"It's been... You look.. ."
"Like the last time you saw me?" He grinned, then spat over the tree
branch. He saw Eddie's confused expression. "You're right. Ain't no
reason to spit up here. You don't get sick, either. Your breath is always
the same. And the chow is incredible."
Chow? Eddie didn't get any of this. "Captain, look. There's some
mistake. I still don't know why I'm here. I had a nothing life, see? I
worked maintenance. I lived in the same apartment for years. I took
care of rides, Ferris wheels, roller coasters, stupid little rocket ships. It
was nothing to be proud of. I just kind of drifted. What I'm saying is.. ."
Eddie swallowed. "What am I doing here?"
The Captain looked at him with those glowing red eyes and Eddie
resisted asking the other question he now wondered after the Blue Man:
Did he kill the Captain, too?
"You know, I've been wondering," the Captain said rubbing his chin.
"The men from our unit—did they stay in touch? Willingham? Morton?
Smitty? Did you ever see those guys?"
Eddie remembered the names. The truth was, they had not kept in
touch. War could bond men like a magnet, but like a magnet it could
repel them, too. The things they saw, the things they did. Sometimes
they just wanted to forget.
"To be honest, sir, we all kind of fell out." He shrugged, "Sorry."
The Captain nodded as if he'd expected as much.
"And you? You went back to that fun park where we all promised to
go if we got out alive? Free rides for all GIs? Two girls per guy in the
Tunnel of Love? Isn't that what you said?"
Eddie nearly smiled. That was what he'd said. What they'd all said.
But when the war ended, nobody came.
"Yeah, I went back," Eddie said.
"And?"
"And... I never left. I tried. I made plans.... But this damn leg. I
don't know. Nothin' worked out."
Eddie shrugged. The Captain studied his face. His eyes narrowed. His
voice lowered.
"You still juggle?" he asked.