From Here to Eternity_ The Restored Edit - Jones, James [207]
“I’ve always seen it,” Holmes said excitedly. “All my life I’ve seen it. Always at a distance.”
“Its all based on apprehension,” Sam Slater smiled. “Apprehension is the key. After you learn to judge the degree of apprehension that is there in each man, you can predict infallibly how far you can trust him, how far you can make him go. The next step, of course, is to induce the apprehension artificially. Its already there, all you got to do is call it forth. The greater the apprehension, the greater the control.”
“Whats appre-hension, kiddo?” the Japanese one on Sam Slater’s chair arm said.
“Fear,” Sam Slater grinned.
“Oh,” she said, and frowned puzzledly, over at the other one.
“Lissen,” the Chinese one on Holmes’s knee said. “What wrong with you guys, any-ways?”
“Not a thing,” Sam Slater said.
“You no like us, maybe no?” the Japanese one said.
“Why of course,” Sam Slater said. “You’re lovely ladies.”
“You aint mad at me? are you?” the Chinese one said to Holmes.
“Why should I be mad at you?”
“I no no. Maybe I do something you not like?”
“Come on, Iris,” the Japanese one said. “To hell with them. We go find that white-haired old fatty. He with Beulah. Liven it up someways maybe.”
Iris got up. “I not do something hurt your feelings?” she coaxed at Holmes.
“Hell, no,” Holmes said.
“You see?” Sam Slater grinned, when they had gone. “You see what I mean by apprehension?”
Holmes laughed.
“You know,” Sam Slater said. “I’ve tried to explain this to old Jake a hundred times. I’ve been explaining it to him ever since I hit this Rock. Jake has a great deal of ability, if he would only learn how to use it.”
“He’s pretty old,” Holmes said cautiously.
“Too old,” Sam Slater said. “If I’ve ever seen a man who’s lost and groping in the dark its old Jake Delbert. And you’d think that if anybody had the background and the training to see the trend of our time, Jake Delbert would be one. But no, he’s still afraid. Afraid, and so much of a moralist that he would rather spend his life believing the sentimental memos he writes his troops, instead of trying to help humanity. And relieving himself (as with a bowel movement when the moral guts become too full) by throwing these stags.
“Not that I dislike them, mind you. I think they’re fine and I enjoy them. In their place. But a man cannot make them his life work. Not without going rotten. A man must have something bigger than himself to believe in.”
“Thats it,” Holmes said excitedly. “Something bigger than himself. And where in this world today can he find it?”
“Nowhere,” Sam Slater said. “Except in reason. You know, you’re pretty old for a Captain, Dynamite, but you would still be young for a Major. At your age I was only a Major myself, see? And I hadnt even begun to learn the new logic. If a smart man had not picked me out as a protege I’d still be a Major, and a Jake Delbert, today.”
“The thing with you, though,” Holmes pointed out. “You were willing to listen to reason, when it was shown you.”
“Exactly,” Sam Slater said. “And we have great need of proteges who can learn that lesson in our profession, today. And we’re going to need them a lot worse, a little later on. There is absolutely no limit to the possibilities open to them.”
“I dont care about the rank,” Holmes said. He had, he knew, said that before. But this time it was true, this time he really meant it. “All I care about,” he said, “is to find a truly firm ground, a foundation a thinking man can stand on, a sound logic that will not let you down. Give me that and the rank can go to hell.”
“Thats exactly the way I felt myself,” Sam Slater said. He smiled thinly. “You know, I can use a man like you. God knows I’ve got enough stupid dolts on my staff. I need at least one good man. How would you like to transfer to Brigade and work for me?”
“If you really think I could really do it,” Holmes said modestly. He was thinking what would Karen say to this? Ha, if she had her way he would never have gone to any of these stags, at all. And then where would he be? He could just see Jake Delbert’s face!
“Do it, hell,