Chap. 29
The War Comes Home
‘The American war song “When Johnnie Comes
Marching Home Again” is a corruption of a far
older anti-war song called “Johnny I Hardly
Knew Ye.” The original, unlike its pale imitator,
makes no attempt to misrepresent the truth.’
from Popular Lies by
David Thomas Olsen
The day that Pran, accompanied by Deborah and Éha, was to leave for the Elf Kingdom on a search for the Book of Elf Lore and its two keepers, he and Theuli had argued bitterly. That night, as the others gathered to wish the three safe journey, Theuli was conspicuously absent. Just prior to his departure, as Pran made the horses travel ready, he and Ralph exchanged some private words together. Afterwards, Deborah and Éha came out from the house bearing the saddlebags which they had filled with foodstuffs and necessities. They then mounted their horses, Deborah and Éha on one, Pran on the other, and left.
When Ralph came back inside, he found Malina in the living room, waiting for him. She was sitting on the couch by the fire, with her back turned to him, studying her bare feet, looking for all the world like a child that knows it is going to be abandoned out of some cruel necessity. The sight of her distress stuck an icy knife-point of fear in the pit of his stomach. He ached to take her in his arms, to reassure his young wife that everything was going to be all right; but the cold truth stopped his voice, making him feel as false and useless as though he were an effectless paper effigy with a paper sword, standing in the looming shadow of war’s unbroachable enormity.