From Here to Eternity_ The Restored Edit - Jones, James [268]
“I may be right here to ride back with you,” he said as Weary drank. “This is just in case I aint, see? But if I aint, and you dont come back for me, I’ll cut your fucking heart out, see?” He clamped a big hand down on Russell’s arm for punctuation.
“Ouch! Okay,” said Weary Russell wearily. “I said okay, dint I? Heres your bottle.”
“Okay,” Warden grinned. “Dont forget, hear? Now take off,” he said, and slapped him hard on the rump to start him. He waited till Russell was out of sight, before he hid the bottle between the roots of a keawe tree and followed.
Stark was sitting in the camp chair when he and Russell came in through the flap. The cook was at the stove with the lieutenant fixing sandwiches for them. Stark did not get up and offer the seat to the lieutenant.
“Hello,” Warden grinned at him ferociously.
“Hello,” Stark said dully. He did not say another word all the time they were there. He did not look at anybody and he did not move his arms from where they dangled over the wood arms of the chair.
Andy left first, carrying his guitar in one hand and a second sandwich in the other. Then the lieutenant left with Russell and the corporal to inspect the posts. Warden stayed in the tent. The cook lay back down on the table.
“Hey, you,” Stark said.
“Who, me?” the cook said, sitting up.
“Yas, you,” Stark said. “Who the hell you think I mean?”
“Now what?” the cook said. “What now?”
Stark jerked his head. “Get out,” he said. “Take off. You make me sick lookin at you.”
“Well, where’ll I go?” the cook said.
“Go to bed and sleep,” Stark said. “You look half dead. I cant stand to look at you. I’ll run the rest of this shift. I’d ruther do that than have to look at you.”
“But what about my day off tomorrow?” the cook said.
“You’ll get your goddam day off,” Stark said. “You lazy bastard. Get the fuck out.”
“Okay,” the cook said, trying to sound unhappy. “If you say so, Maylon.” He was out and gone before anybody could say another word.
“Whats the matter with you?” Warden said.
“Nothing,” Stark said ominously. “Whats the matter with you?”
“You’re one hell of a glutton for punishment,” Warden said. “To stay up all night when you dont have to.”
“Maybe I like it,” Stark said. “Whats it to you?”
“You’re drunk,” Warden said.
“So’re you,” Stark said.
“Sure,” Warden grinned savagely. “And about to get drunker. Wheres your goddam bottle?”
“Maybe I had a reason for gettin rid of him,” Stark hinted darkly. He leaned back in the chair and pulled the bottle out from between a utensil chest and the tent wall, and tossed it up to Warden. “Wheres your bottle?” he said.
“Back at the CP,” Warden lied. “Empty.”
“Yeah?” Stark said broodingly. “Well have a drink of mine then.”
“Thanks,” Warden said. “I will.”
“You’re going to need it,” Stark said. “I want to talk to you.”
“Save it,” Warden said, around the bottle. “I’m on vacation. And not in no mood to listen to greaseball complaints. You and your goddam kitchen like a couple dry hole old maids. I dont feel like talking official.” He handed back the bottle.
“This aint official,” Stark said ominously. “This is private. I hear you got yourself a new girl friend,” he said.
Warden was on his way to the meatblock to sit down. He did not stop. He did not even pause. He went on and sat down casually, thinking it was just as if somebody had flipped on the dial of a radio. He could feel the old wide angle range tuning in his mind come on and begin to warm up and give off signals, but it was having a hard fight with the static of the red mist of outrage that had been in his brain all evening. He lit himself a cigaret, wondering abstractedly which would win. After he sat down and got himself all comfortably fixed and crossed his legs, he said, “Yeah? Where’d you hear that?”
Stark was still staring at him broodingly. “Oh,” he said mellowly, “I got ways of findin things out.”
“Yeah?” Warden said. “Well suppose you utilize them same ways to find out how to mind your own fucking business.”
“Suppose I dont want to,” Stark said. Without getting up he moved his right arm and tossed