Chapter 58

Koma and Pala finally snapped me out of my thoughts when they each grabbed an arm and helped me out of the cart, laughing all the while. I finally started laughing back when they kept asking me what I was being so serious about. I explained what would be happening in the next week or so, but they both said not to worry about the village as it was perfectly capable of taking care of itself. We had discussed a few more things when the girls came out of the tree line, laughing and joking among themselves about something. As I watched them, I was actually trying to see any change in Sally, but she seemed to be the sweet young lady I had been proud to call my daughter all these years.

We all ate in the village, and Jubal and Farley came back saying all the boxes were stowed away. I noticed that Jubal immediately went to Verna's side and Farley was met by one of the native women who had a big smile for him as she led him off. Standing there watching what was going on around me, reminded me of the changes that had happened in such a short time. Other than Carver and the way he treated Myrna, I couldn't see a down side to anything that had happened since we left Virginia a little over a week ago. I smiled to myself, thinking that I had really let this island grow on me. I was going native as we used to call it in the Legion. I had to admit that I loved it here and wasn't looking forward to going back, but I knew I had to and soon. There were just too many matters that had to be dealt with and I knew there was a trial coming up that I might have to testify at. I also knew that Kat, Sally and Myrna were expecting to go to the monastery. I had to admit that the three of them were becoming closer and closer the longer we stayed here.

We finally made it back to the house where I was kissed by Sally. She said that she was going to take a nice hot shower and the rest of the girls echoed her sentiments. Kat and I went to our rooms and I promptly fell asleep, dreaming about three red headed babies yelling for me in the middle of the night wanting their diapers changed. Kat shook me and I popped up looking at her and said; "Is it my turn already? Seems like we just fell asleep."

I thought she was going to roll me out of bed she started laughing so hard. I realized where I was and that it was only a dream and smiled at her hysterical laughter. "Whew," I thought, "I am glad I was only dreaming." She finally started to settle down and I lay back down and tried to go back to sleep until she leaned over and whispered; "Since you so rudely woke me yelling about diapers, I think it's only fair that you help me to get sleepy again. Remember we are still on our honeymoon and, since I am already pregnant, it's too late to worry about any further repercussions. Kiss me, papa to be."

I did and she returned it tenfold. I remember thinking I hope I don't dream about babies again before I finally went out like a light. When I woke the next morning, I didn't remember any further dreams, and was listening to Kat singing to herself in the shower. I got up and put my robe on, fully intending to sneak into the shower with her or maybe turn the cold water on again, but it wasn't to be. I got about halfway to the shower and there was a knock at the door. I sighed and opened it, and there was Sally and the girl from the village with two trays of food.

"Good morning, Dad, I thought I would help Trina bring up our breakfast. Where's Kat?"

"In the shower, where I was headed before I was so rudely interrupted."

"Well excuuuse me! I was trying to be nice and eat with my dad again, but I can see I am not welcome to spend some time with my only father."

Trina looked at her in shock, as I did.

"Trina, please excuse us. I think I need to have a talk with my daughter."

She quickly set up the table and left without saying a word. I turned, glaring at Sally for her rude behavior.

"All right, sit down and tell me what's got a burr under your bonnet."

"It's a bee not a burr, and what makes you think I am upset?"

I sat down, looking at her as I poured a cup of coffee wondering what to say to her.

"Sally Morgan, in all the years we have been together, I have never heard you snap at me like you just did. Your rudeness is something I don't particularly like to see. Now I think it's time you told me why you are so upset."

She stood glaring at me for what seemed like forever before the tears started running down her cheeks. She ran to me and hugged me, crying hysterically on my shoulder. As she was crying, I was running my mind a million miles an hour trying to figure out why she was so upset. The only thing I could thing of was that something had happened that she couldn't handle for some reason, like maybe she had been touched or something so horrible I didn't want to think about it. I felt the rage starting up and knew if it was that, that I would kill someone and suffer the consequences after I had exacted my revenge. Kat came out of the bathroom and when I looked at her she got a little white in the face when she saw the look on my face. She came over and quietly sat down, pouring herself a cup of coffee and watching us. Sally finally quit crying and just hugged me. As I opened my mouth, she began to speak.

"Dad, I love you so much. I wanted this to be our special time together with all of us getting to know each other better, but I think I made a horrible mistake. I have been training with the men, and I might have hurt one of them badly yesterday in training. It was an accident, I swear, but I feel so guilty about what I did to him. He has been so nice to us all. The Corporal told me this morning he had to be taken to the ship and was admitted into the hospital on board. Dad, I am so sorry, but he kept teasing me and I sorta lost my temper. Will you try to find out how he is, and can I go see him to apologize for what I did to him? I really didn't mean to hurt him, but he kept pushing me and I snapped."

I immediately felt the rage and tension leave my body and I almost busted out laughing at the situation. I looked over at Kat and she had that I told you so look on her face, smiling at me the whole time.

"Let's all eat breakfast first, and I will call the ship and see how he is doing. Do you know his name honey?"

"It's Private Castille, and he is one of the edged weapons instructors."

I just looked at Kat in shock, wondering why they were being taught such a dangerous fighting technique. This I knew was reserved for the most experienced hand to hand fighters, and it was scheduled well towards the end of the Legion training. It was strictly voluntary and mostly used by the Paratrooper Regiments and the Force Recon Regiments. This was something these young girls should never have been introduced to, let alone been trained in. Yes, I would be having a talk with the Corporal of the guard about this. I told Sally to relax and I would make arrangements to go to the ship. I got a thousand watt smile and went out the door to the sound of her and Kat talking. While I went down the steps, I could feel the rage boiling up inside me. I knew I would have to be extra careful about how I approached this or it could cost some careers.

I found the Corporal at his usual guard station at the head of the steps well within range of the ship for radio purposes. When I approached him, he took one look at my face and came to attention immediately. I didn't mince any words but came right to the point.

"Corporal, who are you to decide it is ok to teach children edged weapons training? Think carefully before you answer, or it will become a matter of honor between us, and believe me when I say you would not win."

"I am sorry Sir, but I didn't know the Private was doing such a thing until yesterday. He was supposed to be teaching them Savate' basics. I had no idea that real weapons were involved in any of the training. When the accident happened yesterday, I had him immediately transferred to the ship and brought up on charges before the Captain."

"Would you care to explain to me just what happened and how he became injured?"

"From what I was able to gather, he had been teaching them knife fighting techniques. When your daughter refused to attack him, he taunted her. I am afraid he wasn't very flattering toward you, and this apparently enraged her to the point that she not only attacked, but did the flying butterfly. He said she completed the move and cut him across the chest from throat to groin. Before he passed out from the loss of blood, he said that he had never seen the two moves done in that manner before, and had no defense against it. I am sorry that I didn't keep a closer eye on their training, but I gave explicit orders that they were just to learn the basics, with none of them being hurt in any way. I take the blame for what has happened, and have put myself up on charges also for insubordination over this matter, Sir."

Before I replied, I tried to picture in my mind how a mere girl of thirteen had accomplished this particular move. It was an advanced form of Savate' that only a handful of them were familiar with, myself included. The technique he was referring to was only done by masters and very few would try it, because it left them open to a groin kick if not done right. It consisted of jumping straight up about two feet above your antagonist and coming down with both heels on his collar bones, snapping both of them and rendering both arms helpless to use in any defense. How the hell had Sally learned it, and how had she cut him in the manner the Corporal had described to me without losing her balance? It took both arms to maintain your balance doing the move. The Corporal must have seen the look of doubt on my face as he went on to tell me the rest.

"He told me that as she came down, she twisted forward after her heels hit his collar bones, and she cut him and landed perfectly. He also said she was so mad that it took two of the men to hold her and take the knife away from her. When she saw the blood, they said she became violently ill and immediately rushed to his side, yelling for them to call a doctor. I am sorry this has happened, and I have written up the other two men for their participation in this matter, Sir."

"Is the private going to be ok, Corporal?"

"Yes Sir, it took the ship's surgeon about an hour to stitch him up, but he will recover. The scar he has will be a constant reminder of his foolishness for not following orders, Sir."

"Did he say why he was teaching edged weapons tactics to children?"

"No Sir and I asked him several times. He would only say that he thought they were ready for more advanced training, since they had qualified with everything they had been taught. I am sorry, Sir, and I promise you nothing like this will ever happen again."

"Corporal, I want you to call the ship and arrange for me and my daughter to go out there in about half an hour. She wishes to see the private and assure herself that he is ok. This matter isn't over yet by a long shot, but from now on there will be just standard PT and nothing, and I mean nothing, that will bring any harm to these children. They have to go home soon, and I have no wish for any of them to hurt someone because of what they have been taught here. I went along with it because I was under the impression they were being taught French and just basic self defense, not anything so advanced. I am making you responsible for this, and if you do not oversee your men, you and I will take the walk of honor into the jungle. Do you understand me, Corporal?" He came to attention and saluted me saying "Yes Sir!"

I have to explain here that, in the Legion, the walk of honor is the men's private way of settling a dispute between them. It has been outlawed, but on rare occasions it is still done in total secrecy. It means that two men go out, and only one walks back. Usually the other is brought back by stretcher, and depending on what kind of shape he is in, it's then decided on what to tell the person in charge that day what happened. There have, over the years, been some pretty wild stories cooked up. To a man, they will all swear to it, even though the brass knows what's happening. It's usually written up in the record exactly as it has been reported by the men. One time in Uganda, I had two men go off and settle it between them. It was written up that the other man got drunk and tried to wrestle with a full grown gorilla that he had stumbled on in the bush when he went to empty his bladder. I know for a fact this one was still talked about among the men in the Regiments even today. It was one of the many ways the men became even closer together. Unlike the Military in the U.S., it was accepted, even though it wasn't condoned. Usually the problem between the two of them went away after this happened, but in rare cases they might do it a couple of times before they were transferred into separate regiments. Once they are transferred to different regiments, it is a black mark on their records. That's why it gets settled usually after the first time. Also, unlike the U.S. Military, the Legion units did everything together from the time they volunteered to the time they got their walking papers at the end of their five year enlistments. You never went on leave or passes alone nor did you ever separate for any reason while in a Foreign Country. If you went out to a bar, you always knew you had fellow legionnaires nearby to watch your back, even if you didn't know them or they weren't from your unit.