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Rio sees Jenou trying to light a cigarette, but her hands are shaking so badly that Jack does it for her A distant part of Rio’s mind notices that her friend has acquired the habit too How long has Jenou been s? Why hasn’t Rio noticed? Is there anyone left who hasn’t acquired the habit?

She looks at her brothers and sisters, peering at the inside her This is not like staying strong in the heat of battle, this is helplessness It is not the first time she’s been under artillery fire, but never has she had to sih it, unable to shoot back, unable to take cover, unable even to run away

“Up boat!” Rio says, trying to make the words sound like the previous twenty iterations, but to her own ear her voice sounds strained

They run forward now, short, fast steps, feet slipping, boots so caked up withthis time, all the way, all the way!

BOOM! BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!

The 88s screech in, falling like led bodies behind There is an eerie scream of pain off to the left, but the source is invisible because now they have at last reached the s shell punches a hole through the s, one striking Jillion in the stole of wood It’s as if someone has thrown a dart at her Jillion releases her hold on the boat, and Rio does as well, rushing to her

Jillion stands plucking at the splinter and says, “It doesn’t hurt”

Rio tugs experi chunk of wood, then unzips Jillion’s coat and the two of them see that the splinter has pierced her coat and blouse but soht scratch

For the first time that Rio can remember, Jillion smiles

“Missed me!” she says

They grab back onto their boat and shuffle forward into gloo the river before they see it, and stepping into it when their momentum carries them too fast down the near bank

It’s no Mississippi, the Rapido or Volturno or whatever the hell it is, in fact it’s less than thirty feet across But the banks are steep and the water is swift, swollen with rain It nearly yanks the boat away from them,

and indeed Rio sees so past, empty of men

Orders are being shouted down the line: they are to board and push off iuns—now blaze away through the smoke from the far bank They are too near the Germans on the other side for the 88s to be used, but now thebehind the platoon and walking slowly, cautiously forward to pound troops trapped between artillery-scoured fields and the river

Stick yells, “All set, Richlin?”