Battle Cry - Leon Uris [46]
CHAPTER 8
THE CODE began to sound like an inescapable whine in Danny’s ears during the ensuing weeks. Lessons, once easily learned, became difficult and the fascination of radio grew to boredom. A haze fell over him. An irresistible urge drove him to her arms…yet at the same time a constant irking guilt wanted him to break away. It was wrong. Wrong for both of them. Everything he knew told him so. Yet he automatically dressed and passed through the main gate to the waiting car. Like a magnet. Every other night Ski lay in Danny’s bunk to cover him during bed check. Ski treated the affair with passive silence. He hated Danny for not finding the strength or the will to remain faithful, as he had done to Susan. Yet they were buddies and he quietly surrendered his liberty card to Danny and protected his absences. There were no bull sessions with the fellows now. No wrestling about or slinging insults. He spoke little to anyone.
Elaine Yarborough quit the USO. She stiffened and turned deaf ears to the icy whispers of the Navy wives. Let them scorn her and her lover. Perhaps it was envy, perhaps it was. She succumbed to him, enraptured, like a hero worshipper. Piecemeal the stiff clandestine tradition of caste built in her marriage to Vernon wilted in his arms. The young Marine dominated her every thought, her every move. The past faded or failed to penetrate to the cloud she lived on. In a nightclub, a roadside rendezvous, the beach, her apartment, she studied him enthralled.
Dear Son,
I realize how busy you must be and I promised that I wouldn’t make too many demands upon you. But it has been two weeks since we have gotten a letter. Are you ill or have you been transferred from school?
I know there must be some logical reason, son. I hate to harp but you must realize how important your letters are.
Why don’t you call us, collect of course. You should be free around six at night—that will be nine, our time. Friday night we will all be standing by….
If you are in any kind of trouble, I’d feel a lot better if you cared to confide in me….
Danny sat up slowly in bed, yawned and stretched. She lay cuddled under the blankets and peeked one eye open. She saw the ripple of muscle over his back and purred like a contented cat.
“Holy Christ,” he said, “I’m late. Hey Elaine, wake up.”
“Leave me alone, I’m going to sleep all day.”
“Like hell you are. You’re going to drive me to the base. Get up.”
“Oh, must I?” she whined. She rolled over on her back and looked at him. “Come here, Danny boy,” she whispered, holding up the covers.
“Don’t call me Danny boy.”
“Come here to mommy.” She eased him down beside her and held his cheek against her breast.
“Don’t call me Danny boy.”
“I like to tease you.” He kissed her hand and closed his eyes. She sighed and ran her fingers over his hard flesh. Vernon was soft and pudgy. So dull, so without imagination, so routine, so dutiful. The mornings she lay cold and angry, unsatisfied, taken for granted. He was soft. He tried to exercise at the club but there was an ugly ring of fat around his middle.
Danny flung the covers off, rolled her over and slapped her backside. “Come on, woman, get up and make me some breakfast.” He nudged her from the bed to the floor. She stood up, grabbed a blanket and covered herself quickly.
“You shouldn’t do that, Danny.”
“Do what?”
“Look at me.”
“Why not?”
“It embarrasses me.”
“Hell, if I was built like you, I’d walk down Broadway naked as a jaybird.”
“Danny, stop that this minute.”
“Hurry up, will you, I’ll miss reveille.”
He walked into the barracks and opened his locker as the rest of the men worked slowly into their clothes.
“Aha,” cried L.Q. Jones. “Here comes big Dan Forrester. SOS, the breakfast food of Marines, brings you another chapter in the thrilling adventures of Big Dan Forrester, SUPER-MARINE!”
“Very funny, very goddam funny,” Danny spat as he flung his towel over his shoulder and stomped off to the head. Behind him there was a sound of laughter.
“What’s the matter,