Chapter 11

This picture represents the snowball fight Gene and Finny were in.


The next day Gene returns from Leper's house. When he returns Finny is in the middle of a snowball fight. The snowball fight was located in the "Fields Beyond(144)." This was passed the gym, the tennis courts,river, and the stadium right on the edge of the woods. A few kids stopped and said hello but no one asked about Leper. Gene was then hit with a snowball in the back of the head and I yelled, "You're on our side, even if you do have lousy aim(145)." I walked over to him with my cane and it seemed as though he was hesitant about joining. I then asked him how Leper was and he replied, "Oh Leper's-how would he be? You know Leper-(146)?" This was a strange answer and it seemed as though Gene was hiding something from me. In an instant I was struck by a snowball on the side of the face and I returned fire. Gene then joined in shortly. Later on Brinker comes to our dorm and says that Leper has "Cracked". As time passes all the eligible boys enlist into the war except Gene, but Brinker takes him aside and tells him he knows the reason he hasn't enlisted was because he pities Finny. After hearing this I told him the reason why I believe the war is a conspiracy is because I had tried to enlist many times but they would not accept me because of my Leg. Gene is in awe but for some reason seems to understand why I felt the need to say things that I said about the war. Later on that night Gene and I are told by Brinker to come into the Assembly Hall. Here there are judges and an audience to inquiry into the case of Finny's accident. Brinker first asks me what I believe happened and I tell him that I lost balance and fell. I also told them that I do not know how I lost balance and that Gene was at the bottom of the tree. He then sends us to retrieve Leper so he can testify. Leper says that he saw someone push me off the tree branch. I got up and exclaimed I didn't care what happened and I ran out of the room down the marble stairs. Going down the stairs I lost control and fell.