'I don't know.'
'I hope you get away with it,' said the pilot in Dunbar's squadron, stealing out of sight into the shadows. 'Let me know how you're doing.' Yossarian stared after him a few seconds and continued toward his tent.
'Pssst!' said a voice a few paces onward. It was Appleby, hiding in back of a tree. 'How are you doing?'
'Pretty good,' said Yossarian.
'I heard them say they were going to threaten to court-martial you for deserting in the face of the enemy. But that they wouldn't try to go through with it because they're not even sure they've got a case against you on that. And because it might make them look bad with the new commanders. Besides, you're still a pretty big hero for going around twice over the bridge at Ferrara. I guess you're just about the biggest hero we've got now in the group. I just thought you'd like to know that they'll only be bluffing.'
'Thanks, Appleby.'
'That's the only reason I started talking to you, to warn you.'
'I appreciate it.' Appleby scuffed the toes of his shoes into the ground sheepishly. 'I'm sorry we had that fist fight in the officers' club, Yossarian.'
'That's all right.'
'But I didn't start it. I guess that was Orr's fault for hitting me in the face with his ping-pong paddle. What'd he want to do that for?'
'You were beating him.'
'Wasn't I supposed to beat him? Isn't that the point? Now that he's dead, I guess it doesn't matter any more whether I'm a better ping-pong player or not, does it?'
'I guess not.'
'And I'm sorry about making such a fuss about those Atabrine tablets on the way over. If you want to catch malaria, I guess it's your business, isn't it?'
'That's all right, Appleby.'
'But I was only trying to do my duty. I was obeying orders. I was always taught that I had to obey orders.'
'That's all right.'
'You know, I said to Colonel Korn and Colonel Cathcart that I didn't think they ought to make you fly any more missions if you didn't want to, and they said they were very disappointed in me.' Yossarian smiled with rueful amusement. 'I'll bet they are.'
'Well, I don't care. Hell, you've flown seventy-one. That ought to be enough. Do you think they'll let you get away with it?'
'No.'
'Say, if they do let you get away with it, they'll have to let the rest of us get away with it, won't they?'
'That's why they can't let me get away with it.'
'What do you think they'll do?'
'I don't know.'
'Do you think they will try to court-martial you?'
'I don't know.'
'Are you afraid?'
'Yes.'
'Are you going to fly more missions?'
'No.'