Caine Mutiny, The - Herman Wouk [144]
“I believe I will have ‘some more coffee, please,” said Frazer.
Queeg said, “Willie, would you be good enough-” The ensign leaped up and poured for the senior officers.
“Well, Commander Queeg,” said Frazer, “I see your viewpoint and I appreciate your high standards. On the other hand, the Oaks needs a first lieutenant to start putting her in commission right away, and I particularly need someone around me who knows a little minesweeping. After all, we’re in a war. People have to learn fast, and do their best-”
“Well, I don’t know,” said Queeg, with a wise smile, “it sort of seems to me that in war standards of officer training should be higher, not lower. There are lives at stake, you know.”
Frazer stirred canned milk into his coffee slowly, and studied Queeg’s face with narrowed eyes. The captain of the Caine slouched in his chair, and stared at the wall, still smiling; in one hand hung over the back of the chair, the steel balls rolled with a little crackling noise.
“Captain Queeg,” said the blond commander, “your point is well taken. Only thing is, it wouldn’t make sense for me to hold up commissioning the Oaks while we waited for this relief of Rabbitt’s to come up to your standards, would it? I have to stop over in Washington to report to the Bureau. Suppose I tell them frankly that you’ve had difficulty in training up a replacement for Rabbitt to suit your standards, and just request that another officer be assigned-”
“I’ve had no difficulty of any kind, and I’ll match the state of officer training on this ship with any ship in the fleet, sir,” said Queeg quickly. When he put his coffee cup down it rattled. “As I say, by anybody’s standards but my own Harding is perfectly qualified, and in fact by my own standards his state of training is damned good, and, as I say, if Rabbitt left this afternoon the Caine would still be qualified to carry out all assignments, but all I was getting at-”
“I’m glad to hear that, Captain, and I’m sure it’s true,” said Frazer, grinning. “And that being the case, how about letting me have Rabbitt this afternoon?”
“Well, sir-” Queeg’s head wagged heavily from side to side, and sank down between his shoulders. He peered out from under his eyebrows. “Well, as I say, since apparently it would work such a hardship to the Oaks if Rabbitt stayed aboard here another few days, which is all I ever intended, and gave Harding some concentrated indoctrination, why-I fully realize that the Caine is an obsolescent vessel and the battle mission of the Oaks is far more important, sir, but for that very reason I regard training as one of the primary missions of this ship, and if I seem overzealous for excellence, well, I don’t know as you can blame me or the Bureau could, either.”
“On the contrary, you deserve commendation for your high standards.” Frazer stood, and picked up his cap. “Suppose I send my gig over for Rabbitt, say, 1600, Captain. Save your boat a trip. Will that suit you?”
“That’ll be fine. If you have any friends in the Bureau, you might tell them that Queeg, Philip, class of ’36, is fairly due for some orders, too. ... I’ll escort you to the gangway, sir,” Queeg said, as Frazer moved toward the door.
“Thank you. Nice meeting you, Keith.”
“It was an honor and a pleasure, sir, I’m sure,” said Willie. He failed in his effort to keep the gladness out of his voice. Queeg shot a baleful side glance at Willie as he left.
Ordinarily when a detached officer quitted the Caine nobody took notice except the gangway watch, who had to log the exact time of his leaving. But Willie, who had the watch that afternoon, began to see around three-thirty that something extraordinary was going on. Sailors were congregating near the sea ladder, talking in low tones. The officers began to drift to the quarterdeck, too, one by one. Officers and men alike watched the movements of troops and