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Show Flying - 118 having invented him. "I swear he's real," he says. "We call him Tovar the Patriot. He thinks the Army's a sacred and holy duty and he owes his officers personal and undying allegiance. He has a very feudal mind in some ways, does Tovar." "You better watch your step with him," says Thompson. "He really is crazy, you know. If he ever thinks you're doing something wrong, he'll turn you in." "I think if he ever saw a general, he'd kneel right down on the spot and start praying," says O'Connell. He'd better not do it in front of me. I might just kill him and the general both. That's all I need, is to be stuck with some son-of-a-bitch that's in love with officers. For the next two weeks John Henry helps to make and remake charts, washes every day with rag and bucket the outside of the truck, sweeps out the van, and practices for an hour a day on the teletype under the supervision of Specialist Tovar, who does not want him to lose his fine typist's touch. The truck shines under the Cottonwood trees, the interior of the van is spotless, the charts pile up, and John Henry's fingers stay supple and quick on the keyboard. Every morning he is quizzed on the charts. "You have to learn to think for yourself," says Specialist Tovar every time John Henry falters. "Someday I might not be here to help you." |