His face worked, and then he threw back his head and laughed harder than he had yet. “Yes, Enrollee Moss Trawnley, you can think on it overnight!”

His voice followed me out the door. “But then take it!”

Think on it! What I wanted to do was go to sleep and forget the whole scary idea.

Fifteen dollars a month extra to send home to my family—Ma could use it so many ways. Buy food, take the kids to a doctor when they needed it, maybe buy material for new dresses for my sisters. I doubted the youngest had ever had one that wasn’t a hand-me-down.

Looked at that way, I didn’t see how I could refuse the promotion.

But there was so much about the idea I didn’t like.

I’d made some friends, and I worried getting promoted over them might change things.

Or maybe it was just being promoted over them that I didn’t like. The major had said I’d need to represent the other fellows, take care of them.

Maybe I couldn’t. Minding my own self was hard enough.

And if I took on the job and failed at it, everybody would know.

I punched down my pillow for the umpteenth time and heard Sam say, his voice low, “You aiming to kill that thing?”

“Maybe.”

“For what it’s worth,” he said, “I think the major’s made a good choice.”

I was heading to breakfast the next morning when Apple caught up with me. “Major Garrett’s looking for you,” he said.

The headquarters office smelled of fresh-sawn lumber. He was at his desk, and the felt armband was lying on it. “I hope you’ve decided to wear that.”

“Yes, sir,” I said. “I’ll give the job my best shot.”

“That’s all I’m asking.”

The major held out a clipboard. “This goes with the armband,” he said. “Now, first thing is getting the construction cadre settled into the barracks. Giving you all pick of the beds seems a fair reward for what everybody’s done. And after that . . .”

It was another thirty minutes before I arrived at the mess hall, late for breakfast and self-conscious about that armband I was wearing. I wondered how I’d explain it.

But Sam must have done the explaining for me. Because when I walked in, the guys started cheering. I caught friendly catcalls, and some wisecracks about how I’d have to be addressed as Mr. Trawnley, now, or maybe Boss Moss. Some shook my hand, some pounded my back, and Nate said, “Hey.”

All I could think was, Man, I hope I don’t let them down.

During the morning, we moved out of the tents. Nate and Sam, Apple, Romeo, and me, along with a half-dozen others, took up spots in B Barracks, which was nearest the mess hall. That was Apple’s choice. “So we’ll wake up every morning smelling breakfast.”