Fast Fiction #5

"Beau Geste" tells the story of John Geste, who narrates his family history through photographs before recounting a troubled period involving his twin brother Beau, their brother Digby, and their Aunt Patricia's prized Blue Water Sapphire. The narrative shifts to a military fort in the desert where soldiers arrive unlucky, with a captain and lieutenant succumbing to desert fever and madness, followed by a mutiny led by Corporal Boldini. Beau Geste and his brother, despite being presented with an offer to join the mutineers as "pigs or butchers," choose instead to defend the fort, resulting in a climactic battle where the fort is set ablaze. The story concludes with Digby setting fire to the fort as a warrior's funeral for the fallen Beau Geste, honoring his brother's sacrifice.