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“They’re not going to kick you out now,” Jenou says, and gives her friend a hug before holding her out at aro, honey You are a legal adult”

“Clearly we need a beer to celebrate,” Cat says “How the hell do we find it, that’s the question”

“Down that alley over on the right,” Beebee says, which earns his “I noticed so”

Cat slaps hi a wince, and says, “We thwaite Lead on!”

The tavern is a low-ceilinged, di the only light Had there been artificial light it likely would not have penetrated the thick blue cigarette smoke that swirls and hovers and is parted by the squad’s entry into the roohtly that the two small round tables have become de facto stools

Rio has been in British pubs, and those could be raucous at times—she has sidestepped more than one drunken brawl between American GIs and British Tommies Or between American GIs and American sailors Or bethite GIs and black GIs OrWell, fit, energetic young et into trouble, especially when drunk But the tone of this place is subtly different Here there is more weariness on the one hand and on the other hand a hter There are silent, sullen drinkers and loud, lit-up, electrified drinkers who are all raw nerve

Rio checks shoulder patches and the condition of uniforms and the look in men’s eyes and knows these are not rear-echelon soldiers but ht

There are a nu looks plus the inevitable catcalls and lewd propositions as Rio, Jenou, Jillion, and Cat, with their male escort Beebee, walk in The ive theo home

The four wo with this Jenou s voice says, “I’ll decide who buys me a drink, and it ain’t you, short stuff I want handsoive a pass on the handsome”

This confuses most of the men and leaves theht be veterans, these men, but few are over twenty-five and none of them are suave or sophisticated omen

Cat Preeling has a different approach When a rowdy, red-faced buck sergeant co a dance—despite the absence ofthat Pull up and tell le ofto co that then the ant coood as she gets

Jillion is the lost la toward every new sound Rio es to push her way up to the bar—actually a section of perforated steel resting at a noticeable angle on a sawhorse and a chest of drawers The lares at her with naked hostility as she says, “A beer, please, and one for my buddy here”

The barnores her So Rio pulls the knife and scabbard fro her recent purchase She draws the blade, holds it up to the s both sharpened edges

The beers appear, and the knife is put away

“I wish I could do that,” Jillion says ruefully