Bell for Adano, A - John Hersey [59]
Mayor Nasta said: “Yes, that is true, I talked with Quattrocchi yesterday.”
The formidable Margherita said: “What happened?” This was something close to home, and she considered anything that happened in Adano more or less her personal property, to use as gossip.
Mayor Nasta said: “The American vandals destroyed four hundred and seventy thousand lira worth of stuff in Quattrocchi’s house. Heirlooms, paintings, sculpture, glassware. They said that Italian art is degenerate; they did all this because they wish to impose American ideas of art on Italy. That is what Quattrocchi told me the American Major had told him.”
Mercurio Salvatore, the crier, said: “That I will not believe. The Mister Major is our friend.” The crier was annoyed enough to say this in very nearly his crying voice. He spoke loudly enough to be heard inside the Palazzo.
“Quiet,” Mayor Nasta said. “He will hear you and punish you.”
“Why should he punish me?” Mercurio cried. “I am defending him.”
“He is unpredictable,” Mayor Nasta whispered. “Also, he is lecherous. He is trying to seduce the daughters of Tomasino the fisherman. I have this on good authority. You will see, in a few months the daughters of Tomasino will have big bellies.”
The formidable Margherita was beginning to enjoy this. “If I know the daughters of Tomasino,” she said, “they may have big bellies without the help of the Mister Major,” and she laughed harshly.
“You will see,” Mayor Nasta said. “I must be going now,” he said, bowing to the circle, as if the fact that it was beginning to grow embarrassed him. “Good day,” he said, “do not forget the twenty-third.”
Each day when he came out from his repentence before Sergeant Borth, Mayor Nasta would go across to the sidewalk in front of the Palazzo, and he would approach a different group, and he would tell them pretty much the same thing.
Sergeant Borth allowed this to go on for several days, because Sergeant Borth was a careful worker. He waited until he was sure of all his facts. He had his informers trap Mayor Nasta into new exaggerations and accusations. He made sure that the son of Afronti the noisy cartman had not deserted. He checked with Intelligence at IX Corps to make sure that the Germans were not expected to counterattack on the twenty-third. He even went so far as to check with Captain Purvis as to the intentions of Major Joppolo toward the daughters of Tomasino. “Hell,” the Captain said, “I don’t think the Major knows what a pushover they’d be, talking wop the way he does.”
When he was ready, Sergeant Borth went to Major Joppolo. “Major,” he said, “we’ve got to put Nasta away.” The Major said: “What’s he done?”
“He’s been planting rumors against us. I hate to admit it, but he’s done it very systematically and very skillfully.”
“What kinds of rumors?”
“Oh, all kinds. He has quite a few people thinking that the Germans are going to put on a major counterattack next week. He even has some of them believing that you haven’t been doing right by certain young ladies in this town.”
Major Joppolo blushed. “That isn’t true,” he said.
“I know,” Borth said. “I checked into it. But they tell me the Mister Major could make time if he wanted to.” “Cut it out,” the Major said.
“That’s what they tell me,” Borth said. “They say these particular girls don’t smell of fish, but their old man knows a good fish when he sees it.”
“Cut the kidding,” the Major said, and that echo was in his voice. He changed the subject quickly. “When are you going to arrest Nasta?”
“In the morning, when he comes in for his daily worship:”
“Okay,” the Major said. “Let’s keep him in the prisoners of war cage for a few days, and not send him to Africa till we’ve questioned him a bit. I’m sort of glad to have him put away.”
The next morning Mayor Nasta was somewhat surprised to see, besides Sergeant Borth in his office, two other men wearing brassards marked M.P. He said, as suavely as ever: “Good morning, Mister Sergeant.”
“And what crime would Mayor Nasta like to repent this morning?” Borth