XI Come with Me

More Books

More by this Author

``If I could see the papers every morning, I could fight the battles on paper by night,'' he said, quite panting at the incredible vision of splendor. Were all the kingdoms of the earth going to be given to him? Was he going to sleep without a drunken father near him?

Was he going to have a chance to wash himself and to sit at a table and hear people say ``Thank you,'' and ``I beg pardon,'' as if they were using the most ordinary fashion of speech? His own father, before he had sunk into the depths, had lived and spoken in this way.

``When I have time, we will see who can draw up the best plans,'' Loristan said.

``Do you mean that you'll look at mine then--when you have time?'' asked The Rat, hesitatingly. ``I wasn't expecting that.''

``Yes,'' answered Loristan, ``I'll look at them, and we'll talk them over.''

As they went on, he told him that he and Marco could do many things together. They could go to museums and galleries, and Marco could show him what he himself was familiar with.

``My father said you wouldn't let him come back to Barracks when you found out about it,'' The Rat said, hesitating again and growing hot because he remembered so many ugly past days. ``But--but I swear I won't do him any harm, sir. I won't!''

``When I said I believed you could be trusted, I meant several things,'' Loristan answered him. ``That was one of them. You're a new recruit. You and Marco are both under a commanding officer.'' He said the words because he knew they would elate him and stir his blood.