Atdtda34: Comradely persistence, 968-971 #2

[Paul Nightingale]

When Reef/Yashmeen/Ljubica are finally named (having, to this point, been
simply 'they') it is when they 'ha[ve] entered a theatre of war'. The
earlier 'photographs show[ing] terrible scenes of slaughter and mutilation'
reduced them to the status of tourists, outsiders whose access to war is
through its representation, the imaging of that which is elsewhere; now they
become 'targets'. Reef is transformed into both soldier and narrative focus
as Yashmeen/Ljubica are now marginalised by the 'recreational skeet'. From
this point it is Reef who interacts with the 'Greek army detachment' (969);
goes 'scavenging for firewood'; recalls 'the tunnel days' when interacting
with Ksenija (the narrative providing a fast-forward to his future
knowledge); and does the 'forward scouting' that brings him to 'these
Albanians who ha[ve] the drop on him' (970). The narrative emphasises his
distance from 'Yash and Ljubica dug in back up the valley' (969-970).

Earlier, 64.24 begins with '[t]he winter coming down' (967) and, down the
page, 64.25 begins with 'black peaks, already with some snow on them' before
concluding with '[w]inter in the mountains' (968). Now, the current section,
after passing reference to 'shivering under a shredded tent' and 'the
freezing predawn' (969), concludes with Reef/Yashmeen/Ljubica 'snowed in'
(971). Movement is again paused, and the interaction with locals (967) is
replayed; on 967 Yashmeen is featured more prominently, but here it is Reef
who has moved on from gunfire to musical instruments, 'pick[ing] up a little
more Tosk dialect and learn[ing] to play "Jim along Jo" on a clarinet'
(971).

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