The Teahouse of the August Moon Page #4

You'll be leaving at once.

I mention you in prayer to gods, boss.

I wait for you in jeep, captain.

I sometimes think we occupation teams

have it tougher than combat troops.

- Oh, now, I wouldn't say that, sir.

- They have it rough for a while.

But we have the killing daily grind

with no glory in it.

Yes, sir, I know what you mean, sir.

Life itself is a battlefield

with its own obscure heroes.

- I consider that poetry, captain.

- Oh, no, no, that's prose, colonel.

And it isn't mine, you know.

It's Victor Hugo.

Yes, Victor Hugo.

How I loved Tale of Two Cities.

Isn't that Dickens?

Isn't that Dickens, sir?

Well, to get back to Tobiki.

Your first job when you get there...

...will be to establish a municipal

government and to build a school.

Plan B calls for the schoolhouse

to be pentagon-shaped.

- Penta...?

- When the schoolhouse is built...

...you will organize a Ladies League

for Democratic Action.

Captain...

...this is a chance for you

to make a name for yourself.

Yes, sir, I feel that I personally...

...have delayed victory at least a year,

and I want to vindicate myself.

That's the kind of talk I like to hear.

- Thank you.

- Well, I won't detain you then.

- Yes, sir.

- My only order to you is...

...put that village on the map.

Yes, sir.

Send me a bimonthly progress report

in triplicate.

- Yes, sir.

- Don't duplicate your work.

No, sir. No, sir.

And remember that the eyes of Washington

are on our occupation teams...

...and the eyes of the world

are on Washington.

- Yes, sir. I'll keep the eyes in mind, sir.

- Goodbye, captain.

Yes, sir. Goodbye, sir.

Everything all set? We go Tobiki now?

Listen, I gotta get my gear

packed first.

All finished, boss.

I have many cousin work for Army.

- Where's our jeep?

- Right over there, boss.

- What's she doing up there?

- Oh, she nice old lady, boss.

She hear we go to Tobiki village,

so she think she go along to visit grandson.

She does? Well...

Well, you tell her I'm very sorry...

...but, you see,

this is against regulations.

Oh, she not fall off, boss.

She tied on good.

Yes. Well, you untie her, Sakini.

Just get up there and untie her

and tell her to get down.

You see, she's going to have to find

some other way to visit her grandson.

Boss, her grandson mayor

of Tobiki village.

You gonna make him lose face

you kick old grandma off jeep.

- You say she's the mayor's grandmother?

- Yes.

Well, all right. You see...

She's tied on all right, I guess, huh?

- So I guess we can take her.

- Sure.

- Now, look, is all this stuff here mine?

- No, most of the stuff belong to old lady.

She gonna stay three or four months...

...so she bring her cooking pots and bed

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