Redemption - Leon Uris [212]
“Is your idea about your public life, your private life, or your secret life?”
“Definitely, a secret. Chester, stop playing the tambour so I can tell everyone my secret idea.”
Chester was in a trance. He continued playing.
Leilah became passionate. Jeremy gently admonished her. “Please, Leilah, Modi has an idea.”
“Yeah,” Rory said, “let’s hear your idea because I don’t like my own ideas right now.”
“Are we not exceptional comrades?” Modi asked, then answered, “Yes, we are, and in this sacred temple of paradise we…let me think…oh yes, I know—we should desecrate our brotherhood.”
“You mean consecrate, old chap,” Jeremy said.
Modi scratched his head. “I mean we should take a vow of eternal brotherhood because we are eternal brothers.”
“That’s a bang-up idea,” Johnny said.
“Chester? Hey, Chester.”
“Eh?”
“Stop playing that fucking thing. Are you prepared to vow an emotional desecration?”
“Absolutely.”
“Aye,” Rory said, “let’s consecrate.”
“How?” Jeremy asked.
“Let’s cut our palms and mix blood,” Johnny said.
“Tarbox, you are a real peasant,” Modi said. “I say, we all get a brotherhood tattoo.”
“Done!” Jeremy said. “Nothing will piss my father off more, although grandfather is apt to be delighted.”
“That’s very, very beautiful, Modi,” Johnny said, starting into tears.
“I have already spoke to our sister, dear Sonya. There is here nearby a tattoo artist who specializes in tattooing the dates of the Haj to Mecca, but he also does other things.”
Sonya bared a breast. It held a tattoo of a pomegranate.
“Jaysus, that’s magnificent,” Rory said.
“It took long enough for you to make notice,” Sonya retorted.
“Send for the bugger!” Johnny cried.
“Although he is Armenian, he is honest I will also join and have a tattoo,” Sonya said.
Chester puffed up. A tattoo! Goddamn! Bully!
“We don’t just want to put on a date,” Modi said. “What shall we tattoo?”
“I think something in Latin might be appropriate, a motto,” Jeremy said.
“Oh shit,” Johnny reacted. “Let’s be warriors, let’s get into battle. A fierce Maori to signify New Zealand.”
“New Zealand?” Modi protested.
They tried to think. It was difficult for them to think.
Chester kept his rhythm going on the tambour. “A mule’s head,” he said, and kept on beating.
“Of course, I was just about to say a mule’s head,” Modi said.
“With gigantic ears so he won’t be mistaken for a horse,” Rory added.
And so it came to pass that the gaffer squad, headquarters company, Seventh New Zealand Light Horse Battalion, and three of the ladies of the evening had magnificent mules tattooed by Mr. Suhollanian, an Armenian artist, on their left buttocks.
68
Secret Files of Winston Churchill, February 1915
Nay to the Nay-sayers!
February 19
A glorious day in the history of the British Navy is commenced.
One hundred and seventy-eight guns ranging from five to fifteen inches, mounted on a dozen warships, opened fire on the four other forts at Cape Helles on the southernmost tip of the Gallipoli Peninsula.
What a magnificent sight we and our French allies must have evoked with our invincible vessels erupting in salvo after salvo. I shall regret not having been a personal witness to the Union Jack being raised to the staff of our mightiest dreadnought—HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH.
The attack fleet consisted of three divisions. The first squadron carried the heavy guns of the ELIZABETH, AGAMEMNON, and INFLEXIBLE.
The second division bore the names of VENGEANCE, ALBION, CORNWALLIS, IRRESISTIBLE, and TRIUMPH.
I salute the French squadron; SEFFREN, BOUVET, CHARLEMAGNE, and GAULOIS.
We opened fire from a distance of fifteen thousand yards, beyond the range of the Turkish guns. Using the new technique of a spotter sea plane directing our guns and photographing the damage, Admiral Harmon concluded the long-range bombardment was having mixed success.
Admiral Harmon then ordered the fleet ever closer. We heard nothing from the Turks until SEFFREN, VENGEANCE, and CORNWALLIS came to within five thousand yards of Cape Helles.
Blast the luck, foul weather set in. Harmon