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y eyes。〃
〃Take your boots off；〃 Bonello said。 〃That's old fish…face's bed。〃
〃Fish…face is nothing to me。〃 Piani lay on the bed； his muddy boots straight out； his head on his arm。 I went out to the kitchen。 Aymo had a fire in the stove and a kettle of water on。
〃I thought I'd start some pasta asciutta；〃 he said。 〃We'll be hungry when we wake up。〃
〃Aren't you sleepy； Bartolomeo？〃
〃Not so sleepy。 When the water boils I'll leave it。 The fire will go down。〃
〃You'd better get some sleep；〃 I said。 〃We can eat cheese and monkey meat。〃
〃This is better；〃 he said。 〃Something hot will be good for those two anarchists。 You go to sleep； Tenente。〃
〃There's a bed in the major's room。〃
〃You sleep there。〃
〃No； I'm going up to my old room。 Do you want a drink； Bartolomeo？〃
〃When we go； Tenente。 Now it wouldn't do me any good。〃
〃If you wake in three hours and I haven't called you； wake me； will you？〃
〃I haven't any watch； Tenente。〃
〃There's a clock on the wall in the major's room。〃
〃All right。〃
I went out then through the dining…room and the hall and up the marble stairs to the room where I had lived with Rinaldi。 It was raining outside。 I went to the window and looked out。 It was getting dark and I saw the three cars standing in line under the trees。 The trees were dripping in the rain。 It was cold and the drops hung to the branches。 I went back to Rinaldi's bed and lay down and let sleep take me。
We ate in the kitchen before we started。 Aymo had a basin of spaghetti with onions and tinned meat chopped up in it。 We sat around the table and drank two bottles of the wine that had been left in the cellar of the villa。 It was dark outside and still raining。 Piani sat at the table very sleepy。
〃I like a retreat better than an advance；〃 Bonello said。 〃On a retreat we drink barbera。〃
〃We drink it now。 To…morrow maybe we drink rainwater；〃
Aymo said。
〃To…morrow we'll be in Udine。 We'll drink champagne。 That's where the slackers live。 Wake up； Piani！ We'll drink champagne tomorrow in Udine！〃
〃I'm awake；〃 Piani said。 He filled his plate with the spaghetti and meat。 〃Couldn't you find tomato sauce； Barto？〃
〃There wasn't any；〃 Aymo said。
〃We'll drink champagne in Udine；〃 Bonello said。 He filled his glass with the clear red barbera。
〃We may drink……before Udine；〃 Piani said。
〃Have you eaten enough； Tenente？〃 Aymo asked。
〃I've got plenty。 Give me the bottle； Bartolomeo。〃
〃I have a bottle apiece to take in the cars；〃 Aymo said。
〃Did you sleep at all？〃
〃I don't need much sleep。 I slept a little。〃
〃To…morrow we'll sleep in the king's bed；〃 Bonello said。 He was feeling very good。
〃To…morrow maybe we'll sleep in……；〃 Piani said。
〃I'll sleep with the queen；〃 Bonello said。 He looked to see how I took the joke。
〃You'll sleep with……；〃 Piani said sleepily。
〃That's treason； Tenente；〃 Bonello said。 〃Isn't that treason？〃
〃Shut up；〃 I said。 〃You get too funny with a little wine。〃 Outside it was raining hard。 I looked at my watch。 It was half…past nine。
〃It's time to roll；〃 I said and stood up。
〃Who are you going to ride with； Tenehte？〃 Bonello asked。
〃With Aymo。 Then you e。 Then Piani。 We'll start out on the road for Cormons。〃
〃I'm afraid I'll go to sleep；〃 Piani said。
〃All right。 I'll ride with you。 Then Bonello。 Then Aymo。〃
〃That's the best way；〃 Piani said。 〃Because I'm so sleepy。〃
〃I'll drive and you sleep awhile。〃
〃No。 I can drive just so long as I know somebody will wake me up if I go to sleep。〃
〃I'll wake you up。 Put out the lights； Barto。〃
〃You might as well leave them；〃 Bonello said。 〃We've got no more use for this place。〃
〃I have a small locker trunk in my room；〃 I said。 〃Will you help take it down； Piani？〃
〃We'll take it；〃 Piani said。 〃e on； Aldo。〃 He went off into the hall with Bonello。 I heard them going upstairs。
〃This was a fine place；〃 Bartolomeo Aymo said。 He put two bottles of wine and half a cheese into his haversack。 〃There won't be a place like this again。 Where will they retreat to； Tenente？〃
〃Beyond the Tagliamento； they say。 The hospital and the sector are to be at Pordenone。〃
〃This is a better town than Pordenone。〃
〃I don't know Pordenone；〃 I said。 〃I've just been through there。〃
〃It's not much of a place；〃 Aymo said。
28
As we moved out through the town it was empty in the rain and the dark except for columns of troops and guns that were going through the main street。 There were many trucks too and some carts going through on other streets and converging on the main road。 When we were out past the tanneries onto the main road the troops； the motor trucks； the horse…drawn carts and the guns were in one wide slow…moving column。 We moved slowly but steadily in the rain； the radiator cap of our car almost against the tailboard of a truck that was loaded high； the load covered with wet canvas。 Then the truck stopped。 The whole column was stopped。 It started again and we went a little farther； then stopped。 I got out and walked ahead； going between the trucks and carts and under the wet necks of the horses。 The block was farther ahead。 I left the road； crossed the ditch on a footboard and walked along the field beyond the ditch。 I could see the stalled column between the trees in the rain as I went forward across from it in the field。 I went about a mile。 The column did not move； although； on the other side beyond the stalled vehicles I could see the troops moving。 I went back to the cars。 This block might extend as far as Udine。 Piani was asleep over the wheel。 I climbed up beside him and went to sleep too。 Several hours later I heard the truck ahead of us grinding into gear。 I woke Piani and we started； moving a few yards； then stopping； then going on again。 It was still raining。
The column stalled again in the night and did not start。 I got down and went back to see Aymo and Bonello。 Bonello had two sergeants of engineers on the seat of his car with him。 They stiffened when I came up。
〃They were left to do something to a bridge；〃 Bonello said。 〃They can't find their unit so I gave them a ride。〃
〃With the Sir Lieutenant's permission。〃
〃With permission；〃 I said。
〃The lieutenant is an American；〃 Bonello said。 〃He'll give anybody a ride。〃
One of the sergeants smiled。 The other asked Bonello if I was an Italian from North or South America。
〃He's not an Italian。 He's North American English。〃
The sergeants were polite but did not believe it。 I left them and went back to Aymo。 He had two girls on the seat with him and was sitting back in the corner and smoking。
〃Barto； Barto；〃 I said。 He laughed。
〃Talk to them； Tenente；〃 he said。 〃I can't understand them。 Hey！〃 He put his hand on the girl's thigh and squeezed it in a friendly way。 The girl drew her shawl tight around her and pushed his hand away。 〃Hey！〃 he said。 〃Tell the Tenente your name and what you're doing here。〃
The girl looked at me fiercely。 The other girl kept her eyes down。 The girl who looked at me said something in a dialect I could not understand a word of。 She was plump and dark and looked about sixteen。
〃Sorella？〃 I asked and pointed at the other girl。
She nodded her head and smiled。
〃All right；〃 I said and patted her knee。 I felt her stiffen away when I touched her。 The sister never looked up。 She looked perhaps a year younger。 Aymo put his hand on the elder girl's thigh and she pushed it away。 He laughed at her。
〃Good man；〃 he pointed at himself。 〃Good man；〃 he pointed at me。 〃Don't you worry。〃 The girl looked at him fiercely。 The pair of them were like two wild birds。
〃What does she ride with me for if she doesn't like me？〃 Aymo asked。 〃They got right up in the car the minute I motioned to them。〃 He turned to the girl。 〃Don't worry；〃 he said。 〃No danger of ……；〃 using the vulgar word。 〃No place for ……。〃 I could see she understood the word and that was all。 Her eyes looked at him very scared。 She pulled the shawl tight。 〃Car all full；〃 Aymo said。 〃No danger of 。 No place for ……。〃 Every time he said the word the girl stiffened a little。 Then sitting stiffly and looking at him she began to cry。 I saw her lips working and then tears came down her plump cheeks。 Her sister； not looking up； took her hand and they sat there together。 The older one； who had been so fierce； began to sob。
〃I guess I scared her；〃 Aymo said。 〃I didn't mean to scare her。〃
Bartolomeo brought out his knapsack and cut off two pieces of cheese。 〃Here；〃 he said。 〃Stop crying。〃
The older girl shook her head and still cried； but the younger girl took the cheese and menced to eat。 After a while the younger girl gave her sister the second piece of cheese and they both ate。 The older sister still sobbed a little。
〃She'll be all right after a while；〃 Aymo said。
An idea came to him。 〃Virgin？〃 he asked the girl next to him。 She nodded her head vigorously。 〃Virgin too？〃 he pointed to the sister。 Both the girls nodded their heads and the elder said something in dialect。
〃That's all right；〃 Bartolomeo said。 〃That's all right。〃
Both the girls seemed cheered。
I left them sitting together with Aymo sitting back in the corner and went back to Piani's car。 The column of vehicles did not move but the troops kept passing alongside。 It was still raining hard and I thought some of the stops in t