Benjamin Jones, twenty-three, discharged after an army tour in Somalia, heads cross-country on a Greyhound, seeking refuge on the West Coast. He has left behind his best friend, Trevor, and Liz Ross, a female soldier with whom Jones has fallen in love. But Jones has also left behind a tragedy — a horrible, split-second action made in Somalia — that Trevor, Jones, and the army have implicitly agreed to forget.
Alone on the streets of San Francisco, and then north on the Washington coast, Jones finds that an uneducated ex-soldier is qualified only as a peep show fantasy object or as a hired hand to a bottom-feeding smuggler and pornographer. Recurring visions of his life as a soldier gradually reveal the full truth — and agony — of his experience, and a reunion with Liz and a violent confrontation with Trevor bring the young soldier's journey to a wrenching conclusion — but one not without hope.
At equal turns tense, brutal, and poetic, The Ice Beneath You is a soldier's story for a time when there weren't supposed to be any more soldiers' stories.
Benjamin Jones, twenty-three, discharged after an army tour in Somalia, heads cross-country on a Greyhound, seeking refuge on the West Coast. He has left behind his best friend, Trevor, and Liz Ross, a female soldier with whom Jones has fallen in love. But Jones has also left behind a tragedy — a horrible, split-second action made in Somalia — that Trevor, Jones, and the army have implicitly agreed to forget.
Alone on the streets of San Francisco, and then north on the Washington coast, Jones finds that an uneducated ex-soldier is qualified only as a peep show fantasy object or as a hired hand to a bottom-feeding smuggler and pornographer. Recurring visions of his life as a soldier gradually reveal the full truth — and agony — of his experience, and a reunion with Liz and a violent confrontation with Trevor bring the young soldier's journey to a wrenching conclusion — but one not without hope.
At equal turns tense, brutal, and poetic, The Ice Beneath You is a soldier's story for a time when there weren't supposed to be any more soldiers' stories.
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Overview
Benjamin Jones, twenty-three, discharged after an army tour in Somalia, heads cross-country on a Greyhound, seeking refuge on the West Coast. He has left behind his best friend, Trevor, and Liz Ross, a female soldier with whom Jones has fallen in love. But Jones has also left behind a tragedy — a horrible, split-second action made in Somalia — that Trevor, Jones, and the army have implicitly agreed to forget.
Alone on the streets of San Francisco, and then north on the Washington coast, Jones finds that an uneducated ex-soldier is qualified only as a peep show fantasy object or as a hired hand to a bottom-feeding smuggler and pornographer. Recurring visions of his life as a soldier gradually reveal the full truth — and agony — of his experience, and a reunion with Liz and a violent confrontation with Trevor bring the young soldier's journey to a wrenching conclusion — but one not without hope.
At equal turns tense, brutal, and poetic, The Ice Beneath You is a soldier's story for a time when there weren't supposed to be any more soldiers' stories.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780743227841 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Touchstone |
| Publication date: | 10/02/2002 |
| Edition description: | Original |
| Pages: | 256 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.25(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.60(d) |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
from Part 1: The Ride West, Part One
Ohio -- Early April 1993
Payphone, he's got a few minutes before the bus pulls out.
Two in the morning, sodium-arc lights turning the remnants of old black snow into yellow piles around the sides of the parking lot. Behind lines of Airstreams and idling semis the moon is trying to crawl its bloated self out of a frozen cornfield. Upturned collars and hands shoved deep in pockets for the rushed, half-sleeping walk from truckstop diner back to the Greyhound. The phone rings in Jones's ear, shivering cold plastic against his skin. Trevor Alphabet answers, from a barracks phone in Virginia. The army never sleeps.
"Where are you?" Trevor asks.
When the 710th shut down in Kismaayo -- their southern Somalia home -- Trevor went with the boats back to Kenya and Jones went with the lieutenant to Mogadishu. Trevor was supposed to get home to the States first, but it hadn't turned out that way. Jones beat him by almost three weeks, on a priority medical flight.
They were going to travel together, when they got home, got out of the army. That's what they'd said. That's why Jones was calling. That, and Trevor was his only way of getting in touch with Liz. That, and Jones was so lonely he didn't know what to do with himself.
"I'm in Ohio, on a bus," he said.
"On a bus?"
"In a parking lot. It's cold."
"What the fuck are you doing in Ohio?"
"Gone fishing."
"What?"
"I was gonna run off and be a rock star -- you know." Jones laughs, nervous, a cloud of frozen breath escaping his lungs. "Changed my mind. I liked your idea better. So now I'm going fishing. Seattle, I think. You joining me?"
Silence from Trevor's end.
Then, "Jones, I reenlisted."
Silence from Jones's end.
"Did you hear me?"
"Yeah, I heard you."
"They offered me hard stripes."
Jones can picture Trevor's face as he hears this, how his friend looks when he makes a decision and then goes with it, as if there had never been any alternative course of action. Trevor's Polish eyebrows would set after a decision, just like they would set with a rifle sight to his cheek -- sure and steady and confident.
"Good," Jones says. "There it is. Good."
Jones worries that the phone is going to spot-freeze to his cheek. His left foot is twitching, unnoticed. Hard stripes -- good. Good.
"Jones -- "
"Yeah?"
"Nothing."
"Yeah."
Silence.
Then, Jones: "Where's Liz? Where's my girl?"
"Still in Mogadishu. Until August. Maybe July. They held her back, said they needed her in the Harbormaster's office. She said she'd send you a letter."
Still in Mogadishu. This was news to Jones. He pressed his forehead against the cold glass of the phone booth, eyes closing by reflex, staring into depths of emptiness.
"I gotta go, man," he whispered into the phone.
"Jones, I -- "
"I know, Trev. I know."
Two hours later the driver pulls the bus to the side of the Ohio Turnpike. Four in the morning, so cold outside, so cold, old black snow on the ground -- isn't even winter anymore and that snow doesn't know to go away. The driver pulls the Greyhound to the side of the turnpike and opens the door, wind rushing in, Jones's body shakes, waking up, wondering Where the hell did the heat go?
The driver opens the door and three big men, all denim and flannel and boots, pull a little brown man by the collar, lifting him right out of his seat, legs kicking in surprise. They take him out the door to the side of the turnpike and beat the living shit out of him. It takes less than a minute. They go around and around with him, his face is such a mess. He's not making much noise, only a high-pitch almost-wail. Jones's face pressed sideways against the tinted glass of the bus window, so cold, he's sure he's still sleeping, his eyes open watching this right beneath him. They ditch the man head and chest forward into that old black snow, one guy driving his boot into the little man's side, a final good-bye, and they all get back on the bus, the driver closes the door, then pulls away.
The little brown man was Pakistani, Jones was pretty sure of that. There was a Pakistani infantry company in Somalia, living in a row of khaki tents in the far southern corner of the Mogadishu seaport -- they'd been a friendly group, trading little tin plates of hot curried mutton for dog-eared copies of Penthouse and Hustler.
When Jones first got on the Greyhound, the day before, he'd been sitting forward in the bus, where the brown man would finally end up, next to a skinny, sickly woman who had three kids scattered around the bus, two boys and a girl. Her old man had put her and the kids on the Greyhound in Allentown; he'd meet up with them at her mom's house in Laramie sometime later in the year. Jones thought she was okay, a little slow, but she was putting a good face on things. The fella sitting across the aisle from them had brought on a case of warm Bud somehow stuffed in his overcoat, they'd been drinking it and offered her one. She said no, but later when her kids were sleeping she drank a few, and talked about her mom and her husband and her boys and her little girl and how much her little girl looked like her sister who had died in a car accident five years ago. She was putting a good face on things, and got a little silly with the beer in her, but it was good to finally see her smile. With the beer and the strangers and her responsibilities for the kids suspended as they slept, she smiled, big and wide, and it made Jones smile.
She woke up -- she said this later -- and thought she saw this guy, the one Jones thought was probably from Pakistan, put his hand on one of her boy's knees or thigh or something. Jones could imagine her, could see her in his head, waking up contorted like you do on a Greyhound, looking around half asleep through eyes that didn't see much better than Jones's had, pressed against the dark glass, but there was no glass, she was just looking around. She said he'd had his hand there, and she'd seen his hand move up and down and she screamed and it woke up these denim-and-flannel gentlemen sitting all around, half drunk, beat and tired and going home
or going away but going somewhere they probably would rather not be -- going where someone had said there might be a job or money, or promised something, Christ there must be something good, why the hell else would you be on a goddamn Greyhound bus in the ass end of winter -- woke them up with her scared screaming, and the little brown man sitting there. They took him outside and they hurt him pretty bad. Jones sat and watched, his hands white-knuckled around the armrest, unable to move, unable to lift himself from his seat and help the poor son of a bitch getting the snot kicked out of him. Buddy, he thought desperately in his direction, through the cold, dark window, forcing his thoughts to him through the glass, Buddy I'm with you, I'm here, hold on man, I'm here...
But it's bullshit, and Jones knows it. He wasn't with him at all.
He couldn't get out of his seat.
Wayne is the name of the kid sitting behind Jones on the Greyhound, and he didn't wake up during this, same with the girl Jan, both directly behind Jones, in the last seat. Slept through it, their arms around each other -- found love. Craig, twenty with a cowboy hat and a world of annoying questions, sitting next to Jones, woke up and saw it but for once didn't say a thing. He watched over Jones's shoulder, pale and maybe scared, then just quiet and watchful as the men got back on the bus and took their seats. Later, twenty minutes later, back on the highway, the diesel low and pulsing under the floorboard, he chewed his gum and said, "Well, if I'da been up there I'd have done the same, y'know, that's ALL fucked up, fucking dot-head pervert, I'd have fucked him up good, too, I'd have stomped him."
Jones wants to slam him in the face with his open palm -- what Trevor Alphabet would call a bitch slap -- that's what he deserves. But I don't have the right, he thinks. I don't have the right. I gave up all rights when I couldn't bring myself to get out of my seat and help that poor man on the side of the road.
Jones looks at Craig quickly, without a word, then hurries into the little bathroom in the back of the bus, barely getting the door closed before he vomits into the blue sterile water in the steel bowl. He lights a cigarette and doesn't come out until the pack is gone. When he finally opens the door the sun is coming through the tinted windows and they were somewhere in Indiana.
Copyright © 2002 by Christian Bauman
Table of Contents
ContentsPrologue
Part One
The Ride West, Part One
JONES: One Sergeant
The Ride West, Part Two
Africa
JONES: Thirty Days in San Francisco, Part One
Kismaayo, Part One
JONES: Thirty Days in San Francisco, Part Two
Kismaayo, Part Two
JONES: Thirty Days in San Francisco, Part Three
On the Mike Nine-Three
JONES: Two Privates
Part Two
Shadowtime
The Art of Dishwashing, Part One
Endgame
The Art of Dishwashing, Part Two
Mogadishu
Part Three
Two Soldiers
After
JONES: One Soldier
Author's Note
Reading Group Guide
A SCRIBNER PAPERBACK FICTION READING GROUP GUIDE
THE ICE BENEATH YOU
DISCUSSION POINTS
1. Benjamin Jones joins the U.S. Army at the end of the Gulf War. What was the motivation for this action? One life-altering event or a series of decisions? How does his original motivation match or contrast with his actual experiences as a soldier?
2. Jones briefly discusses what it is to be a soldier in a time of peace, in a generation that has never seen war up close. How do members of Jones's generation view war differently than members of the Vietnam generation? Compare the similarities between the return to the United States of soldiers who served in Vietnam and those in Somalia. Do you think the soldiers who served in Somalia would feel more of a kinship with Vietnam vets than with Gulf War vets?
3. Jones and Trevor Alphabet share a deep bond. What experiences strengthen that bond? Which threaten to tear it apart? At one point, Bauman explains that the soldiers tended to travel in packs of two. Discuss this with regard to Jones's and Trevor's relationship to the buck sergeants, Bob and Sid.
4. The narrative splices together Jones's pre- and post-army life in the United States and his life as a soldier overseas. How does this technique change your sense of the story's development? How would a straight chronological telling have shaped the book's themes differently?
5. Discuss the novel's central incident onboard the Mike Boat in Jiliri. How did it change the relationship between Trevor and Jones? How does Bauman portray the military's official treatment of the incident? Did you find the troops' reaction to be reasonable or ethical? Are such horrific accidents a necessary by-product of war, and if so, are they understandable under any circumstances?
6. It is rare that Jones and his fellow troops are directly engaged in fighting. How does this change the character of violence in the few scenes where violence does erupt? Do you think the characters would have reacted differently if direct combat was more prevalent? If so, how?
7. What does Jones see in Drill Sergeant Rose — a demon, a savior, or both? How do Jones's ideas about him change? What do these changes say about Jones's development as a character? Compare Rose's place in Jones's mind as a perfect soldier to the real-world realities of the confused, scared Lieutenant Klover, or the spit-shined, incompetent Sergeant Cowens. Do you think Jones starts equating his friend Trevor with Rose as a security measure? Is this trust dangerous?
8. In their own ways, Jones and Trevor are both disciplined, committed soldiers, who live to "outsoldier anything that moves." Why, then, on one specific night, did they break their own code and allow themselves to fall asleep? Was this true dereliction of duty, or simply sheer exhaustion combined with false comfort? Does it matter? How do they view their own failings?
9. Is Jones's degrading experience in San Francisco important? Is it coincidence and largely a product of time, place, and economics, or is it a self-imposed punishment? What does he mean when he says "I have a need to be uncomfortable for a long period of time"?
10. In George's house in Huley, Washington, Jones plans a confrontation that never happens. Did he want to use the gun simply to perform his "rescue," or did he truly want to injure or kill the two men? Compare this to Jones's second major break with his soldiers' code, when he abandoned Sergeant Cowens to pull a Somali woman to safety.
11. What obstacles does Jones face in his love for Liz? His own personality? The fact that they both serve in the military? Does she play a role in his decision to stay overseas a few extra days, rather than going home? If they had met in civilian life, do you think the same spark would have existed between them?
12. The U.S. media's coverage of the military comes into play several times through the course of the book. How does the media's coverage of the deployment affect the characters? Why? As the situation gets more dangerous, the soldiers feel that "no one knows we're here." Do they blame the media for this? How does the nature of "peacekeeping," as opposed to traditional forms of warfare, play a role in the story's development?
13. Which scene most powerfully reinforced your preconceptions about military life? Which scene most effectively challenged those preconceptions? Why?
14. Compare and contrast this book — its story, characters, and lessons — to previous novels about war. How does it differ from the ironic, dark humor of Catch-22, or the brutally antiwar sentiments of All Quiet on the Western Front? How is it similar? In what ways does Jones stand as a witness to the larger events around him, like Lieutenant Henry in A Farewell to Arms? In what ways does this book seem wholly unique among works of war fiction?
Introduction
A SCRIBNER PAPERBACK FICTION READING GROUP GUIDE
DISCUSSION POINTS
1. Benjamin Jones joins the U.S. Army at the end of the Gulf War. What was the motivation for this action? One life-altering event or a series of decisions? How does his original motivation match or contrast with his actual experiences as a soldier?
2. Jones briefly discusses what it is to be a soldier in a time of peace, in a generation that has never seen war up close. How do members of Jones's generation view war differently than members of the Vietnam generation? Compare the similarities between the return to the United States of soldiers who served in Vietnam and those in Somalia. Do you think the soldiers who served in Somalia would feel more of a kinship with Vietnam vets than with Gulf War vets?
3. Jones and Trevor Alphabet share a deep bond. What experiences strengthen that bond? Which threaten to tear it apart? At one point, Bauman explains that the soldiers tended to travel in packs of two. Discuss this with regard to Jones's and Trevor's relationship to the buck sergeants, Bob and Sid.
4. The narrative splices together Jones's pre- and post-army life in the United States and his life as a soldier overseas. How does this technique change your sense of the story's development? How would a straight chronological telling have shaped the book's themes differently?
5. Discuss the novel's central incident onboard the Mike Boat in Jiliri. How did it change the relationship between Trevor and Jones? How does Bauman portray the military's official treatment of the incident? Did you find the troops' reaction to be reasonable or ethical? Are such horrificaccidents a necessary by-product of war, and if so, are they understandable under any circumstances?
6. It is rare that Jones and his fellow troops are directly engaged in fighting. How does this change the character of violence in the few scenes where violence does erupt? Do you think the characters would have reacted differently if direct combat was more prevalent? If so, how?
7. What does Jones see in Drill Sergeant Rose — a demon, a savior, or both? How do Jones's ideas about him change? What do these changes say about Jones's development as a character? Compare Rose's place in Jones's mind as a perfect soldier to the real-world realities of the confused, scared Lieutenant Klover, or the spit-shined, incompetent Sergeant Cowens. Do you think Jones starts equating his friend Trevor with Rose as a security measure? Is this trust dangerous?
8. In their own ways, Jones and Trevor are both disciplined, committed soldiers, who live to "outsoldier anything that moves." Why, then, on one specific night, did they break their own code and allow themselves to fall asleep? Was this true dereliction of duty, or simply sheer exhaustion combined with false comfort? Does it matter? How do they view their own failings?
9. Is Jones's degrading experience in San Francisco important? Is it coincidence and largely a product of time, place, and economics, or is it a self-imposed punishment? What does he mean when he says "I have a need to be uncomfortable for a long period of time"?
10. In George's house in Huley, Washington, Jones plans a confrontation that never happens. Did he want to use the gun simply to perform his "rescue," or did he truly want to injure or kill the two men? Compare this to Jones's second major break with his soldiers' code, when he abandoned Sergeant Cowens to pull a Somali woman to safety.
11. What obstacles does Jones face in his love for Liz? His own personality? The fact that they both serve in the military? Does she play a role in his decision to stay overseas a few extra days, rather than going home? If they had met in civilian life, do you think the same spark would have existed between them?
12. The U.S. media's coverage of the military comes into play several times through the course of the book. How does the media's coverage of the deployment affect the characters? Why? As the situation gets more dangerous, the soldiers feel that "no one knows we're here." Do they blame the media for this? How does the nature of "peacekeeping," as opposed to traditional forms of warfare, play a role in the story's development?
13. Which scene most powerfully reinforced your preconceptions about military life? Which scene most effectively challenged those preconceptions? Why?
14. Compare and contrast this book — its story, characters, and lessons — to previous novels about war. How does it differ from the ironic, dark humor of Catch-22, or the brutally antiwar sentiments of All Quiet on the Western Front? How is it similar? In what ways does Jones stand as a witness to the larger events around him, like Lieutenant Henry in A Farewell to Arms? In what ways does this book seem wholly unique among works of war fiction?