Cryptonomicon

"That will be true," Root continues, "until such time as the Allies change the code systems--which they will probably do as soon as possible. So, on the negative side of the calculus of death, we have some convoy sinkings in the short term. What about the positive side?" Root asks, raising his eyebrows in contemplation even as he stares down into Monkberg's wound. "How might turning over the codes save some lives? Well, that is an imponderable."

"A what?" Shaftoe says.

"Suppose, for example, that there is a secret convoy about to cross over from New York, and it contains thousands of troops, and some new weapon that will turn the tide in the war and save thousands of lives. And suppose that it is using a different code system, so that even after the Germans get our code books today they will not know about it. The Germans will focus their energies on sinking the convoys that they do know about--killing, perhaps, a few hundred crew members. But while their attention is on those convoys, the secret convoy will slip through and deliver its precious cargo and save thousands of lives."

Another long silence. They can hear the rest of Detachment 2702 shouting now, down in the lifeboats, probably having a detailed discussion of their own: if we leave all of the fucking officers behind on a grounded ship, does it qualify as mutiny?

"That's just hypothetical," Root says. "But it demonstrates that it is at least theoretically possible that there might be a positive side to the calculus of death. And now that I think about it, there might not even be a negative side."

"What do you mean?" Benjamin says. "Of course there's a negative side!"

"You are assuming that the Germans have not already broken that code," Root says, pointing a bloody and accusing finger at Benjamin's big tome of gibberish. "But maybe they have. They've been sinking our convoys left and right, you know. If that's the case, then there is no negative in letting it fall into their hands."

"But that contradicts your theory about the secret convoy!" Benjamin says.

"The secret convoy was just a Gedankenexperiment,"Root says.

Corporal Benjamin rolls his eyes; apparently, he actually knows what that means. "If they've already broken it, then why are we going to all of this trouble, and risking our lives to GIVE IT TO THEM!?"

Root ponders that one for a while. "I don't know."

"Well, what do you think, Lieutenant Root?" Bobby Shaftoe asks a few excruciatingly silent minutes later.

"I think that in spite of my Gedankenexperiment,that Corporal Benjamin's explanation--i.e., that Lieutenant Monkberg is a German spy--is more plausible."

Benjamin lets out a sigh of relief. Monkberg stares up into Root's face, paralyzed with horror.

"But implausible things happen all the time," Root continues.

"Oh, for pete's sake!" Benjamin shouts, and slams his hand down on the book.

"Lieutenant Root?" Shaftoe says.

"Yes, Sergeant Shaftoe?"

"Lieutenant Monkberg's injury was an accident. I seen it happen."

Root looks up into Shaftoe's eyes. He finds this interesting. "Really?"

"Yes, sir. It was an accident all the way."

Root breaks open a package of sterile gauze and begins to wind it around Monkberg's leg; the blood soaks through immediately, faster than he can wind new layers around it. But gradually, Root starts to get the better of it, and the gauze stays white and clean. "Guess it's time to make a command decision," he says. "I say we leave the code books behind, just like Lieutenant Monkberg says."

"But if he's a German spy--" Benjamin begins.

"Then his ass is grass when we get back on friendly soil," Root says.

"But you said yourself the chances of that were slim."

"I shouldn't have said that," Enoch Root says apologetically. "It was not a wise or a thoughtful comment. It did not reflect the true spirit of Detachment 2702. I am convinced that we will prevail in the face of our little problem here. I am convinced that we will make it to Sweden and that we will bring Lieutenant Monkberg along with us."

"That's the spirit!" Monkberg says.

"If at any point, Lieutenant Monkberg shows signs of malingering, or volunteers to be left behind, or in any way behaves so as to increase our risk of capture by the Germans, then we can all safely assume that he is a German spy."

Monkberg seems completely unfazed. "Well, let's get the fuck out of here, then!" he blurts, and gets to his feet, somewhat unsteady from blood loss.

"Wait!" Sergeant Shaftoe says.

"What is it now, Shaftoe?" Monkberg shouts, back in command again.

"How are we going to know if he's increasing our risk of capture?"

"What do you mean, Sergeant Shaftoe?" Root says.

"Maybe it won't be obvious," Shaftoe says. "Maybe there's a German detachment waiting to capture us at a certain location in the woods. And maybe Lieutenant Monkberg is going to lead us directly to the trap."

"Atta boy, Sarge!" Corporal Benjamin says.