Three Day Road

The battalion is moved to Amiens. The Canadians are winning more and more battles, and the war feels like it might be turning in the Allies’ favor. Elijah and Xavier are both homesick, and Elijah says one day that he will return home and be a great chief, one who will remember his war days with fondness. Their battalion takes the Germans by surprise, and in the confusion, Xavier and Elijah are separated. When Elijah returns, he is reprimanded by Breech and Colquhoun, McCaan’s replacement, as he has been gone for two days.

Later, Elijah gleefully tells Xavier about how he tracked the retreating soldiers and shot each of them. As it was too late to catch up with his platoon, he befriended a French regiment, and then found himself amongst the Highlanders, where he learned that the sniper from earlier had been killed in action. He then searched out the medic for morphine, took some, and then used it to put a Highlander out of his misery. Xavier is disgusted by Elijah’s behavior and leaves.

The battalion is moved to another section of fighting. One day, both Xavier and Elijah are called to Lieutenant Breech’s quarters, where they are surprised to find Grey Eyes, who was thought to have been killed. Grey Eyes has informed on them, saying that Elijah is a morphine addict. Breech dislikes Elijah and Xavier, so he is pleased to have a reason to punish them. As the group quarrels, shells fall near them. An angry Elijah takes out his revolver while a look of fear comes across Breech’s face for the first time. Suddenly, the place they are standing in is hit by a shell and everyone is thrown to the ground. In the chaos, Elijah kills both Grey Eyes and Breech by bashing their heads in, and then he covers them with debris to make it look like an accident. Though Xavier protests, Elijah says he had to do it to save them both.

The battalion is moved again to a resting place, and Elijah tries to fight the growing darkness inside of him. He tells Xavier that he is not mad, and that they can still go home together at the end of the war, like they always planned. Xavier finally breaks his silence and tells Elijah that they cannot return to Niska and the bush because Niska is dead.

“Hero” is set in the present, where Xavier is now dealing with his pain without the help of morphine, and is losing badly. He is not in control of his body, and wonders why he did not prepare his morphine supply better. While waiting for Niska to return, he thinks back to the war. The group takes another key point, and amid the fighting, Xavier takes prisoners, which angers Elijah. Elijah would rather kill them, but Xavier refuses and takes them back with Fat, noting how frightened the soldiers look. He and Elijah are then sent in as scouts to Cambrai, and find that the town has been deserted. This angers Elijah, who is afraid that the Germans will give up, leaving him with no one to kill. Xavier considers telling his superiors about the murders, those of the civilians, and those of Grey Eyes and Breech.

On another scouting mission, Elijah manages to wound a lone soldier in a field. Xavier comes upon them, and watches the fear on the soldier’s face as Elijah kills him, then puts the soldier’s blood on his face. Xavier calls out, and Elijah is startled, and tries to wipe the blood off. The battalion takes more ground, but must then wait for reinforcements. It is confirmed that Xavier’s hearing is getting worse. Elijah tries to reason with Xavier, telling him that he can be sent home due to his hearing impairment, and that he will be sent home as a hero. He then tries to defend himself, telling Xavier that he has lost something after getting into the airplane. Elijah realizes he is not invincible. He also says he is not crazy, but that he has been placed in a crazy environment and asked to do crazy things. Despite this, he will achieve his goals, and no one, including Xavier, can stop him.