Redemption - Leon Uris [246]
Strangely, it occurred to me at this moment that I was one-fourth of a thing…a squad. We moved about in the hills with the deftness of ballet dancers, great lovers, movements of beauty through stony, ripping soil. A look into Spears’ eyes told that he knew there was a sniper on our left. A quick hand signal and Elgin…the best gunner on Gallipoli…had his piece firing inside seven seconds. We’d go hours without passing a word, yet if one man was missing for a time…it was like the other three limped. We were a whole only when we were together.
Yet we didn’t know a damned thing about each other. I knew their towns, professions. I knew they all hankered to get laid. But I didn’t know anything about them. Only that we were four New Zealanders drawing maps together in a very stranger place.
Well, I’d arranged a surprise for them. A real surprise! No, not a woman, but the absolutely next best thing. It had taken some doing to put it together, but today was the final route map and it was time to celebrate.
Well, maybe we’d celebrate tomorrow, instead. I suppose we hadn’t slept for…maybe…let me figure…maybe like forty hours, and today was a real pisser.
“I’ll run this map over to the Major,” I said.
They were all asleep. Elgin was asleep sitting up, two chicken claws dangling from his mouth like upper fangs and oozing aspic.
“Map number 42-A,” Major Chris said. “Good go, Landers. So, Abdul’s set up a sniper’s alley there. I’ll get the information to the General. Think we can get them with one platoon?”
I propped my head in my hand and closed my eyes but continued the conversation. “No. They’re shooting from over five hundred yards. They’re not trying to hit anything just make us miserable…anyhow, I’m letting my lads sleep in tomorrow and then taking them to the beach to get cleaned up…and I got a surprise for them.”
The Major clenched his teeth together in just that particular way. Bad news was coming.
“Blast the luck,” he said.
“Don’t tell me.”
“Afraid so. You and your imperial guards, myself included, are to report to command at 0500. The General wants you to take him up to Quinn’s Post.”
“That’s a serious place.”
“I’m only the messenger.”
“Oh, I have that position,” I said.
“Colonel Malone also requested us.”
I opened my eyes. How do I break this to my lads? “Fuck!” I cried, unbeknownst to myself. “I am not going up to Quinn’s Post until I wash my feet.”
My care was right close to my squad. I took the surprise box and walked over to them guided by their snores. No matter how deeply they slept, the mere words “Quinn’s Post” awakened them.
“On your feet,” I commanded. “We’re taking a swim…RIGHT NOW!”
There are flashes of golden moments in a lifetime. Suddenly you’re in a situation of mind, taken wholly by surprise, and something is happening you never before knew existed. A moment like that was with Georgia on the boat to Auckland. Another night was at Villa Valhalla, just sitting and talking to Jeremy.
Now, in this bloody hole, I’m suddenly smitten by euphoria. The beach was fairly quiet this night with only an occasional shellburst, sort of like the fireworks on the King’s birthday. Chester had told me of a place where the bottom was sandy and the water clean.
I gave my lads their surprise. “Take off your boots,” I ordered. They gaped as though I were crazy. “Sincerely,” I said. I picked up the box and opened it. Four new pair of boots, new socks, and three varieties of foot medication. Happy was the only one who carried a rifle and bayonet. I had told him to bring it to the beach. Fortunately, he had had it sharpened by the Maori lad who had the grindstone and was going to go home rich making the bayonets razor sharp.
You see, this was an enormous moment. We hadn’t taken off our boots in over two weeks. Using extreme care, Happy sliced the laces, and from the tongues down to the toes, I pulled the boots apart.
Take the best instance of your entire existence…now triple it. That’s what it felt