Like arrows from legions of archers, the sun cast its rays over the edge of the horizon. The shadows of the night fled in haste and the mists faded away. A new day began. <\/p>\n
Dizzy in the head and tormented by vermin, I woke up at the sound of a series of loud exclamations. It was B\u2026 who was greeting the day. <\/p>\n
\u201cLook here!\u201d he shouted, cursing violently. His body was covered with red spots and blisters. <\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI think the lieutenant has come down with measles\u2014would it not be sensible to seek a doctor?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cMock me not, Marius! Last night I drained the bitter cup of suffering to the very bottom! It is fleas\u2014divisions of giant fleas that have attacked me\u2014my friend! Have you not heard how I have been tormented?\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n Fleas are unpleasant creatures to fight\u2014almost worse than the partisans\u2014but they still cannot compare with lice, let alone the horror of horrors: bedbugs. These four things, as it seemed, were supplied in abundance in Croatia.<\/p>\n It was, for the time being, fleas we became acquainted with. A couple of fleas can be quite harmless; at times they may be a little annoying, but one quickly gets used to them. We held a war council! Move quarters? Impossible. There was surely worse elsewhere. <\/p>\n \u201cThen!\u201d said B\u2026 solemnly, \u201cwe must take up the fight on the spot. Now we know the enemy and his methods of attack. Do you have a suggestion?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWe could fetch one of the groups up here and organise a little manhunt?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cNo! That won\u2019t do\u2014it won\u2019t work. There\u2019s only one solution\u2014we must make ourselves immune to their bites! Alcohol\u2014yes, alcohol\u2014that\u2019s the solution!\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n \u201cYes\u2014when you bathe the blisters in alcohol, the pain disappears.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cMan alive!\u201d shouted B\u2026, \u201cyou\u2019ve been with me for over twelve hours and you come out with a thing like that! That\u2019s sacrilege! Alcohol is for internal use only. You ought to know that!\u201d<\/p>\n B\u2026 reflected: \u201cWe must get drunk every evening before going to bed, then we won\u2019t feel the fleas\u2014it\u2019s obvious! But where do we get all that alcohol from? That is less obvious. Well, I\u2019ll think about the problem\u2014go and fetch the coffee.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Good heavens\u2014they too have to live. Only when entire swarms begin to feed on you does the idyll disappear. <\/p>\n