Tuscany by Matthew Thayer

Author:Matthew Thayer [Thayer, Matthew]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780988387911
Published: 2013-12-16T05:00:00+00:00

TRANSMISSION:

Duarte: “Did you make wine and bread which you shared with the natives?”

Bolzano: “Yes. Not very good wine. My efforts caused many headaches.”

Duarte: “How about olive oil?”

Bolzano: “A little.”

Duarte: “A little? What does that mean?”

Bolzano: “It means I made a little bit of oil. It too, was very poor quality. Bitter. Our tongues burned.”

Duarte: “Do you recall Rule No. 14 in The Team handbook?”

Bolzano: “I imagine it is the rule forbidding contact with native man which ‘may disrupt the natural course of history.’ A very high ideal indeed.”

Duarte: “What prompted you to break such an important rule?”

Bolzano: “Perhaps you would like to go first. It seems you three have made quite an impact yourselves. It is a bit like the kettle calling the pot ‘black,’ isn’t it?”

Jones: “Corporal Bolzano, just answer her questions. Get this over with.”

Bolzano: “I wish I could tell you I acted solely on the orders of my superior officer, Sergeant Lorenzo Martinelli. Although the sergeant did order me to ferment wine and gather the ingredients to bake bread, those orders came only after I hinted I was capable of both tasks.”

Duarte: “Why did you do such a thing?”

Bolzano: “Because I hoped a glass or two of wine might mellow Lorenzo. He was one bad day, one angry heartbeat away from shooting me through the head. Or, more likely, turning me over to the Tattoo bitches to torture to death. Imagine the stress of living as a slave of the Tattoos, every moment at the mercy of a certifiable psychopath.

“My early efforts to halt his abuses earned me beatings. Andre initially supported Lorenzo. That gave the sergeant power to stomp out my protests. Once Andre recognized the severity of the problem, it was too late. Lorenzo had the pistols, we had been stripped of our jumpsuits, and he was rapidly becoming a God-like figure among the local population. I think we both expected Lorenzo to falter. The man was no genius. It transpired, however, that he was a methodical planner. Lorenzo was able to anticipate problems and make allowances for them long before they happened.

“After three days wrapped in a rhino skin, ear peas blaring in my skull as a sadistic group of old whores used burning sticks to thump my feet, I guess I recognized the need to become part of Lorenzo’s solution, not remain part of his problem. And I needed to do it in a big way.

“It is odd; once you take the first step, the rest becomes easier. I knew what we were doing was wrong. Lorenzo strayed so far over the line, it was laughable. In my case, I did not know whether to laugh or cry until Lorenzo told me which he wanted me to do. Sadly, I became quite eager to please my master.”

Duarte: “Did you teach the natives how to pray in Latin?”

Bolzano: “Yes, but with a small caveat.”

Duarte: “Explain.”

Bolzano: “The Bible Lorenzo retrieved from the Master Sergeant’s boat was written in English. He was intent on a true Roman Catholic Service.

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