Keeper of the Flame Page #3

I'll see what can be done, especially

for you, but frankly, I haven't much hope.

Goodbye.

Blow harder, Joshua.

Her Ladyship may be a little deaf.

So long. See you at the next meeting.

So long.

Have a nice day.

- Who says there's no taxi?

- How long to the station?

Twenty minutes.

- Lf you walk fast.

- Walk?

This is a taxi, isn't it?

- It's busy.

Busy about what?

Business, I guess.

How far is the station?

A nice brisk walk.

It will do you good, boys.

- What are you staying here for?

- Health. Marvelous place, wonderful walks.

I haven't walked since I was 2 years old.

I didn't like it then.

Hey, Joshua.

Jericho is that way.

Going somewhere?

I don't know. Are you?

Maybe.

Are you a snooper?

I don't stand for snoopers.

No.

Kind of a snooper. War snooper.

Oh, well,

you won't find any war around here.

You can come aboard if you want to.

Did you belong

to that Forward America Association...

...of Mr. Forrest's?

- They asked me to join.

I guess it's a good notion.

But I'm no joiner.

When I march,

I like to march my own pace.

And if I have to have a fight,

I like to pick it.

You said you had no wars.

Not in a manner of speaking...

...but there's always good and evil

up against each other.

A man's gotta take sides sooner or later.

You'll know that one of these days,

young fellow.

Good afternoon, Mr. Rickards.

I phoned you this morning.

It's no use.

Somebody was telling me that you served

under Mr. Forrest in the last war.

Mr. Forrest served under me. At first.

Oh, you were his top sergeant?

I was his captain.

Later, I became his gatekeeper.

Get that wound in the Argonne?

Yes, Mr. Forrest got a medal

for bringing me in.

And you've been with him

ever since, huh?

Yes, Mr. Forrest was very kind.

He believed in charity.

Come back in an hour.

What's the matter, son?

Anything I can do?

No.

Might be able to help you.

I cry sometimes myself.

I've seen a lot to cry about.

Where?

Oh, France. Poland.

Very few places

where you don't wanna cry. We're lucky.

That's what Mr. Forrest used to say

on the radio.

And I killed him. I killed him.

I should've warned him

about that mean old bridge.

But Dad wouldn't let me go out

in the storm.

I should've told him anyway...

...because I was Mr. Forrest's man.

Now I'm...

...nobody's.

Oh, no, that isn't. You're your own man.

And nobody would tell you that any quicker

than Mr. Forrest.

After all, dying isn't very important.

It's the way we live that really counts.

Don't you think that's it?

We've got to carry on for Mr. Forrest.

We don't wanna be slaves, do we?

Slaves?

That's what they're fighting for.

Oh, that was the Civil War.

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