War Brothers

After the beating, the boys lie in the dirt, recovering from their injuries. Jacob finds a jug of water and encourages the other boys, including Norman, to drink it. Norman admits that he’s only 10 years old, not 12 like Jacob previously thought. Jacob makes Paul and Norman promise to be brothers and to look out for each other, but he doesn’t ask Tony, as he can’t get the image of Tony beating Adam out of his head.

Eventually, the boys are forced back to their feet and made to march into the bush again. Oteka comes by and secretly gives Jacob herbs to spread among his friends, which Jacob recognizes as lwit oput leaves that help to reduce pain.

As night falls, Oteka instructs Jacob on what will happen: They’re about to attack a village, where the soldiers will murder the “very young and very old” (116) with hand weapons in order to save bullets. As Jacob tries to sleep, he thinks of what he knew about Kony from his childhood, and he asks forgiveness for not caring at the time.