A Crying Shame (177 page)

I beg your pardon?”

Coarsely ground hominy.”

It looks perfectly disgusting. What does one do with it?”

Eat it.”

You're joking! Whatever for!”

Put some butter and salt and pepper on it and eat it, Karl. It's good for you.”

That settles it. Anything that is supposed to be good for one usually tastes like boiled camel dung. This stuff has the texture of badly used motor oil.”

Karl, quite bitching. Eat. We've got to load the boat.”

The German pushed the plate from him at the mention of the boat.
I'm not in the least hungry. Are you certain that rotting hulk you procured is seaworthy?”

We're not going sailing on the sea, Karl. We're going into a swamp.”

We'll still be sailing on water. My stomach feels odd.” He took a Dramamine.

Jon, forking great amounts of grits into his mouth, laughed at him. Karl took one look at him and paled; Jon had mixed his eggs with his grits.

That is the most disgusting sight I have ever witnessed, Jon.”

Jon smiled.
You remember back when we were kids, Karl . . . back when we were Legionnaires? That time we had to eat dog?”