Phule was sitting alone in his room, staring at the patch on his just removed uniform, when his butler let himself in.
“Have you seen this, Beeker?”
“Yes, sir. If you’ll look in your closet, you’ll find that it has been added to all your uniforms.”
“So you were in on it, too, eh?”
“I was asked to keep it confidential, sir. They wanted it to be a surprise.”
The commander shook his head in amazement.
“It certainly was. I never dreamed they were cooking up anything like this.”
I think you should take it as a compliment. It’s my impression that they wish to show their appreciation for your efforts on their behalf, as well as pledging their support.”
“I know. It’s just … I didn’t know what to say, Beek. Still don’t, for that matter. I had to sneak out of the party early before I made a fool of myself trying to find a way to say thanks. “
“I believe your own acceptance of the patch is sufficient, sir. Rather like a father showing appreciation for his children by hanging their artistic efforts on the wall of his office.”
Phule shook his head again, more emphatically this time.
“It goes way beyond that. Even my best-case scenario didn’t cover how fast the crew is coming together. I’ll tell you, Beeker, I couldn’t be more proud of them if they were my own kids.”
“Well, sir, as they say, the proof is in the pudding. How did they take the announcement that the Regular Army is arriving tomorrow?”
“I never made it.” The commander sighed, sagging slightly in his chair. “They sprang this on me before I got around to it, and I couldn’t bring myself to change the mood once they got rolling. I decided to let them celebrate tonight … tomorrow will come soon enough.”