the rain was coming down so hard they were soaked by the time they reached the end of the sidewalk . she asked me , without coming any closer . `` perhaps as the captain of her personal guard ? i was playing the brat , and the brat would not smile . he closed his one open eye and dreamt of home . the implication was too obvious to ignore . he tried a laugh but it turned into a little whistle of pain and i got up to go . 