The jeep door slamming added

to the pound in the head.  Chores and contracting the swing door to the saloon-style prepping for settle down.  

  "WHY CAN'T YOU GIVE ME, US, THE retroactive pay?" 

  "It's complicated soldier's mom." 

  A swipe of a cleaning rag off a countertop.  A sigh.  "May I ask another question?" 

  "Shoot." 

  "Was this unit cleaned up well enough for a temporary barrack?" 

  "I'm not the judge.  And I really am endangering others having a plain old conversation with a civilian." 

  Back in the jeep.  "Just go." 

  "Okay.  But I can't make it all the way to there," pointing at a hand drawn cartoon of a map.  A phone call.  "Yeah.  I want you to come back and give me like ten bucks." 

  "For what?!?" 

  "Cleaning like a dozen peoples' tonsil stones off maybe my sister's mirror!" 

  "The realtor's in town?" 

  "She's married." 

  Click.  

  "Why would that be 'complicated'?" 

  Cigarette smoking irritated eyes tearing.  "Manpower on the move.  Dislocation of taxable money from physical address.  And this other thing." 

  "What other thing?" Was asked like, how could you possibly tell me something about my family, my self, that I don't already know.  "Okay, well I've been helping with some historical documentaries.  In real war displaced people and ownership of place 

  "Yeah 

  "Well, there's all this stuff about fluid situation and process.  Especially when places get occupied and people get detained.  Am I making your headache worse?" 

  "No, I think understanding stuff makes headaches better." 

  "See, something like payroll is one of those quasi things, uh, stuff of life.  It is and isn't material substance." 

  "Is that philosophical?" 

  "Everything is 'cuz humans think shit up.  But it also has to do with the part of this prep for war time in our lives." 

  "How?" 

  "We wouldn't even be having this conversation right now had we not bumped into each other, right?" 

  "I guess.  Don't go off on a tangent." 

  "The whole big thing was stalled, then lurching forward.  For people in my vocation, there's a ton of paperwork and documentation.  Which we can then look at for anahmolies." 

  "Drifting

  "So, if a red flag like a retroactive pay goes to budget arena, that calls attention to whatever time period 

  A rapping on the window startled both people.  No jumping but eyes wide open.  Window cracked open.  Some cash stuffed in.  People driving off. 

  "Plus, it's painfully slow to microscope a place, situation in the past when the whole thing is being forced forward.  We often wish we could see, for instance, where the terrorists were watching from when we were just visiting, or 

  "Let's go get gas."