The Road Back by Erich Maria Remarque Page B
Authors: Erich Maria Remarque
Tags: Fiction, Literary, Historical, History, German, Literary Criticism, European, Military, War & Military, World War; 1914-1918, World War I
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his head on the floor a few times till he feels he has had enough.
Then we go. Lina, looking as pale as a cheese, is standing over her gasping master. "You'd better cart him away to the hospital," Willy shouts back. "Looks to me like a matter for two or three weeks. Not a very bad case, though."
Kosole is smiling, as happy as a child—Schröder, so he feels, is avenged. "That was fine," says he, wiping the blood
from his face. "Well, now I must be trotting back to my missus, or the neighbours will be thinking things, what?"
At the market-place we separate. Jupp and Valentin go off to the barracks and their boots clatter over the moonlit pavement.
"I wouldn't mind going along with them," says Albert suddenly.
"I know," agrees Willy, thinking of his fowl, no doubt. "They're a bit pedantic, the people here, don't you find?"
I nod. "And we'll have to be starting school again soon, I suppose "
We stand still and grin. Tjaden cannot contain himself for joy at the mere thought of it. Still laughing, he trots off after Valentin and Jupp.
Willy scratches his head. "Think they'll be very pleased to see us? We're not quite so docile as we used to be, you know."
"We were more to their liking as heroes," says Karl, "and a long way off for preference."
"I'm rather looking forward to the fun," explains Willy. "What with our present temper—hardened in the bath of steel and all, as they used to say "
He lifts one leg a trifle and lets off a terrific fart. "Twelve-point-five," he announces with evident satisfaction.
4.
When our company was disbanded we had to take our rifles along with us. The instructions were to give them up on arrival at our home town, so now we have come to the barracks and passed in our arms. At the same time we received our demobilisation pay—fifty marks discharge money per man, and fifteen as sustenance allowance. In addition to that we are entitled to one greatcoat, a pair of boots, a change of underclothes and a uniform.
We climb up to the top floor to take delivery of the goods. The quarter-master makes a perfunctory gesture: "Look something out for yourselves."
Willy sets off on a hasty tour, nosing through all the things displayed. "Listen here, you," he then says in parental fashion, "you keep this for the recruits. This stuff came out of the ark with Noah. Show us something new."
"Haven't got any," retorts the Q.M. in a surly tone.
"Is that so?" says Willy and considers a while. He brings out an aluminium cigar-case. "Smoke?"
The other shakes his bald pate.
"Chew, is it?" Willy gropes in his tunic pocket.
"No "
"Good, then you drink?" Willy has overlooked nothing—he feels toward a protuberance on his chest. "Nor that either," replies the quarter-master off-hand.
"Well, there's nothing for it but to swipe you a couple on the snout," explains Willy amiably. "Anyway we're not leaving here without a decent set of new togs, get me?"
Fortunately at this moment Jupp appears, who, being a Soldiers' Councillor, now carries some weight. He tips the Q.M. a wink. "Pals of mine, Heinrich. Old foot sloggers. Show 'em into the salong, won't you?"
The quarter-master brightens up. "Why couldn't you say so at first?"
We accompany him to a room at the back and there the new things are hanging. We hastily discard our old gear and put on new. Willy submits that he needs two greatcoats, explaining that his blood has got very thin under the Prussians. The Q.M. hesitates. Jupp takes him by the arm into a corner and has a talk with him about sustenance allowance. When the two return the quarter-master is pacified. He casts an eye over Tjaden and Willy who have grown noticeably stouter. "Very good," he growls, "it's all one to me. A lot of them don't even trouble to collect their stuff. Have enough brass of their own, I suppose. The main thing is, my invoice must be in order."
We sign that we have received everything. "Didn't you say something about smoking a while back?" says the Q.M. to
Then we go. Lina, looking as pale as a cheese, is standing over her gasping master. "You'd better cart him away to the hospital," Willy shouts back. "Looks to me like a matter for two or three weeks. Not a very bad case, though."
Kosole is smiling, as happy as a child—Schröder, so he feels, is avenged. "That was fine," says he, wiping the blood
from his face. "Well, now I must be trotting back to my missus, or the neighbours will be thinking things, what?"
At the market-place we separate. Jupp and Valentin go off to the barracks and their boots clatter over the moonlit pavement.
"I wouldn't mind going along with them," says Albert suddenly.
"I know," agrees Willy, thinking of his fowl, no doubt. "They're a bit pedantic, the people here, don't you find?"
I nod. "And we'll have to be starting school again soon, I suppose "
We stand still and grin. Tjaden cannot contain himself for joy at the mere thought of it. Still laughing, he trots off after Valentin and Jupp.
Willy scratches his head. "Think they'll be very pleased to see us? We're not quite so docile as we used to be, you know."
"We were more to their liking as heroes," says Karl, "and a long way off for preference."
"I'm rather looking forward to the fun," explains Willy. "What with our present temper—hardened in the bath of steel and all, as they used to say "
He lifts one leg a trifle and lets off a terrific fart. "Twelve-point-five," he announces with evident satisfaction.
4.
When our company was disbanded we had to take our rifles along with us. The instructions were to give them up on arrival at our home town, so now we have come to the barracks and passed in our arms. At the same time we received our demobilisation pay—fifty marks discharge money per man, and fifteen as sustenance allowance. In addition to that we are entitled to one greatcoat, a pair of boots, a change of underclothes and a uniform.
We climb up to the top floor to take delivery of the goods. The quarter-master makes a perfunctory gesture: "Look something out for yourselves."
Willy sets off on a hasty tour, nosing through all the things displayed. "Listen here, you," he then says in parental fashion, "you keep this for the recruits. This stuff came out of the ark with Noah. Show us something new."
"Haven't got any," retorts the Q.M. in a surly tone.
"Is that so?" says Willy and considers a while. He brings out an aluminium cigar-case. "Smoke?"
The other shakes his bald pate.
"Chew, is it?" Willy gropes in his tunic pocket.
"No "
"Good, then you drink?" Willy has overlooked nothing—he feels toward a protuberance on his chest. "Nor that either," replies the quarter-master off-hand.
"Well, there's nothing for it but to swipe you a couple on the snout," explains Willy amiably. "Anyway we're not leaving here without a decent set of new togs, get me?"
Fortunately at this moment Jupp appears, who, being a Soldiers' Councillor, now carries some weight. He tips the Q.M. a wink. "Pals of mine, Heinrich. Old foot sloggers. Show 'em into the salong, won't you?"
The quarter-master brightens up. "Why couldn't you say so at first?"
We accompany him to a room at the back and there the new things are hanging. We hastily discard our old gear and put on new. Willy submits that he needs two greatcoats, explaining that his blood has got very thin under the Prussians. The Q.M. hesitates. Jupp takes him by the arm into a corner and has a talk with him about sustenance allowance. When the two return the quarter-master is pacified. He casts an eye over Tjaden and Willy who have grown noticeably stouter. "Very good," he growls, "it's all one to me. A lot of them don't even trouble to collect their stuff. Have enough brass of their own, I suppose. The main thing is, my invoice must be in order."
We sign that we have received everything. "Didn't you say something about smoking a while back?" says the Q.M. to
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