Capt P is hopping mad. That is the impression that you get on first meeting him. But when you stay with him for a while, you get the distinct impression that it is only the “hopping-ness” that is permanent. I think he is temporarily mad. The only reason that leads you to believe his madness is permanent is because he climbs mountains. His sole purpose in life seems to be to climb one peak after the other. The fact that he then has to climb down from that peak as well, seems to do nothing to dampen his enthusiasm. For such thoughtlessness, the Army has awarded him the VSM.
Capt P is permanently mad because he was climbing the Mana peak. He is temporarily mad because he was apparently only 9 km from the Mana peak when he was called back to base. He was called back because people are dying left & right on the mountains. Three people from one group died & another from a second group copped it over the last month, prompting the Army command to pull back all teams from the mountains.
But that not the real reason why Capt P is hopping and mad at the same time. He is that because the reason the army command pulled them back was given as “the teams being insufficiently prepared.”
“I want to ask the army command,” Capt P hops around & fumes, “what he thinks are the criteria for being properly prepared. “
But Capt P might not get the chance to ask his question. He leaves for the peacekeeping mission to Congo in a fortnight. While he is there, he will undoubtedly kill some UNITA rebels or some such beings not usually found in the snow-clad peaks that Capt P likes to venture into.
But that is in the distant future. Right now, Capt P merely hops around a bit & mumbles “9 km.” & something else that I can’t make out. Then he hops around some more.
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