From Here to Eternity_ The Restored Edit - Jones, James [138]
He pulled a sheaf of ones out of his pocket and shook it at them happily.
“Thats all there was to it, men. Old Hal came through with a loan of twenty. He wanted to give it to me, but I’m too smart for that. I wouldn’t take it unless he made it a loan. I know how to handle him. If he could ever prove to himself I’m tryin to take him for a ride I’d never get another dime out of him. So now I owe him twenty bucks,” Maggio grinned triumphantly. “But I had rather owe it to him all my life than beat him out of it.”
Stark giggled and handed him the bottle. “So you told him you’d go to the Stockade unless you paid off this twenty percent man. What a story, sam. Dont this Hal know loanin money for interest is against the ARs? and that any man who does it cant collect it legal?”
“He dont know nothin about the Army,” Maggio grinned. “He tries to ack like he does, but he dont. But he knows the navy though. Just ask him for it how he knows the navy, thats all, friend,” he grinned.
He corked the bottle and put it back in his belt, under the hanging shirt. “Say,” he said. “Its gettin close on to two o’clock, men. We better be picking our stuff or them sailors out there going to beat our time.”
“I got mine picked already,” Stark said, suddenly sullenly, not looking at them.
“Yeah?” Maggio said. “Well that Great, Big, Tall, Long Sandra’s the one for me. Unless you picked her already. Who’d you pick?” he asked Stark anxiously.
“Billy,” Stark said sullenly, still not looking at them. “The little Jewish one. I already ask her and its okay.”
“Oh-oh,” Maggio grinned. “The little hot eyed job?”
“Sure,” Stark said angrily. “Thats right. Whats wrong with that?”
“Not a thing,” Maggio grinned. “I been meanin to try that sometime myself.”
“All right then,” Stark said sullenly. “You pick yours and I’ll pick mine. Whats it to you what I pick?”
“Not a dam thing,” Maggio said. “Long as I get Big Sandra. I dont care what they are, long as they big and tall.”
“Okay,” Stark said. “Thats your business. If I like Billy thats my business, aint it? You like Sandra. Well, I just happen to like Billy. So what?”
“So nothing,” Maggio said. “All I ask was . . .”
“Well quit asking,” Stark said. “Its none of your goddam business. I just like Billy, thats all.”
“Maureen is free,” Prew said.
“To hell with Maureen,” Stark said. “I know what the hell I want. Billy’s what I want. You want to argue?”
“Okayokay,” Maggio said. “Quit bitching. You got her, aint you? But man,” he said, “I love that Sandra. When they that big and tall, man! Man oh man oh man! You got yours picked?” he said to Prew.
“Yeah,” Prew said. “I got mine picked.”
Stark snorted. “He picked the goddam Princess.”
“No joke?” Maggio said. “No kidding?”
“No joke,” Stark said sourly. “No kidding. Princess Lorene, the Virgin of Waikiki,” he taunted.
“She’s a snob,” Maggio protested.
“All right, so what?” Prew said. “I aint telling you guys what to pick. Dont tell me what to pick.”
“I aint telling you what to pick,” Stark said. “You can pick Minerva, if you want, for all I give a good goddam. Its nothing to me what you pick.”
“We want to be sure now,” Maggio said, “that we have them get three rooms right together in a row so we can all use this whiskey. Dont forget that now,” he said. “You asked yours yet?” he said to Prew.
“No,” Prew said reluctantly. “Not yet.”
“Well you better ask her quick, man,” Angelo said. “If you want her. Them sailors look to me like they mean to stay all all night too.”
“You aint ask Sandra yet either, have you?” Prew said.
“God damn no!” Maggio said. “I clean forgot! Lets us get back out there, man. Right now.”
Chapter 17
THEY CAME BACK from the latrine down the long hallway past the many doors of tiny bedrooms, past the several short side halls that held only doors of bedrooms, making the right angle turn to the left and past still more doors of bedrooms, before they reached the waiting rooms.
“Big place,” Maggio said.
“Got a big business