第7部分（第1页）

〃Who　goes　to　the　attack？〃　asked　Gavuzzi。

〃Bersaglieri。〃

〃All　bersaglieri？〃

〃I　think　so。〃

〃There　arent　enough　troops　here　for　a　real　attack。〃

〃It　is　probably　to　draw　attention　from　where　the　real　attack　will　be。〃

〃Do　the　men　know　that　who　attack？〃

〃I　dont　think　so。〃

〃Of　course　they　dont；〃　Manera　said。　〃They　wouldnt　attack　if　they　did。〃

〃Yes；　they　would；〃　Passini　said。　〃Bersaglieri　are　fools。〃

〃They　are　brave　and　have　good　discipline；〃　I　said。

〃They　are　big　through　the　chest　by　measurement；　and　healthy。　But　they　are　still　fools。〃

〃The　granatieri　are　tall；〃　Manera　said。　This　was　a　joke。　They　all　laughed。

〃Were　you　there；　Tenente；　when　they　wouldnt　attack　and　they　shot　every　tenth　man？〃

〃No。〃

〃It　is　true。　They　lined　them　up　afterward　and　took　every　tenth　man。　Carabinieri　shot　them。〃

〃Carabinieri；〃　said　Passini　and　spat　on　the　floor。　〃But　those　grenadiers；　all　over　six　feet。　They　wouldnt　attack。〃

〃If　everybody　would　not　attack　the　war　would　be　over；〃　Manera　said。

〃It　wasnt　that　way　with　the　granatieri。　They　were　afraid。　The　officers　all　came　from　such　good　families。〃

〃Some　of　the　officers　went　alone。〃

〃A　sergeant　shot　two　officers　who　would　not　get　out。〃

〃Some　troops　went　out。〃

〃Those　that　went　out　were　not　lined　up　when　they　took　the　tenth　men。〃

〃One　of　those　shot　by　the　carabinieri　is　from　my　town；〃　Passini　said。　〃He　was　a　big　smart　tall　boy　to　be　in　the　granatieri。　Always　in　Rome。　Always　with　the　girls。　Always　with　the　carabinieri。〃　He　laughed。　〃Now　they　have　a　guard　outside　his　house　with　a　bayonet　and　nobody　can　e　to　see　his　mother　and　father　and　sisters　and　his　father　loses　his　civil　rights　and　cannot　even　vote。　They　are　all　without　law　to　protect　them。　Anybody　can　take　their　property。〃

〃If　it　wasnt　that　that　happens　to　their　families　nobody　would　go　to　the　attack。〃

〃Yes。　Alpini　would。　These　V。　E。　soldiers　would。　Some　bersaglieri。〃

〃Bersaglieri　have　run　too。　Now　they　try　to　forget　it。〃

〃You　should　not　let　us　talk　this　way；　Tenente。　Evviva　lesercito；〃　Passini　said　sarcastically。

〃I　know　how　you　talk；〃　I　said。　〃But　as　long　as　you　drive　the　cars　and　behave……〃

〃……and　dont　talk　so　other　officers　can　hear；〃　Manera　finished。　〃I　believe　we　should　get　the　war　over；〃　I　said。　〃It　would　not　finish　it　if　one　side　stopped　fighting。　It　would　only　be　worse　if　we　stopped　fighting。〃

〃It　could　not　be　worse；〃　Passini　said　respectfully。　〃There　is　nothing　worse　than　war。〃

〃Defeat　is　worse。〃

〃I　do　not　believe　it；〃　Passini　said　still　respectfully。　〃What　is　defeat？　You　go　home。〃

〃They　e　after　you。　They　take　your　home。　They　take　your　sisters。〃

〃I　dont　believe　it；〃　Passini　said。　〃They　cant　do　that　to　everybody。　Let　everybody　defend　his　home。　Let　them　keep　their　sisters　in　the　house。〃

〃They　hang　you。　They　e　and　make　you　be　a　soldier　again。　Not　in　the　auto…ambulance；　in　the　infantry。〃