From Here to Eternity_ The Restored Edit - Jones, James [358]
“What do you think?”
“Thats what I thought.”
“You know thats why Gilbert wants me now, Milt,” Leva said unhappily, but stubbornly. “Somebody got to do that work for M Compny too, Milt.”
“I wish Bloom could of picked a slack month to kill himself,” Warden said.
“Goddam it,” Leva cried indignantly, “if I dont take it, that guy in the 21st will. Thats how Gilbert put it up to me. I either got to shit or get off the pot. And you know when I’ll get another chance like that.”
“A hell of a fine officer, Capt Gilbert,” Warden said, gauging it carefully. To make him too mad was just as bad as not making him mad enough. “A hell of a fine officer and gentleman. I wonder did they teach him how to stick it up his brother officers’ ass and break it off like that so politely at the Point? or did he just pick it all up by himself?”
“Gilbert’s got to have a supply man,” Niccolo defended.
“So has G Compny got to have a supply man.”
“Yas,” Leva said, “but Gilbert’s willing to pay his.”
“So will G Compny be, before long.”
“Sure,” Niccolo grinned at him evilly. “And I know you mean it, Milt. From the bottom of your heart. But I retire in eighteen more years.”
He was trying hard, trying heroically, but it was obvious his heart wasnt in it.
“Well,” Warden said, “you know me. I wount be the man to try to hold you back from bettering yourself, Niccolo.”
“No,” Leva said. “No, you sure wouldnt.” But the scorn wasnt genuine.
“I promised you you’d get the rating, if you’d only stick around long enough. Things like that take a little time. But did you ever know me to go back on a promise, Niccolo?”
“No,” Leva said reluctantly, “I havent.” He made a great effort and marshalled his forces to try and turn the flank. “But times has changed,” he said angrily. “Things aint like they was. Time’s more important now. We’re getting ready to get in this war, Milt. You know that yourself. A thirty-year-man’s got to take advantage of his wars; he’s ony liable to get one or two. If he gets two he’s damn lucky. How many men in the Compny was in the last war? Just one: Pete Karelsen. Wars dont come as easy any more as they did back in the Indian days when ever little skirmish counted as a fullgrown war. And I’m almost forty. I wont get a chance at another one. To end up with a permanent retirement of Master I’ll have to be at least a Staff when it starts,” he summed up feebly.
He was going now. He was ripe. He’d shot his wad and the anger was gone and he was ready for it. It was like the chess game played over and over out of the textbook, move and countermove, that you both know the winner of beforehand and do not play to win but only for the enjoyment of the style. He was all set up for the kill and Warden had only to pick up the piece and move it on in, to the same square where he had always moved it, and it was Mate.
Warden opened his mouth and then closed it. He sat that way almost a minute. “Well,” he said finally, as surprised as Niccolo, and ran his fingernails tearingly through his hair. Then he remembered Karen had told him that was what was making his hair so thin, and stopped it. He looked at Niccolo blankly, old leatherfaced Niccolo, 40 years old, who was staring at him astonishedly. “Well?” he said again, vaguely.
“Ever other old soljer in the Regmint’ll be a goddam temporary Warrant Officer or Captain,” Leva argued him hopefully, as if there was still some chance the old Warden might yet appear and prove to him how wrong his irrefutable logic was, “when this war’s over. You’ll probly be a full fucking temporary Major. And old plughorse Leva’ll still be the same old First and Fourth.”
“In a pig’s asshole I’ll be a Major!” Warden roared. “You’re the son of a bitch’ll be the goddam Major, Niccolo, you’ll make a goddam good Major.” It stopped as suddenly as it had begun, and they stared at each other startled.
The old Warden roar had come, but it was in the wrong place. And it was not the same old roar. This was more like the roar of a bad-wounded animal, and Leva did not know how