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Catch-22 Chapter 39: The Eternal City
Yossarian goes AWOL (absent without official leave) and flies to Rome with Milo in search of the vulnerable kid sister. The rebel has come to hate flying and is blamed for harming army morale.
"Morale was deteriorating and it was all Yossarian's fault. The country was in peril; he was jeopardizing his traditional rights of freedom and independence by daring to exercise them." Chapter 39, pg. 415
Rome is in ruins. The whore's dwelling is empty except for an old woman. Moaning, she explains that soldiers successfully drove the whores out into the streets because of Catch-22, which states that soldiers have the right to do anything that people cannot stop them from doing. Yossarian suddenly realizes that Catch-22 is a fabrication. Yet his discovery makes no difference. People still believe in Catch-22, so it retains its illogical power.
Milo promises to use his clout in Rome to assist Yossarian in the search for kid sister. Soon distracted by trade prospects in illegal tobacco, Milo ditches the search and leaves Yossarian alone to wander the raw, bizarre alleyways. Yossarian is shocked to discover that Aarfy has raped and murdered a poor servant girl. Police burst in and surprisingly arrest Yossarian instead of Aarfy for being in Rome without a pass. Officials haul Yossarian into Colonel Cathcart's office and Colonel Korn says they are sending Yossarian home.
