Chapter 13

De Coverley wears an eye patch due to an injury caused by a malicious old man during a parade in Rome. Nevertheless to remain binocular, he insists the patch be transparent. His colossal stature also earns the fear of all the men, and only Milo Minderbinder has the courage to address him, ingratiating himself by offering him a hard-boiled egg from Malta. Taking hints from Milo, de Coverley promises to give Milo plans to make weekly runs to Malta for eggs and to Sicily for butter. This initiates a fresh-egg orgy, and gradually all the officers turn over their mess halls to Milo. His popularity spreads as he opens up other supply lines to include other specialties from lamb chops to artichokes to strawberries.