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Narcissus Off Duty
"PetertheHermitbiddingfarewelltoCardinalRichelieu,"suggestedAlec,whowaslounginginthewindow-seatasBurneandAmoryshookhands.
ButAmorywasnotinamoodforthat,andashesawBurne’slonglegspropelhisridiculousbicycleoutofsightbeyondAlexanderHall,heknewhewasgoingtohaveabadweek.Notthathedoubtedthewar—Germanystoodforeverythingrepugnanttohim;formaterialismandthedirectionoftremendouslicentiousforce;itwasjustthatBurne’sfacestayedinhismemoryandhewassickofthehysteriahewasbeginningtohear.
"WhatonearthistheuseofsuddenlyrunningdownGoethe,"hedeclaredtoAlecandTom."Whywritebookstoprovehestartedthewar—orthatthatstupid,overestimatedSchillerisademonindisguise?"
"Haveyoueverreadanythingoftheirs?"askedTomshrewdly.
"No,"Amoryadmitted.
"NeitherhaveI,"hesaidlaughing.
"Peoplewillshout,"saidAlecquietly,"butGoethe’sonhissameoldshelfinthelibrary—toboreanyonethatwantstoreadhim!"
Amorysubsided,andthesubjectdropped.
"Whatareyougoingtodo,Amory?"
"Infantryoraviation,Ican’tmakeupmymind—Ihatemechanics,butthenofcourseaviation’sthethingforme—"
"IfeelasAmorydoes,"saidTom."Infantryoraviation—aviationsoundsliketheromanticsideofthewar,ofcourse—likecavalryusedtobe,youknow;butlikeAmoryIdon’tknowahorse-powerfromapiston-rod."