Summary

The next chapter is “Barbecue,” and the text changes to Ray's perspective. Sergeant Meredith says Ray did well by flushing out the sniper and takes time to make sure Ray is correctly processing his feelings over the situation. Ray has come to accept there was no choice but to kill the youngster who shot at them and who killed Hard-luck, though he seems incredibly young. He is having more trouble understanding how everyone seems to be moving on without mourning Hard-luck, but Meredith says they see too many deaths to mourn them individually. Ray knows that the men who stare into space are struggling with their feelings, and he has seen his father do the same thing. Meredith notices that Starks is falling into that trap and pulls him out of it by asking for more of the meat. Over...