A civil case dragging a soldier’s name through a county court gets noted in a file, she told me, and my file was up for review in the spring, and she didn’t need to explain what a note in a file could cost me.

The civilian was already standing at the door with his satchel buckled.

“There’s a second copy for your battalion commander.

He’ll have it by noon.”

Nelson walked me out into the hallway and stopped beside the water fountain.

“Fix this quickly, Diana.

And keep it off my post.”

Edward Miller kept me waiting for nineteen minutes, which was the first time in nineteen years that he had kept anyone waiting.