- Another letter to Shun, dated June 12, 1775—also from Cambridge:
- Goring tells Shun that he appreciates the letter she sent him (finally).
- The men are still waiting for orders to fight; they hear about all sorts of action on the islands nearby, but not much more than that.
- The Brits are still in Boston, waiting for who knows what reason.
- Meanwhile, the company goes through a lot of drills.
- Octavian has been called to work with another group of men—other Negroes and Irishmen—to build ditches and fortifications.
- They've built up fortifications in Roxbury, all while keeping the Brits in sight.
- The Brits, for some reason, are entrenched in the middle of the neck of Boston, which doesn't seem to be a good thing for them, for as Goring points out a city can't thrive when its neck is slit.
- Goring sees Octavian occasionally during the day, and sometimes in the evenings Shem or Goring will steal Octavian away.
- Goring really likes Octavian's company, probably because Octavian's the only one who will sit and listen to Goring sermonize.
- They trade stories with each other too—Octavian tells him of Roman times, while he tells Octavian stories about his village, the cooperage, and the mill.
- Octavian's a changed man now because he has a purpose.
- Others may have their reasons for being—whether it's talking (like Goring) or their children or their spouses—but Octavian doesn't desire anything.
- He goes from total sadness and joylessness to anger.
- And it's this new anger that keeps Octavian digging those ditches, chopping those trees, and building those fortifications—he does all of this for freedom.
- That's how they all spend their days.
- Meanwhile, the city just sits there like a spider, without change.
- That's the life of a soldier.