VIII

In a deluge, General Zakalwe stands on an ancient concrete plinth as the river rips out a tree and his staff car is lost. He has tied up a young auxiliary who tried to assassinate him; they trade insults while he resists exhaustion and contemplates his army’s collapse under unprecedented rain.

As Zakalwe listens for helicopters that never come, he reflects on responsibility, the futility of blaming civilians, and the nature of war as will and method. He thinks of the Staberinde, the Chairmaker, and the idea that everything can be turned into a weapon. The auxiliary vacillates between bravado and fear; Zakalwe alternates between contempt, bleak humor, and a moment of reluctant kindness.

Opening the door to the storm, Zakalwe experiences a visionary montage of “use of weapons,” then the auxiliary begs for a quick death, which he dismisses. He broods on whether his message got through and whether capture might even be a relief.

Kirive Socroft Rogtam-Bar arrives in a stolen amphibious truck and spirits Zakalwe away, taking the still-bound woman as well. Rogtam-Bar reports the government has fallen, and that Zakalwe’s commando plan to overtop the Maclin reservoir has swept away the enemy Fifth Army’s High Command, pushing both sides toward peace.

After this rescue, Zakalwe is demoted and stripped of medals in the ensuing peace. He leaves later that year, while the Culture remains satisfied with the overall outcome.