Bell for Adano, A - John Hersey [106]
“That was hardly necessary, Giuseppe,” the Major said. “What did you want?”
“Fat Craxi and your Sergeant, they are misbehaving. I can’t do anything with them.”
The Major said to Tina: “Wait here,” and he went off with Giuseppe to find Craxi and Borth.
They were in the library. If there had been other guests in the room, they had left. Craxi and Borth were alone, and quite drunk.
When the fat Craxi saw the Major, he said to Borth: “Shall we relieve nature on the leg of the Mister Major?” Borth said: “Have you any left?”
Craxi said boastfully, beating himself on the chest: “If I wanted, I could relieve myself for two hours, and then I would still be able to pass wind for fifteen minutes. Shall we do it on the leg of the Mister Major?”
Borth said: “No, only on the enemies of Adano. He is a friend.” Suddenly Borth began to cry.
Major Joppolo said sharply: “Borth, behave yourself.” When the Major spoke so angrily, fat Craxi tiptoed out of the room, and Giuseppe followed him to keep an eye on him.
The Major and Borth were alone. The Major spoke -again: “Behave yourself or go home.”
Borth was drunk because of the Major. He had never been drunk in uniform before. But when the Major spoke so angrily, that streak of contrariness in Borth which made him tease people so much, which made him always laugh at serious people and deflate pompous ones, came out in him. He said thickly: “You can’t boss me around.”
“Sergeant Borth,” the Major said, with obvious emphasis on the word Sergeant.
“Don’t Sergeant me,” Borth said; “you have no ‘thority to boss me.”
I have just as much authority as I ever had, and if you don’t behave -”
“Oh no you haven’t,” Borth said. “You can’t boss anybody, not in Adano ..”
“Borth, you’re drunk. Now behave.”
“Joppolo, you’re fired. You been relieved. You’re nobody round here.” And Borth began to cry again. “Borth, I don’t know what you’re talking about, but
I-„
The Major broke off and went over to Borth and took him by the arm, to try to lead him out.
“Take your hands off me,” Borth said. He reached in his pocket and said: “Here, read that.”
Major Joppolo read the order recalling him from Adano.
“Where did you get this?” he asked.
Borth was crying again. “Your desk. I wanted to keep you from seeing it until after the party.”
The Major walked out of the room.
Victor Joppolo put up a beautiful front for the rest of the evening, until the very moment when he was saying good night to Tina just inside her front door. Then he put his arms around her and said miserably: “I’m so unhappy.”
Tina pushed back and looked at his face. She put her hands on his shoulders and said: “But I thought you were so happy?”
The Major was in control of himself again. “I am,” he said, “I’m sorry.”
“Is it because of your wife?” Tina asked.
“No, Tina, it’s nothing.” Then, in the shadow of the stairway of her house, he kissed her tenderly and said: “Till I see you again.”
She was frightened and she said: “What is the matter? Why did you say good-bye instead of good night? What is the matter?”
“Nothing, Tina. Good night, Tina.”
Chapter 37
IT was the middle of the morning before Major Joppolo could get his papers straightened up and his last-minute directions given. Sergeant Borth was the one who helped him get everything arranged. Captain Purvis did not have the courage to show himself all morning.
The Major called the motor pool and asked for a jeep to take him to Vicinamare.
Then he told Borth: “I don’t want to say good-bye to anyone, Borth. I don’t know whether I could.”
Borth did not mock this morning. He said: “I am sorry about last night, Major. My intentions were good. I wanted you to have a good time at the party.”
“I know.”
The Major thought a minute and then said: “Borth, try to help whoever takes my place to try to do a good job in Adano.”
Borth said: “I’m afraid it will be that awful dope from Pontebasso.” “
The Major said: “I hope not. Adano needs