become queer. I wanted revenge for my
eye. Kish who had learned the strength of my arms and so was a
friend offered more congenial advice. "Don't go to a gym. Just
clobber the stuck-up bastard."
Dewey Carrol stuck me on extra KP and when I complained he
said, "We're changing the duty assignments. We're starting at the
end of the alphabet." Then why not Witty? They were going to
send Witty to a surgical technician's school for a few weeks. Basic
training was a waste of time for so talented a kid.
When I got back from KP, I saw Witty entertaining a crowd
around his bed. I pushed through.
"What a shame you're leaving, Witty. I hate to see you go.
I'll miss you."
"To hell with you," he said, putting the usual stress of contempt
on the
you.
"You're leaving with clear eyes. I wanted a chance to fix that."
Witty jumped up. "Here's your chance now. Do something."
"In back of the barracks."
He led the way out, swaggering for the benefit of the crowd that
followed us. They were his partisans. "Finish the job this time, Joe."
"Wipe the snot off his face." "Get the other eye, Joe." "Don't forget
to shut his mouth for good."
I was bowled over by their
ill
wishes.
We were stopped at the door by Carrol. He told us to take our
trouble to the gym or off the post. He would personally like to see
me smeared but being a noncom he had to forgo that pleasure.
Witty was steamed up by their encouragement. "Alright," he said.
"Tomorrow. In town. After retreat, you clown. See this?" He held
his fist close to my face. "I'm going to shove it down your throat."
"It suits me." I was numb again. They were as offended by me
as though they'd stumbled across the root of evil.
Kish said to me afterwards, "You sure don't have friends
