Interpreter #4

"A man six foot tall, you could fit 30 billion of them into the earth. That's how big the fucker is: 30 billion dudes, big.

The interpreter - bringing up the rear, walking behind two prisoners - was speaking English. Loudly. He always spoke very loudly, like he wanted everybody around to get what he was saying:

"That's a thing they don't show on the news. On the news, the earth? Fuckin too small. 30 billion? Fuck no. 7 billion and shit is crowded - dudes fighting over gas and food. The news tells us that shit! why these guys over here fuckin whichoo! 7 billion. Ain't enough, no room right?

The interpreter's chosen method of thought completion was usually some variant of abbreviated rhetorical confirmation.


"So they bring me along, an I gotta talk to these guys...they ain't learning, they don't wana know. Easier they get a guy. Guy talks, says shit they want, the way they want, right? So Awright.

I was following behind by a few yards, alone. Listening.

"...but the news ain't tell you shit these guys don't want you to know. The news is all "them" not "us". Part of my job...Bring a little "us" to these Marines, Right? Look at this guy:

I knew without turning he was talking about me, and I knew what was coming. Daily occurrences since Quat: the interpreter running me down to prisoners / townspeople / other assorted ragheads, then laughing about it - loudly and with great purpose - with same ragheads. I didn't even turn around. He went on for a while and then he and both prisoners were laughing so hard they were almost silent.