The Englishman turned to her and said, “We’re getting along famously!”

She was put out that the sapper had strolled casually into this domain, seemed able to surround her, be everywhere. Kip, hearing from Caravaggio that the patient knew about guns, had begun to discuss the search for bombs with the Englishman.

 

 

Soon they were drawing outlines of bombs for each other and talking out the theory of each specific circuit. 

 

 

“The Italian fuzes seem to be put in vertically. And not always at the tail.”  The sapper said.

“Well, that depends. The ones made in Naples are that way, but the factories in Rome follow the German system. Of course, Naples, going back to the fifteenth century ...” 

 

 

It meant having to listen to the patient talk in his circuitous way, and the young soldier was not used to remaining still and silent. He would get restless and kept interrupting the pauses and silences the Englishman always allowed himself, trying to energize the train of thought. The soldier rolled his head back and looked at the ceiling. 

“What we should do is make a sling,” the sapper mused, turning to Hana as she entered, “and carry him around the house.” She looked at both of them, shrugged and walked out of the room. When Caravaggio passed her in the hall she was smiling.“What we should do is make a sling,” the sapper mused, turning to Hana as she entered, “and carry him around the house.” She looked at both of them, shrugged and walked out of the room. When Caravaggio passed her in the hall she was smiling.

“I think he’s found a friend,” she said.