CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Rinaldi and the major left, but the priest and I remained in the dining hall to talk a while.

"It's nice to see you again!" I said.

"Me too. So, tell me, how is everything?" He asked with a smile.

"Everything is good. My leg is better. I'm a little sleepy today, though. What about you? How have you been?"

"Since you left, things have become quite terrible. I guess one good thing about it is that everybody has woken up now. The war has become real to them suddenly. That, I think is good." He looked very upset.

"Why is that good?"

"It's good because I think it will help to end the fighting sooner. I'm almost sure that it will end soon."

"Who will stop fighting?"

"Everyone."

"But how? Do you think the war will end without a winner or loser? Of course, someone has to win. That's the only way that wars can end."

"You are upsetting me."

"I'm not trying to upset you. I want this war to end as much as you do, but I know what will have to happen. We have been losing recently. That's what everyone has told me here. Losing makes people calm down and think a bit more clearly. The Austrians, however, have been winning recently. I don't think that ideas about ending the war are entering their minds."

"But nobody really wins in a war. Everybody loses."

"I agree, but one side has to lose more than the other."

"Then I don't know what I want anymore. I wish that somebody would just hurry up and finish all this. I pray it will end soon."

"I'm pretty sleepy, father. I've enjoyed our talk as usual, but I think I really need to go to bed."

"Of course. I apologize for keeping you up so long with my endless complaining. Go get some sleep."

"Good night then," I said.

"Good night."

(end of section)