The Steel Wave - Jeff Shaara [57]
“I feel that such clubs as these are a real value, because I believe with Mr. Bernard Shaw—I think it was he—that the British and Americans are two people separated by a common language, and since it is the evident destiny of the British and the Americans”—he paused, an alarm in his head—“and of course the Russians, to rule the world, the better we know each other, the better the job we will do. A club like this is an ideal place for making such acquaintances and for promoting mutual understanding. Also, as soon as our soldiers meet and know the English ladies, and write home and tell our women how truly lovely you are, the sooner the American ladies will get jealous and force this war to a quick termination, and I will get a chance to go and kill Japanese.”
The applause followed him back to his seat, and he kept the smile, held it painfully through the rest of the speeches.
After a long hour, the gathering had concluded, and Patton moved back to his car with as much purpose as he could politely muster. The aides were waiting, Stiller holding the door, and behind him the ladies called out, waving hands and handkerchiefs, calls of flirtatious gratitude. He sank into the seat and waited desperate seconds for Stiller to put himself into the front seat.
“Go, dammit!”
The car began to move, the voices of the crowd drifting away behind him. Stiller turned toward him.
“Did it go well, sir?”
“Very well. They loved me.” Patton let out a breath. “I’m just glad it’s over.”
* * *
10. EISENHOWER
* * *
SHAEF, BUSHEY PARK
APRIL 26, 1944
“Rule the world? He told them we’re going to rule the world?”
“Apparently so, sir.”
Eisenhower stared up at the ceiling, felt crushed into the chair. “What the hell is the matter with that man? Is he just thick-headed, or is this some plot of his to drive me insane so he can take over running the damned war!”
Beetle Smith said nothing. Butcher was at the door now.
“Chief, two more. Papers from Leeds and Buckingham.”
“Keep them the hell out of here. Five are enough. I doubt if every one of them misquoted the dumb son of a bitch. Harry, send one of the secretaries in here. Make it Captain Pinette. I need to cable Marshall. If we’re lucky, this can be contained right here, maybe no one back home will hear about it.”
“I doubt that,” Smith said. “This will go off like a bomb in the States. George has too many enemies, and there’s a lot of pressure on the president as it is. There are a few senators who will jump all over this.”
“You’re a fountain of cheer, Beetle.”
The secretary came in, a young woman who had been on Eisenhower’s staff since Algeria.
“Sit down, Mattie. We need to put out a fire.”
She sat, pad of paper in hand, with a questioning glance toward Smith. Eisenhower said, “You’ll know everything soon enough, Captain. This is a cable to be sent immediately to General Marshall.” He thought a moment. “All right, take this down:
It seems that General Patton has broken out again. I regret that the man is unable to use reasonably good sense in all those matters where senior commanders must appreciate the effects of their own action upon public opinion.”
He paused, watched as she wrote furiously, catching up to him.
“I have serious doubts at this juncture as to the wisdom of retaining him in high command despite his demonstrated capacity in battlefield leadership. I have grown so damned weary—no, strike that—I have grown so weary of the trouble he constantly causes you and the war department, to say nothing of myself, that I am seriously contemplating the most drastic action. I would prefer some comment from you before any final decision is made.”
He waited for her to stop writing.
“Finished, sir. Should I read it back?”
“Just show the typed cable to General Smith and make sure it goes out right away.”
He saw Butcher lurking in the doorway.
“What the hell am I supposed to do, Harry? How much hot water can this man plunge into? He’s not satisfied just slapping his own troops…. Are we certain these newspaper quotes are accurate?”
“Let me