Caine Mutiny, The - Herman Wouk [64]
Ensign Keith seems a bright and apt young man. He has been aboard less than two weeks. He shows promise of becoming a competent officer. But he must first overcome a somewhat light and careless approach to his duties.
Above this there was a space in which was printed, I consider this officer: Outstanding-Excellent-Above Average-Average-Unsatisfactory. De Vriess had erased a check beside Excellent and moved it to Above Average.
This was, in Navy usage, a blackball. The fitness report was so dread an instrument that few commanding officers had the bowels to be coldly honest. As a result the average officer was judged “Excellent” on these forms. To call a man “Above Average” was to inform the Bureau that he was a nonentity. Willie knew all this. He had typed dozens of the reports at CincPac. He read the report with rising anger and disturbance. This was damning with faint praise, skillful and malicious, beyond hope of repair. He returned the sheet to the captain, trying to keep his face blank of emotion. “Is that all, sir?”
“Do you consider that summary unfair?”
“I’d rather not comment, sir. The fitness report is your province-”
“My duty to the Bureau requires as honest an opinion as I can give. That report is by no means unsatisfactory, you know. You can erase it with one good one.”
“Thank you very much, sir.” Willie was trembling with suppressed irritation. He wanted nothing but to leave the cabin at once. He felt De Vriess was detaining him merely to gloat over him. “May I go, sir?”
De Vriess looked at him, his expression mingling wry sadness with his habitual mockery. “It’s my duty to inform you that if you feel the report is unjust you have the right to attach a letter challenging it.”
“I’ve nothing to add to it, sir.”
“All right, Willie. Don’t mislay any more action despatches.”
“Aye aye, sir.” Willie turned and put his hand on the doorknob.
“One moment, please.”
“Yes, sir?”
The captain tossed the fitness report on his desk and swiveled his chair back and forth slowly. “I think there’s a matter of disciplinary action to be considered.”
Willie threw a bitter look from the captain to the yellow form.
“The report, at least to my limited mind, doesn’t come under that heading,” observed De Vriess. “The punitive use of the fitness report negates the value of the system and is strictly forbidden by a SecNav directive.”
“That’s good to know, sir.” Willie considered that a bold ironic thrust, but it made no dent on De Vriess.
“I’m putting you in hack for three days, Willie-the same length of time you held up that message. Perhaps that will drive the feathers out of your head.”
“I’m sorry to be ignorant, sir. Exactly what does that involve for me?”
“Confinement to your room except for meals and calls of nature- On second thought,” added the captain, “confinement to the clip shack would be cruel and unusual punishment, no doubt of that. Let’s say you’re confined to the limits of the ship for three days.”
“Aye aye, sir.”
“Well, I guess that’s all.”
As Willie turned to go, a thought penetrated his red haze of anger. He pulled the admiral’s invitation from his pocket and silently handed it to De Vriess. The captain pursed his lips. “Well, well. Admiral Reynolds, hey? Pretty good company. How do you know the admiral?”
“I happened to meet him socially, sir.”
“Why does he want you at this particular shindig?”
“I’m sure I don’t know, sir.” But this sounded too surly, so he added, “I play the piano a bit. The admiral seems to enjoy it.”
“You do? I didn’t know that. I play a sax myself, a little bit, when I’m home. You must be pretty good to get requisitioned by the admiral. Like to hear you play sometime.”
“Delighted to oblige, sir, any time at your convenience.”
De Vriess regarded the invitation, smiling. “Tonight, hey? Well, far be it from me to dampen the admiral’s party. Let’s say your confinement begins at 0800 tomorrow. How’s that?”
“Whatever you say, sir. I don’t want