Himmelstoss begins to boil. But Tjaden gets in ahead of him. He must bring off his insult: “Wouldn’t you like to know what you are? A dirty hound, that’s what you are. I’ve been wanting to tell you that for a long time.”

The satisfaction of months shines in his dull pig’s eyes as he spits out: “Dirty hound!”

Himmelstoss lets fly too, now. “What’s that, you muckrake, you dirty peat-stealer? Stand up there, bring your heels together when your superior officer speaks to you.”

Tjaden waves him off. “You take a run and jump at yourself, Himmelstoss.”

Himmelstoss is a raging book of army regulations. The Kaiser couldn’t be more insulted. “Tjaden, I command you, as your superior officer: Stand up!”

“Anything else you would like?” asks Tjaden.

“Will you obey my order or not?”