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By Root 405 0

when he’d learned where all the miscreants were did Butcher allow himself to clean up. He showered, scrubbing vigorously with harsh pink soap as if he could scrub away the ignominy of what had happened to him the previous night. Then he dressed in a clean uniform and marched down towards the ranch school to confront the Doctor. He found him in the classroom with Ace, sitting disconsolately in front of a blackboard full of figures. The Doctor looked haggard and Ace was wearing sunglasses. Neither of them seemed to acknowledge Butcher’s presence as he stalked into the room. In fact, they seemed to stare right through him.

For an eerie instant Butcher felt as if he didn’t exist, as if he was a ghost haunting this old schoolroom. He cleared his throat, and finally they looked at him. ‘How may we help you, Major?’

‘I don’t know how the hell you pulled what you pulled on me last night –’

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‘Kindly lower your voice, Major Butcher. Both Ace and I have had rather a trying time.’

‘Not as trying as what’s about to happen to the two of you.’

The Doctor sighed. ‘And please Major, no threats. It’s much too early in the day.’

‘I just wanted you to know that you’re not going to get away with it.’

‘Get away with what, Major? I went on a nocturnal picnic with some friends. You insisted on joining us and we politely shared our food and drink with you.’

‘Food and drink? You little bastard. They had their guns on me.’

The Doctor shook his head sadly. ‘You rather startled my friends. Appearing out of the night like that, brandishing a weapon. They thought you were some kind of brigand. So naturally they gallantly leapt to our defence. They disarmed you. Nonetheless, we straightened everything out in no time and, if you recall, you were soon sitting beside the campfire with us, enjoying a snack and a drink. Indeed you enjoyed your drink so much that I understand you were found sleeping in your jeep this morning, rather the worse for wear.’

‘You bastard. I’m going to get even with you for this.’ He started towards the door, then thought of something. He came back and went over to the girl and took off her sunglasses. She didn’t try and stop him. She had a black eye, a livid purple swelling high over her right cheek. He gave her the sunglasses back and she put them on again.

‘Ace bumped into a door,’ said the Doctor.

Butcher said nothing. He went out. His feet thundered down the corridor as he left the building. He was going to nail that little bastard good. As he stepped out into the daylight he almost ran into the lanky figure of Oppy hurrying in. ‘Major. I need to talk to you.’

‘I’m busy.’

‘This is important. Ray Morita has disappeared.’

Butcher stopped in his tracks. ‘I thought he came back this morning?

‘He did. He returned the jeep to the motor pool and then went back to his quarters. But no one has seen him since.’

Butcher paused and considered. ‘Someone must have seen him,’ he said grimly. ‘And I’ll find out who. But first I need to deal with the Doctor.’

‘Why? What has the Doctor done?’

Butcher turned to Oppy, opened his mouth to reply, and only then realised the impossibility of any explanation. What could he say? That he’d followed the Doctor into the foot hills, tracking him like an animal in the desert night?

And then what? That he’d been disarmed by a trio of Apache braves, off the reservation and equipped with rifles? Where was the evidence? He had his gun back in his holster and he’d checked it. It was fully loaded and in 115

operational order. It had been carefully replaced in his holster before he’d been found this morning, disgracefully drunk and asleep in a jeep. He’d stunk of mescal and puke and his pants had been soaked with his own urine.

Butcher winced even to remember it. The word would be spreading around the base even now. He expected to receive a summons from General Groves at any moment, to be reprimanded and possibly even relieved of his duties.

And what could he tell them? That the Doctor had somehow arranged it all?

That Butcher had been doped and had the alcohol forced on him? By three