demille.thegeneralsdaughter-第92部分

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int　saber　was　laid　on　her　body　so　that　her　clasped　hands；　which　might　hold　a　cross　or　rosary　beads　depending　on　one's　religion；　held；　instead；　the　hilt　of　her　sword　at　her　midriff。　The　sheathed　blade　disappeared　beneath　the　half…lid　of　the　casket。
　It　was　quite　a　striking　sight；　to　be　honest：　the　beautiful　face；　the　golden　hair；　the　gold　braid；　the　glittering　brass　and　steel　of　the　saber；　and　the　snow…white　uniform　against　the　pink　satin　lining　of　the　casket。
　I　took　all　this　in　very　quickly；　of　course；　no　more　than　five　seconds；　then；　good　Catholic　that　I　am；　I　made　the　sign　of　the　cross　and　moved　around　the　casket　and　started　down　the　center　aisle。
　I　saw　the　Campbells　in　the　first　two　rows　on　the　right：　the　general；　Mrs。　Campbell；　a　young　man　whom　I　recognized　from　the　family　album　in　Ann　Campbell's　house　as　their　son；　and　various　other　family　members；　old　and　young；　all　wearing　black　outfits　and　black　mourning　bands；　which　are　still　customary　in　the　military。
　I　avoided　eye　contact　with　any　of　them　and　proceeded　up　the　aisle　slowly　until　my　coterie　caught　up　with　me。
　We　found　three　seats　together　in　the　same　pew　that　held　Major　Bowes；　whom　I　knew　only　from　his　name　tag；　and　a　woman　I　presumed　to　be　Mrs。　Bowes。　Bowes　nodded　to　Colonel　Hellmann；　who　failed　to　acknowledge　the　presence　of　an　adulterer　and　jackass。　Mrs。　Bowes；　incidentally；　was　rather　attractive；　proving　once　again　that　men　are　basically　pigs。
　Despite　having　just　viewed　the　mortal　remains　of　a　young　woman；　I　was　feeling　slightly　better；　as　people　do　who　consider　their　position　relative　to　less　fortunate　souls；　such　as　people　with　big　career　problems；　like　Bowes；　murder　suspects；　like　Kent；　or　married　people　in　general；　and　the　sick；　dying；　and　dead。
　The　chaplain；　Major　Eames；　wearing　only　the　green　dress　uniform　with　no　ecclesiastic　vestments；　came　to　the　pulpit；　and　a　hush　fell　over　the　crowd。　Major　Eames　began；　〃Dearly　beloved；　we　are　gathered　here　in　the　presence　of　God　to　bid　farewell　to　our　sister；　Ann　Campbell。〃
　A　lot　of　people　sobbed。
　I　whispered　to　Karl；　〃The　chaplain　fucked　her；　too。〃
　Karl's　jaw　dropped　this　time。　The　day　still　had　possibilities。
　
CHAPTER　THIRTY…FIVE
　
　The　simple　service　proceeded　with　prayers；　organ　music；　and　a　few　hymns。　Senior　military　officers　are　great　churchgoers；　of　course；　it　es　with　the　territory　of　God　and　Country。　But　they　tend　to　be　nondenominational；　which　is　safe；　gray；　and　nondescript；　like　most　of　their　careers。
　The　upside　of　this　at　military　weddings　and　funerals　is　that　you　get　to　pick　and　choose　the　best　aspects　of　each　denomination's　liturgy；　hymns；　and　prayers；　and　you　can　make　it　short。　I　can　tell　you　from　experience　that　a　Catholic　funeral　mass　can　be　long　and　arduous　enough　to　kill　off　a　few　of　the　old　folks。
　Anyway；　at　the　designated　time；　Colonel　Fowler　mounted　the　lectern　to　deliver　the　eulogy。
　Colonel　Fowler　acknowledged　the　presence　of　family；　friends；　fellow　officers；　coworkers；　and　Midland　dignitaries。　He　said；　〃In　our　chosen　profession；　more　than　in　any　other　profession；　we　see　and　hear　of　the　untimely　deaths　of　young　men　and　women。　We　do　not　grow　accustomed　to　death；　and　we　do　not　bee　hardened　to　death；　but　rather　we　cherish　life　more　because　we　know　and　accept　the　fact　that　Army　life　puts　us　in　harm's　way。　When　we　took　the　oath；　we　fully　understood　that　we　could　be　called　upon　to　risk　our　lives　in　the　defense　of　our　country。　Captain　Ann　Campbell　understood　that　when　she　accepted　her　mission　from　the　Military　Academy；　she　understood　that　when　she　went　to　the　Gulf；　and　she　understood　that　when；　at　an　hour　when　most　people　are　safe　in　their　homes；　she　volunteered　to　go　out　and　see　that　all　was　secure　at　Fort　Hadley。　This　was　a　pletely　voluntary　act；　not　specifically　related　to　her　duties；　but　the　sort　of　thing　that　Ann　Campbell　did　without　being　told。〃
　I　listened；　and　it　occurred　to　me　that；　if　I　didn't　know　better；　I'd　buy　it。　Here　was　a　gung…ho　young　female　officer　volunteering　for　night　duty　officer；　then　taking　the　initiative　to　go　out　to　check　the　guard　and　being　murdered　while　she　was　doing　a　good　deed。　How　sad。　That's　not　the　way　it　happened；　but　the　truth　was　even　sadder。
　Colonel　Fowler　went　on；　〃I'm　reminded　of　a　line　from　Isaiah　21：11…'Watchman；　what　of　the　night？'　〃　He　repeated　it；　〃　'Watchman；　what　of　the　night？'　and　the　watchman　replied；　'Morning　is　ing。'　And　aren't　we　all　watchmen？　This　is　our　calling　in　life；　as　soldiers；　to　stand　the　watch；　each　day；　each　night；　eternally　vigilant　so　that　others　may　sleep　peacefully　until　morning；　until　the　day　when　it　pleases　God　to　call　us　into　His　Kingdom；　and　we　need　not　stand　the　watch；　nor　fear　the　night。〃
　Fowler　had　a　good；　deep　speaking…voice；　and　his　delivery　was　flawless。　Clearly；　the　man　could　have　been　a　preacher；　or　a　politician；　if　he　weren't　so　obsessed　with　right　and　wrong。
　I'm　not　a　good　public　listener；　and　I　tend　to　drift。　So　I　drifted　to　Ann　Campbell's　open　casket；　her　face；　the　sword；　and　her　folded　hands　around　the　hilt；　and　I　realized　what　was　wrong　with　that　picture：　someone　had　slipped　a　West　Point　ring　on　her　finger。　But　was　it　her　ring？　And　if　it　was；　who　had　put　it　there？　Fowler？　General　Campbell？　Colonel　Moore？　Colonel　Kent？　Where　did　it　e　from？　But　did　it　make　any　difference　at　this　point？
　Colonel　Fowler　was　still　speaking；　and　I　tuned　back　in。
　He　said；　〃I　knew　Ann　as　a　child…a　very　precocious；　high…spirited；　and　bratty　child。〃　He　smiled；　and　there　was　subdued　laughter。　He　became　serious　again　and　continued；　〃A　beautiful　child；　not　only　physically　but　spiritually　beautiful；　a　special　and　gifted　child　of　God。　And　all　of　us　here　who　knew　her　and　loved　her　。。。〃
　Fowler；　smooth　as　he　was；　couldn't　slide　over　that　double　entendre；　but　it　was　only　a　momentary　breath　pause；　noticed　solely　by　those　who　had　known　her　intimately　and　loved　her　well。
　〃。。。　all　of　us　will　miss　her　deeply。〃
　Colonel　Fowler　had　a　lot　of　people　sobbing　now；　and　I　could　see　one　reason　why　the　Campbells　had　asked　him　to　deliver　the　eulogy。　The　other　reason；　of　course；　was　that　Colonel　Fowler　had　not　slept　with　the　deceased；　putting　him　on　the　short　list　of　potential　eulogizers。　But　I'm　being　cynical　again。　Fowler's　eulogy　was　moving；　the　deceased　had　suffered　a　great　wrong；　a　wrongful　and　untimely　death　had　occurred；　and　I　was　feeling　like　crap　again。
　Colonel　Fowler　did　not　mention　specifically　how　she　died；　but　did　say；　〃The　battlefield；　in　modern　military　jargon；　is　described　as　a　hostile　environment；　which　it　most　certainly　is。　And　if　you　expand　the　meaning　of　battlefield　to　include　any　place　where　any　soldier　is　standing　and　serving；　then　we　can　truthfully　say　that　Ann　died　in　battle。〃　He　looked　out　over　the　crowd　and　concluded；　〃And　it　is　only　proper　and　fitting　that　we　remember　her　not　as　a　victim；　but　as　a　good　soldier　who　died　doing　her　duty。〃　He　looked　at　the　casket　and　said；　〃Ann；　that's　how　we'll　remember　you。〃　Colonel　Fowler　came　down　from　the　lectern；　stopped　at　the　casket；　saluted；　then　took　his　seat。
　The　organ　began　playing；　and　the　service　continued　for　a　few　more　minutes。　Chaplain　Eames　led　the　mourners　in　the　Twenty…third　Psalm；　everyone's　favorite；　and　concluded　with　a　benediction　that　ended　with　〃Go　in　peace。〃
　The　organist　played　〃Rock　of　Ages；〃　and　everyone　stood。
　All　in　all　a　good　service；　as　funeral　services　go。
　The　eight　honorary　pallbearers　stood　in　the　front　left　pew　and　filed　into　the　aisle　at　the　foot　of　the　casket；　while　the　six　casket　bearers　took　up　their　positions　on　either　side　of　the　casket。　I　noted　that　the　six　casket　bearers　were　all　young　male　lieutenants；　picked；　perhaps；　for　their　youth　and　strength；　or　perhaps　for　their　lack　of　involvement　with　the　deceased。　Even　Lieutenant　Elby；　I　noticed；　whose　intentions　had　been　honorable；　had　been　barred　from　carrying　the　casket。
　Likewise；　the　honorary　pallbearers；　who　would　normally　be　high…ranking　associates　of　the　general　or　close　personal　friends　of　the　deceased；　were　obviously　chosen　for　their　clean　hands；　they　were；　in　fact；　all　female　officers；　including　the　general's　other　aide；　Captain　Bollinger。　An　all…female　contingent　of　honorary　pallbearers　seemed　appropriate　on　the　surface　of　it；　but　for　thos