Th? h???tw??min? m?m?nt ?n??l??? ?t ? milit??? ??s?, wh??? th? s?l?i??’s ??mil? ??th???? ?nxi??sl?, w?itin? t? w?lc?m? th? h??? ??ck h?m?. C?m???s ?n? sm??t?h?n?s w??? ?t th? ?????, ????? t? c??t??? th? ???ci??s m?m?nt ?? th? l?n?-?w?it?? ???ni?n. Littl? ?i? th?? kn?w, th? sc?n? th?t w?s ????t t? ?n??l? w??l? ?? ?tch?? in th?i? h???ts ????v??.

Th? s?l?i??’s wi??, h?l?in? th?i? n?w???n ???? in h?? ??ms, st??? ?m?n? th? c??w?, ?ntici??ti?n ?n? ?xcit?m?nt ?illin? th? ?i?. Th? ????, wh? w?s ?nl? ? ??w w??ks ?l?, ????l?? c?nt?nt??l?, s??min?l? ?n?w??? ?? th? m?m?nt??s ?v?nt ????t t? t?k? ?l?c?.

As th? s?l?i?? ?in?ll? ?m????? ???m th? c??w? ?? his c?m????s, his ???s sc?nn?? th? ????, s???chin? ??? his ??mil?. A mix ?? ?xh??sti?n ?n? ???? ?xcit?m?nt sh?n? ?n his ??c? ?s h? s??tt?? his wi?? ?n? ????. With ? ???st ?? ?n????, h? w?lk?? ??iskl? t?w???s th?m, his ?m?ti?ns ????l? c?nt?in??. As h? ??????ch??, his wi?? h?l? th? ???? ??t t? him, ?n? th?i? ???s l?ck?? in ?n ?m?ti?n?l ?m???c?. Th? j?? ?n his ??c? w?s ??l???l?, ?n? his ???s ?list?n?? with t???s ?s h? h?l? his littl? ?n? ??? th? ?i?st tim? sinc? ??in? ???l???? ?v??s??s.

Th? ????, s?nsin? h?? ??th??’s ???s?nc?, l??k?? ?? ?t him with wi?? ???s, ?s i? sh? s?m?h?w kn?w th? si?ni?ic?nc? ?? this m?m?nt. Th? ???m ??ll sil?nt, ?n? tim? s??m?? t? st?n? still ?s th? s?l?i?? c???l?? his ???ci??s ????ht?? in his ??ms. Th? l?v? ?n? t?n???n?ss h? ?x???ss?? w??? in??sc?i???l?, ?s i? h? w?s m?kin? ?? ??? ?ll th? tim? th?? h?? ???n ????t in ? sin?l? ?m???c?.

T???s w?ll?? ?? in th? ???s ?? th?s? witn?ssin? this ????ti??l sc?n?. Th? j?? ?? ???ni?n ?n? th? s?c?i?ic? this s?l?i?? h?? m??? ??? his c??nt?? ?n? ??mil? ??s?n?t?? with ?v????n? ???s?nt. It w?s ? ??min??? ?? th? imm?ns? s?c?i?ic?s m??? ?? s??vic?m?n ?n? w?m?n ?n? th?i? ??mili?s, ?ll in th? n?m? ?? ??t? ?n? h?n??.

As th? ??mil? ?m???c??, th? c??w? c??l?n’t h?l? ??t ???l???, ?x???ssin? th?i? ?????ci?ti?n ??? this t??chin? m?m?nt. Th? s?l?i??’s c?m????s, m?n? ?? wh?m h?? ?x???i?nc?? simil?? ???ni?ns th?ms?lv?s, w??? ?ls? m?v?? ?? th? ?m?ti?n?l sc?n?. B?n?s ??tw??n milit??? ???s?nn?l ??n ????, ?n? th?? ?n???st?n? th? v?l?? ?? ??mil? ?n? h?m? in w??s th?t ?th??s m?? n?t ??ll? c?m???h?n?.

Th? vi??? ?n? ?h?t?s ?? this h???tw??min? ???ni?n ??ickl? s????? ?c??ss s?ci?l m??i?, t??chin? th? h???ts ?? milli?ns w??l?wi??. It ??c?m? ? s?m??l ?? h??? ?n? ? ??min??? ?? th? ??sili?nc? ?? th? h?m?n s?i?it in th? ??c? ?? ??v??sit? ?n? s?????ti?n.