From Here to Eternity_ The Restored Edit - Jones, James [200]
“Ah.” The Brigadier, who was a tall man, stretched himself full out and sniffed the tired air that the open windows had not yet refreshed. “Reminds me of the old secret societies back at the Point.”
Col Delbert laughed solicitously. “Already have the steaks arranged for. My orderly, Jeff, takes care of it. Had him bring this stuff from home. Always been a stickler for th’ proper equipment, whether in the field or in the bed. Makes all the difference. Eh? Jeff’s down in the kitchen arranging for a cook and gettin’ some ice.”
The Brigadier examined the label on a bottle and did not answer.
Col Delbert spread his arms and said facetiously, “Gen’r’l Slater, we representatives of th’ —th Regiment welcome you to th’ haven of th’ male oppressed.”
Capt Holmes was studying his nervous Colonel happily.
The Brigadier collapsed his thin frame into an overstuffed chintz covered chair. “Sam Slater,” he corrected. “Sam Slater from Sheboygan. Dont give me that rank crap, Jake. There is nobody who believes in the efficacy of rank and privilege more than me, its my bread and butter. But in the proper time and place, see? Which is not now and here.”
“Okay, Sam,” Jake Delbert grinned uneasily, “‘stand corrected. I . . .”
“And you,” Sam Slater shot at Holmes, “might as well call me Sam, too. However, if you ever do such a thing outside on the Post, I’ll bust you back to a shavetail, see?”
“Okay,” Holmes grinned, liking him still better. “I never been good at blackmail anyway.”
Sam Slater look at him a moment. Then he laughed. “You know, I like your protege, Jake,” he said.
“He’s a good boy,” Jake said apprehensively. “But he’s not exactly what you’d call my protege,” he started to explain.
Sam Slater was watching both of them speculatively, like a piano virtuoso studying the keys from which he draws his music. “Frankly,” he grinned at Holmes, “when old Jake here said he had a young Captain going along on a party I thought oh balls.” He looked at Jake. “But I might have known old Jake Delbert knew his onions, mightnt I?” he obviously lied. Even to Jake it was plainly a lie.
“I knew you’d like him though,” Jake lied back stoutly. His mustache raised its little wings nervously, like a fledgling that had not quite got used to flying yet.
“I’m sure he gave me quite a build up,” Holmes said.
“Oh, he did,” Sam Slater said. “Didnt you, Jake? Told me all about you. And about how sorry he was you’d lost that championship, that by rights you really should have had.”
“I always try to be as honest as I can,” Jake said.
“I would not,” Sam Slater said, “have said what I just said, about calling me Sam, to just any junior officer. Even here under these circumstances. Most of them wouldnt understand it, would they, Jake?”
“No, Sam. They sure as hell wouldnt,” Jake said, a little dubiously. He had been watching Holmes. He had never seen him in this irreverent mood before.
Capt Holmes, who had never felt this mood with Col Delbert, felt now some subtle understanding with the Brigadier that not only drew him on but promised safety. He wanted to chuckle. It wasnt often that he got to see the Colonel on the hook and with his back against the wall and frightened.
Jake was obviously relieved when S/Sgt Jefferson came in with the ice. He set him to mixing the first drinks and supervised him relentlessly, then made him bring the field glasses that were within reach on the table and, without thanking him, irritably sent him to Wahiawa for the women.
“And be god damn’ careful none of th’ civil’ns see you drivin’ them around in my official car. Or it ’l be your neck, Jeff. See?”
“Yes, Sir,” Jeff said impassively. You felt he should have bowed.
Jake did not even turn around. He was standing carefully back from the window, adjusting the glasses on the lighted windows across the gulch that were the nurses’ quarters.
Jake always brought his glasses on the stags since the first time he