The Dark Arena - Mario Puzo [101]
The late afternoon sun was far away across the sky Mosca and Eddie waited, smoking cigarettes. Finally they saw the jeep come past the hangars and onto the field. They started down the ramp toward the plane and reached it the moment the jeep swung around its finned tail and came to a stop.
Wolf, Ursula, and Ursula's father got out of the jeep, the father unloading the heavy Val-paeks at once. Wolf gave his friends a huge, joyful grin.
“It's damn nice of you guys to see me off,” he said and shook their hands, then introduced them to the father. They knew Ursula lie propellers blasted great gusts of air that almost blew the words away. The father went close to the airplane, ran his hands over the gray skin, then prowled around it like a hungry animal.
Eddie Cassin said jokingly to Wolf, “He going to stow away?”
And Wolf laughed and said, “He couldn't stow away on the Queen EUwbeth”
Ursula had not understood. She watched with quick darting eyes the luggage being carried aboard the plane, then put her hand on Wolfs arm.
Wolf extended his hand again to Mosca and Eddie and said, “Well, so long, you guys. It's been a pleasure, no kidding. When you get to the States, look me up. Eddie, you got my address.”
“Sure thing,” Eddie said coolly.
Wolf looked into Mosca's eyes and said, “Good luck, Walter. I'm sorry that deal didn't go through, but now maybe I think you're right.”
Mosca smiled and said, “Good luck, Wolf.”
Wolf hesitated. Then he said, “One last piece of advice. Don't wait too long to get out of here, Walter. Get back to the States as soon as you can. That's all I can say.”
Mosca smiled again and said, “Thanks, Wolf, I wiU.”
The father came waddling around the nose of the plane. He came close to Wolf, arms extended. “Wolfgang, Wolfgang,” he cried out emotionally, “you will not forget me here, Wolfgang?” He was close to tears. Wolf patted his shoulder and the fat old man embraced him. “You are like a son to me,” the old man said, “I will miss you.”
Mosca could see that Wolf was annoyed, bored, and anxious to be off. The father took Ursula into his arms. He was sobbing now. “Ursula, my daughter, my little daughter, you're the only one I have, you won't forget your old father, you won't leave him all alone in this terrible land, eh? My little Ursula would not do such a thing?”
His daughter kissed him and murmured comfortingly, “Papa, don't take on so, you will come, too, as soon as I can make the papers. Please don't take on so.”
Wolf had a tight little smile on his face. He touched Ursula on the shoulder and said in German, “It is time.”
The fat old man let out a wail, “Ursula, Ursula.” But now the girl, herself overwrought, with guilty anger at this unseemly grief for her good fortune, tore herself away and ran up the steps into the plane.
Wolf took the old man's hand. “You've upset her. Now I promise. You will leave here. You will spend the rest of your days in America with your daughter and your grandchildren. Here is my hand on it.”
The old man nodded his head, “You are good, Wolfgang, you are very good.”
Wolf gave Eddie and Mosca an embarrassed half-salute, then quickly went up the steps into the plane.
Through one of the windows Ursula's face appeared grimacing a farewell through dirt-streaked glass to her father. He burst into tears again and waved a great white handkerchief to her in return. The engines roared into sound again. Ground-crew men wheeled the mobile stairs away. The great silvery plane began to move slowly, pushing itself along the ground. It made a slow, seemingly wing-dragging turn and rolled away faster and faster until reluctantly, as if fighting some malignant power, it parted itself from the earth and flew toward the dark autumn sky.
Mosca watched the plane until it disappeared. Then he heard Eddie saying, “Mission accomplished, a successful man leaves Europe.” There was only a faint note of bitterness in his voice.
The three of them stood silently staring at the sky, their shadows blending into one great shadow as the sun escaped