MA09 Myth Inc in Action Read Online Free PDF Page A

shirt rather than arcin’ away in the picturesque display you was expectin’, leavin’ the viewers with an impression of youse as a chump rather than whatever it was youse was tryin’ to pass yourself off as.
    All of this passes through my mind in a flash, as I am a fairly quick thinker despite the impression given by my size, whilst I am tryin’ to think of an appropriate response to Spyder’s kvetchin’. Nunzio comes up with somethin’ before I do, however, as he is no slouch himself when it comes to thinkin’... particularly when there is a skirt involved.
    “I think you should listen real close to what they tell us about Military Law, Spyder,” he sez, “it’ll pay some solid benefits in the long run.”
    “How so?”
    “Well,” he smiles, settlin’ into his lecture voice again, “speaking from long personal experience, it is often much easier to continue doing exactly what you want to do right under the noses of authority if one is aware of exactly what those authorities consider to be antisocial behavior. When you stop to think about it, it’s real nice of the army to give us official advance warning of exactly what rules they plan to enforce and, by exclusion, what is fair game. If they didn’t, or we were dumb enough to sleep through this particular lecture, the only way to figure out what activities can be done openly and which should be performed in... shall we say, a less public manner, would be to act blindly, then wait to see what they came down on us for.”
    “Just how long is that ‘personal experience,’ fellah?” one of the Flie brothers pipes up.
    “Yeah, I was just wondering the same thing,” the other chimes in. “Aren’t you two a little old to be joining the army?”
    Now, it is clear to me what is goin’ on. The two farm boys have been hopin’ to put some moves on Spyder, but then Nunzio gets in the way. Rather than backin’ off like any sane person would do, they was tryin’ to score their points by pickin’ a fight with him. To say the least, I have seen better plans to continue one’s good health.
    Of course, Nunzio can spot it too, and he knows that we should be avoidin’ any kind of trouble if we want to complete our training quick instead of sittin’ in the stockade for a few days. He also knows, however, that he is bein’ made to look like a fool in front of the only skirt we is likely to be associatin’ with for a while, and while he has considerable tolerance at soakin’ up abuse from a boss what is payin’ our wages and expenses, his ability to put up with bein’ hassled without blowin’ his cool drops in direct proportion to the standin’ of the hassler in the peckin’ order, and the Flie brothers don’t stand very high at all.
    “Are you boys sayin’ you think we’re too old to be any good in a fight?” he sez, tumin’ to face his critics while flexin’ his hands slightly.
    If I didn’t recognize the dangerous tone in his voice, I could sure recognize that flexin’ action of his as I was the one who taught it to him in the first place, and figure I had better step in before things get too messy.
    “Before proceedin’ with the discussion at hand,” I sez, “I think youse should all perhaps take notice of the attention which is bein’ paid to our intellectual-type conversation by the corporal who is standin’ not twenty yards behind youse.”
    “‘Intellectual-type discussion’?” Shu brays, punchin’ his brother on the arm. “What kind of talk is that, Old Man?”
    “Paw told us big city folk talked kinda funny,” Hy grinned, “but I ain’t never heard nobody who sounds as weird as this guy.”
    “He’s talked that way ever since he played one of the leads in “Guys and Dolls” while we was in college,” Nunzio sez, quick-like. “Beyond that, I strongly suggest you drop the subject.”
    That’s when I realize that I have commenced to flex my own hands a bit... an action which has the tendency to make Nunzio nervous.