Chapter 12 Summary

Tim describes a man he killed-detailing how the deadly wound destroyed his face. He goes on to create a whole life for the slim, dainty young man, a life in which he liked books and math, and was only a soldier out of a sense of family duty. Tim cannot stop staring at the dead young man, and he fixates on certain details, such as the star-shaped hole through one eye. He also continues to add to the young man's imagined life, giving him a fear of war, a life at the university, and a girl to love.

As Tim continues to stare at the body, Kiowa, who is with him, begins to get uneasy. He tries to convince Tim that ho had no choice but to shoot the young man, that everyone else would have done the same thing. He also tries...