hr.thecarpetbaggers-第135节

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e　table　to　the　General　and　his　staff。
　〃That's　the　story；　gentlemen；〃　I　said。　〃The　CA…JET　X。P。　should　reach　six　hundred　easier　than　the　British　De　Havilland…Rolls　jet　did　the　five…o…six　point　five　they're　bragging　about。〃　I　smiled　at　them　and　got　to　my　feet。　〃And　now；　if　you'll　step　outside；　gentlemen；　I'll　show　you。〃
　〃I　have　no　doubt　about　that；　Mr。　Cord；〃　the　General　said　smoothly。　〃If　there'd　been　any　doubts　in　our　minds；　you　never　would　have　got　the　contract。〃
　〃Then　what　are　we　waiting　for？　Let's　go。〃
　〃Just　a　moment；　Mr。　Cord；〃　the　General　said　quickly。　〃We　can't　allow　you　to　demonstrate　the　jet。〃
　I　stared　at　him。　〃Why　not？〃
　〃You　haven't　been　cleared　for　jet　aircraft；〃　he　said。　He　looked　down　at　a　sheet　of　paper　on　his　desk。　〃Your　medical　report　indicates　a　fractional　lag　in　your　reflexes。　Perfectly　normal；　of　course；　considering　your　age；　but　you'll　understand　why　we　can't　let　you　fly　her。〃
　〃That's　a　lot　of　crap；　General。　Who　the　hell　do　you　think　flew　her　down　here　to　deliver　her　to　you？〃
　〃You　had　a　perfect　right　to　…　then；〃　the　General　replied。　〃It　was　your　plane。　But　the　moment　she　touched　that　field　outside；　according　to　the　contract；　she　became　the　property　of　the　Army。　And　we　can't　afford　the　risk　of　allowing　you　to　take　her　up。〃
　I　slammed　my　fist　into　my　hand　angrily。　Rules；　nothing　but　rules。　That　was　the　trouble　with　these　damn　contracts。　Yesterday；　I　could　have　flown　her　up　to　Alaska　and　back　and　they　couldn't　have　stopped　me。　Or　for　that　matter；　even　catch　me。　The　CA…JET　X。P。　was　two　hundred　odd　miles　an　hour　faster　than　any　of　the　conventional　aircraft　the　Army　had　in　the　air。　Someday；　I'd　have　to　take　the　time　to　read　those　contracts。
　The　General　smiled　and　came　around　the　table　toward　me。　〃I　know　just　how　you　feel；　Mr。　Cord；〃　he　said。　〃When　the　medics　told　me　I　was　too　old　for　bat　flying　and　put　me　behind　a　desk；　I　wasn't　any　older　than　you　are　right　now。　And　I　didn't　like　it　any　more　than　you　do。　Nobody　likes　being　told　he　is　growing　older。〃
　What　the　hell　was　he　talking　about？　I　was　only　forty…one。　That　isn't　old。　I　could　still　fly　rings　around　most　of　those　damp…eared　kids　walking　around　on　the　field　outside　with　gold　and　silver　bars　and　oak　leaves　on　their　shoulders。　I　looked　at　the　General。
　He　must　have　read　the　surprise　in　my　eyes；　for　he　smiled　again。　〃That　was　only　a　year　ago。　I'm　forty…three　now。〃　He　offered　me　a　cigarette　and　I　took　it　silently。　〃Lieutenant　Colonel　Shaw　will　take　her　up。　He's　on　the　field　right　now；　waiting　for　us。〃
　Again；　he　read　the　question　in　my　eyes。　〃Don't　worry　about　it；〃　he　said　quickly。　〃Shaw's　pletely　familiar　with　the　plane。　He　spent　the　last　three　weeks　at　your　plant　in　Burbank　checking　her　out。〃
　I　glanced　at　Morrissey　but　he　was　carefully　looking　somewhere　else　at　the　time。　He'd　been　in　on　it；　too。　I'd　make　him　sweat　for　that　one。　I　turned　back　to　the　General。　〃O。K。；　General。　Let's　go　outside　and　watch　that　baby　fly。〃
　Baby　was　the　right　word　and　not　only　for　the　plane。　Lieutenant　Colonel　Shaw　couldn't　have　been　more　than　twenty　years　old。　I　watched　him　take　her　up　but　somehow　I　couldn't　stand　there　squinting　up　at　the　sky；　watching　him　put　her　through　her　paces。　It　was　like　going　to　a　lot　of　trouble　to　set　yourself　up　with　a　virgin　and　then　when　you　had　everything　warmed　up　and　ready；　you　opened　the　bedroom　door　and　found　another　guy　copping　the　cherry　right　under　your　nose。
　〃Is　there　anywhere　around　here　I　could　get　a　cup　of　coffee？〃
　〃There's　a　missary　down　near　the　main　gate；〃　one　of　the　soldiers　said。
　〃Thanks。〃
　〃You're　wele；〃　he　said　automatically；　never　taking　his　eyes　from　the　plane　in　the　sky；　while　I　walked　away。
　The　missary　wasn't　air…conditioned　but　they　kept　it　dark　and　it　wasn't　too　bad；　even　if　the　ice　cubes　in　the　iced　coffee　had　melted　before　I　got　the　glass　back　to　my　seat。　I　stared　morosely　out　of　the　window　in　front　of　my　table。　Too　young　or　too　old。　That　was　the　story　of　my　life。　I　was　fourteen　when　the　last　one　ended；　in　1918；　and　almost　over　the　age　limit　when　we　got　into　this　one。　Some　people　never　had　any　luck。　I　always　thought　that　war　came　to　every　generation　but　I　was　neither　one　nor　the　other。　I　had　the　bad　fortune　to　be　born　in　between。
　A　medium…size　Army　bus　pulled　up　in　front　of　the　missary。　Men　started　to　pile　out　and　I　watched　them　because　there　was　nothing　else　to　look　at。　They　weren't　soldiers；　they　were　civilians；　and　not　young　ones；　either。　Most　of　them　carried　their　jacket　over　their　arm　and　a　brief　case　in　their　free　hand　and　there　were　some　with　gray　in　their　hair　and　many　with　no　hair　at　all。　One　thing　about　them　caught　my　eye。　None　of　them　were　smiling；　not　even　when　they　spoke　to　one　another　in　the　small　groups　they　immediately　formed　on　the　sidewalk　in　front　of　the　bus。
　Why　should　they　smile；　I　asked　myself　bitterly。　They　had　nothing　to　smile　about。　They　were　all　dodoes　like　me。　I　took　out　a　cigarette　and　struck　a　match。　The　breeze　from　the　circulating　fan　blew　it　out。　I　struck　another；　turning　away　from　the　fan　and　shielding　the　cigarette　in　my　cupped　hands。
　〃Herr　Cord！　This　is　indeed　a　surprise！　What　are　you　doing　here？〃
　I　looked　up　at　Herr　Strassmer。　〃I　just　delivered　a　new　plane；〃　I　said；　holding　out　my　hand。　〃But　what　are　you　doing　out　here？　I　thought　you　were　in　New　York。〃
　He　shook　my　hand　in　that　peculiarly　European　way　of　his。　The　smile　left　his　eyes。　〃We；　too；　made　a　delivery。　And　now　we　go　back。〃
　〃You　were　with　that　group　outside？〃
　He　nodded。　He　looked　out　through　the　window　at　them　and　a　troubled　look　came　into　his　eyes。　〃Yes；〃　he　said　slowly。　〃We　all　came　together　in　one　plane　but　we　are　going　back　on　separate　flights。　Three　years　we　worked　together　but　now　the　job　is　finished。　Soon　I　go　back　to　California。〃
　〃I　hope　so；〃　I　laughed。　〃We　sure　could　use　you　in　the　plant　but　I'm　afraid　it'll　be　some　time　yet。　The　war　in　Europe　may　be　over　but　if　Tarawa　and　Okinawa　are　any　indication；　we're　good　for　at　least　six　months　to　a　year　before　Japan　quits。〃
　He　didn't　answer。
　I　looked　up　and　suddenly　I　remembered。　These　Europeans　were　very　touchy　about　manners。　〃Excuse　me；　Herr　Strassmer；〃　I　said　quickly。　〃Won't　you　join　me　in　some　coffee？〃
　〃I　have　not　the　time。〃　There　was　a　curiously　hesitant　look　to　his　eyes。　〃Do　you　have　an　office　here　as　you　do　everywhere　else？〃
　〃Sure；〃　I　said；　looking　up　at　him。　I'd　passed　the　door　marked　MEN　on　my　way　over。　〃It's　in　the　back　of　this　building。〃
　〃I　will　meet　you　there　in　five　minutes；〃　he　said　and　hurried　out。
　Through　the　window；　I　watched　him　join　one　of　the　groups　and　begin　to　talk　with　them。　I　wondered　if　the　old　boy　was　going　crackers。　You　couldn't　tell；　but　maybe　he　had　been　working　too　hard　and　thought　he　was　back　in　Nazi　Germany。　There　certainly　wasn't　any　reason　for　him　to　be　so　secretive　about　being　seen　talking　to　me。　After　all；　we　were　on　the　same　side。
　I　ground　my　cigarette　into　an　ash　tray　and　sauntered　out。　He　never　even　glanced　up　as　I　walked　past　his　group　on　my　way　to　the　john。　He　came　into　the　room　a　moment　after　I　had　got　there。　His　eyes　darted　nervously　toward　the　booths。　〃Are　we　alone？〃
　〃I　think　so；〃　I　said；　looking　at　him。　I　wondered　what　you　did　to　get　a　doctor　around　here　if　there　were　any　signs　of　his　cracking　up。
　He　walked　over　to　the　booths；　opened　the　doors　and　looked。　Satisfied；　he　turned　back　to　me。　His　face　was　tense　and　pale　and　there　were　small　beads　of　perspiration　across　his　forehead。　I　thought　I'd　begun　to　recognize　the　symptoms。　Too　much　of　this　Nevada　sun　is　murder　if　you're　not　used　to　it。　His　first　words　convinced　me　I　was　right。
　〃Herr　Cord；〃　he　whispered　hoarsely。　〃The　war　will　not　be　over　in　six　months。〃
　〃Of　course　not；〃　I　said　soothingly。　From　what　I　had　heard；　the　first　thing　to　do　was　agree　with　them；　try　to　calm　them　down。　I　wished　I　could　remember　the　second　thing。　I　turned　to　the　sink。　〃Here；　let　me　get　you　a　glass　of…　〃
　〃It　will　be　over　next　month！〃
　What　I　thought　must　have　been　written　on　my　face；　for　my　mouth　hung　open　in　surprise。　〃No；　I'm　not　crazy；　Herr　Cord；〃　Strassmer　said　quickly。　〃To　no　one　else　but　you　would　I　say　this。　It　is　the　only　way　I　can　repay　you　for　saving　my　life。　I　know　how　important　this　could　be　to　your　business。〃
　〃But…　but　how…　〃
　〃I　cannot　tell　you　more；〃　he　interrupted。　〃Just　believe　me。　By　next　month；　Japan　will　be　verfallen！〃　He　turned　and　almost　ran　out　the　door。
　I　stared　after　him　for　a　moment；　then　went　over　to　the　sink　and　washed　my　face　in　cold　water。　I　felt　I　must　be　even　crazier　than　he　was；　because　I　was　beginning　to　believe　him。　But　why？　It　just　didn't　make　any　sense。　Sure；　we　were　pushing　the　Nips　back；　but　they　still　held　Malaya；　Hong　Kong　and　the　Dutch　East　Indies。　And　with　their　kamikaze　philosophy；　it　would　take　a　miracle　to　end　the　war　in　a　month。
　I　was　still　thinking　about　it　when　Morrissey　and　I　got　on　the　train。　〃You　know　who　I　ran　into　back　there？〃　I　asked。　I　didn't　give　him　a　chance　to　answer。　〃Otto　Strassmer。〃
　There　seemed　to　be　a　kind　of　relief　in　his　smile。　I　guess　he'd　been　expecting　to　catch　hell　for　not　telling　me　about　that　Air　Corps　test　pilot。　〃He's　a　nice　little　guy；〃　Morrissey　said。　〃How　is　he？〃
　〃Seemed　all　right　to　me；〃　I　said。　〃He　was　on　his　way　back　to　New　Yor