123: Chas's Challenge

I was tagged by Kevin on this literary meme.

(I looked up meme, and I'm not sure how this matches the definitions I found ... since Kevin is a Field Linguist I'll have to grill him on this next time I see him)

Here are the rules:

The meme:

1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book TO page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people.

I collated the results, and added mine at the end ...

Osbert Sitwell was well acquainted with the story. He says that the deserters included French, Italians, Germans, Austrians, Australians, Englishmen, and Canadians; they lived

--at least they lived--in caves and grottoes under certain parts of the front line...They would issue forth, it was said, from their secret lairs, after each of the interminable checkmate battles, to rob the dying of their few possessions...

(Chas - The Great War and Modern Memory, Paul Fussell)

It looks just as unappetizing as before, only greasier. I sigh and place it, along with overcooked rice, on a tray.

I’m making the banana squash at the request of my father.

(Anne - Queen of Dreams, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni)

…We turned off the highway on to the slip road, and then off it, past a jhopadpatti, into darkness. Our beams conjured up a dusty road, trees sliding into existence and out again, it was like falling into a tunnel. I went eagerly into it.

(Macha - Sacred Games, Vikram Chandra)

Pumaia keeps back one favorite pig which he has vowed shall die a natural death. Kuali'i sends messengers to demand this last hog, but Pumaia kills each messenger until none are left. Finally, Kuali'i catches, binds, and kills Pumaia and throws his bones into the pit with others.

(Kevin - Hawaiian Mythology, Martha Beckwith)

They were all filthy, and they all wore hats with broken bells. One of them kicked David in the shin.

"Ow!" said David.

(MC - The Book of Lost Things, John Connolly)

I'll have to think of who to tag ... how about Drew, Tom, Dawn, Keiko ... shoots, I don't know five people with home pages ... guess I'm not as connected as I thought ...