From Here to Eternity_ The Restored Edit - Jones, James [476]
“Leave it be,” Pete said. “Its the hit parade.”
“What. On Monday night?”
“Prewitt happened to be a good friend of mine,” Stark said testily.
“Its a re-broadcast from the States for Servicemen,” Pete explained.
“No stuff?” Warden derided. “A re-broadcast? For servicemen? Boy, they really treatin us right any more, aint they? Pretty soon they be wipin our ass for us maybe, hunh?”
“He may not of been a good friend of yours,” Stark said. “But he was a good friend of mine.”
“He was no goddam friend of mine,” Warden sneered. “All he caused me was headaches and troubles.”
“You’re a hard hearted son of a bitch,” Stark said pugnaciously, “you know it?”
“Thats no way to talk about a man from your own Compny, Milt,” Pete said, “after he’s been killed. Even if he was over the hill. Even if you are kidding.”
“Kidding,” Warden said. “Who the hells kidding?”
“I just cant get over it,” Stark said. He started naming them. “Leva; transferred to M Co as Supply Sgt Bloom; a suicide. Maggio; discharged a Section Eight. Holmes and Big Jim O’Hayer gone to Brigade Hq. And then all these heah ROTC jokers comin in. And now Prewitt.”
“Balls,” Warden scoffed, “sometimes we lose that many men in a single month, as short timers.”
“You dont think dyin is any differnt from goin home as a short timer?” Stark said.
“They didnt all die,” Warden said.
“You try it sometime,” Stark said, “and see.”
“The effect on the Compny Roster’s no differnt,” Warden said. “Pour us another drink, Pete.”
“And now old Pete will be leavin in a couple days,” Stark said gloomily.
“Dont forget Old Ike,” Warden grinned.
“Well, I for one will be damn glad to get out of this outfit,” Pete said. “Six years in an outfit is long enough.”
“And I, for one, dont blame you,” Stark said.
“You guys think I like layin on my ass in them holes in the rock out at Makapuu like a lizard?” Pete said.
“Because it aint even the same outfit no more,” Stark said.
“You guys sound like a couple kids,” Warden snorted. “No outfit ever stays the same. What do you want? Everybody all grow old together and all retire on the same day and go live somewheres in a body?”
Behind them the music stopped again and the announcer came back on.
“Dont look for your Luckies in their familiar green package on the tobacco counters,” the announcer said. “No, your Luckies are wearing a different color now.”
“Mark my words,” Pete said with accurate prophecy. “The golden days on this rock are over. When they do start givin passes, there’ll be men lined up for blocks at every bar and every whorehouse. And they’ll run them through like an assembly line.”
“Like to get out of it myself,” Stark said. “Ony I aint got no place to go.”
“But old Pete,” Pete said, “is going to be sitting on a rosy cloud of plenty. Back Stateside.”
“If I did have a place to go,” Stark said. “I couldnt get a transfer now.”
“And then I’ll think about you boys still sitting on the rocks at Makapuu,” Pete said.
“If I could transfer,” Stark said, “it would still be the same. Draftees everywhere. ROTC jokers everywhere.”
“You’re both of you nuttiern fruitcakes,” Warden jeered. “No outfits ever any different than another; peace or war. And it’ll be closed down just as tight back Stateside as it will here.”
“Oh, no!” Pete said. “Oh, no!”
“So it wunt do me any good to transfer if I could,” Stark said.
“Oh, no!” Pete said. “There’ll be women everywhere. All of them out on the loose. With the sky the limit.”
Warden looked at him carefully. “For Christ’s sake, shut up,” he said boredly, “both of you.”
“I envy you,” Stark said gloomily.
“Goddam right you do,” Pete said. “They’ll put me to training draftees. I’ll have a nice soft easy job. Just like a business man in an office. I’ll do my eight hours and then I’m through for the day. Why the hell should I want to stay in this goddam outfit?”
“I envy you,” Stark said dismally. “Oh, god, how I envy you.”
“Shut up!” Warden said to him.
“Bars!” Pete said. “Cocktail lounges! Nice hotels to take them to! Good restaurants! I know what its like.