Slow Learner Read Online Free PDF Page A

he and Levine did not get along too well.
    "Lieutenant wants to see me," Levine said. "Don't tell me you got my leave papers already. Hell—" he looked at his watch — "it's only a little after n. Congratulations, Dugan. 5½ hours ahead of time." He shook his head admiringly. Dugan smirked. "I don't think it's about your leave. In fact you might have to wait awhile on that."
    Levine put the book down and stubbed out his cigarette in the helmet liner. He looked up at the ceiling. "Jesus Christ," he said quietly, "what did I do now. Don't tell me they're going to put me in jail. Not again."
    "It's only been a couple weeks since your last summary, hasn't it," the clerk said. Levine knew this gambit. He figured Dugan had given up a long time ago trying to make him sweat. But guys like that, he supposed, never gave up. "So get out of your bunk, is all I'm saying," Dugan said. He pronounced "out" like "oot." This irritated Levine. He picked up the book and began to read. "All right," he said, flipping a salute. "Go back, white man." Dugan glared at him and finally went away. Apparently he tripped over the orderly's M1 on his way out, because there was a crash and Capucci said, "God, you're an uncoordinated bastard." Levine closed the book, folded it in half, rolled over and stuck it in his back pocket. He lay there for a minute or so watching a cockroach following some private maze across the floor. Finally he yawned and dragged himself off the bunk, dumped the butts and ashes out of the helmet liner onto the floor and put the helmet liner on his head, canted down over his eyes. He squeezed the orderly's head as he went out. "What's shaking?" Capucci said. Levine squinted into the bright heavy air outside. "Oh, the Pentagon, again," he said. "Just won't let me alone."
    He shuffled through the sand, feeling the sun already through the helmet liner, toward the building where the orderly room was located. Around the building was a fringe of green, the only grass in the company area. Ahead and to his left he could see the line for early chow already forming by the mess hall. He turned onto the gravel path leading to the orderly room. He expected Dugan to be outside or at least at a window looking for him but when he entered the orderly room the clerk was at his desk in back, typing busily. Levine leaned on the railing in front of the first sergeant's desk. "Hi, Sarge," he said. The first sergeant looked up. "Where the hell were you," he said, "reading a whore book?" "That's right, Sarge," Levine said, "I was studying for sergeant." The first sergeant scowled. "Lieutenant wants to see you," he said.
    "So I heard," Levine said. "Where is he?" "In the day room," the first sergeant said, "with the rest of the men."
    "What's going on, Sarge, anything special?" "Go on in and find out," the sergeant said peevishly. "Jesus Christ, Levine, you ought to know by now, nobody ever tells me anything."
    Levine left the orderly room and walked around the building to the day room. Through the screen door he could hear the lieutenant talking. He pushed open the door. The lieutenant and about a dozen PFC's and specialists from Bravo Company were sitting or standing around a table and looking at a map which was stained with coffee cup rings. "DiGrandi and Siegel," the lieutenant was saying, "Rizzo and Baxter-" he looked up and saw Levine. "Levine, you'll be with Picnic." He folded the map carelessly and put it in his back pocket. "Everything straight?" They all nodded. "Okay, that's all till one then. Have the trucks out of the motor pool by then and take off. I'll see you at Lake Charles." He put on his hat and left, letting the screen door bang behind him. "Coke time," Rizzo said. "Somebody got a weed?" Levine sat down on a table and said, "What's happening."
    "Oh Christ," Baxter said. He was a little blond-haired farm kid from Pennsylvania. "Welcome to the club, Levine. It's the goddam Cajuns again. They put up all kinds of signs, sure. Dogs and Army