walked up to him to say goodbye. The Major spoke with the Chaplain
for a few minutes. He liked O’Mahoney but Chaplains generally did not
appeal to him. They exchanged goodbyes.
“Got some good news for you, Barkison,” said the Colonel when the
Chaplain had left.
“What is it?”
“You’ve been promoted, Colonel.”
Major Barkison was very happy. The congratulations which flowed in
around him made up for the fear in which he had spent the past few days.
“When did it come through?” he asked finally.
“Day before yesterday. I got something for you.” The Colonel searched
in one of his pockets and brought forth two silver Lt Colonel’s leaves.
“I’ll pin them on,” he said. He managed to get the Major’s insignia off
but his hands got cold before he could pin the new insignia on.
“Oh, hell,” said the Colonel, handing the leaves to Barkison. “Put them
on later.”
“Thank you,” said Barkison.
“Let’s get out of here,” said the Colonel. “We got two cars.” He waved
to two staff cars which were parked on the other end of the dock. Their
drivers got into them and in a moment the cars were beside the ship.
“Here’s Evans,” said Hodges as Barkison was about to get into one of
the cars.
“Oh yes, Mr Evans. Do you think you can come to my office sometime
tomorrow? We’ll talk over that investigation business.”
“I certainly will, sir.”
“And thank you for everything, Mr Evans. You did a fine job.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Barkison nodded and Evans walked away.
Barkison sat between the Colonel and Hodges in the back seat. For the
first time he noticed the difference between being on land and on the
sea. The steadiness of the land soothed him. He felt safe.
“You’re giving us a party, aren’t you, brother Barkison?”
“Certainly, Colonel. I’ve been saving up some liquor for a moment like
this.”
The Colonel laughed. “You dog, you knew all along you were going to get
this. I bet you were counting the days.”
“Oh, not quite,” said Barkison. He was thankful now that he was still
alive. He felt like making a dramatic speech. He began to think of
General Gordon and this made him think of his own immediate General.
“I hope the old man doesn’t think I’m too late in getting back.”
The Colonel shook his head. “Don’t give it a second thought. He was
glad to hear that you’re still with us. The report could have waited.”
“That’s a relief,” said Lt Colonel Barkison and he relaxed in his
seat as the staff car took them quickly over the black roads to the
Headquarters.
* * * * *
Hodges helped put the baggage on the dock. Then he stood with the Major
while the other officers asked questions. Hodges, as much as he admired
the Major, could not help thinking that he was a bit of a poseur. He
watched the Major as he talked of the storm. The Major was much too
assured. From the way he talked one would have thought that he had
brought the ship in.
Evans came over to say goodbye and Major Barkison was rather
patronizing. Hodges wondered if he should be patronizing, too. He
decided not.
“Goodbye, Mr Evans,” he said. “We really appreciate what you did for
us.”
“Thanks. I’ll probably see you around tomorrow.”
“I hope so.”
Evans walked back to the ship and Hodges joined the Major in the staff
car.
“Well, Lieutenant,” said the Colonel, “what do you think of your boss
here getting promoted?”
“I’m certainly glad, sir.”
“That’s the spirit. Maybe you’ll be, too.” The Colonel chuckled.
Barkison was quiet, Hodges noticed. He seemed to be dreaming about
something. Hodges could always tell when Barkison was daydreaming
because his mouth would become very stern and he would look straight
ahead, his lips occasionally moving.
“How was this guy,” the Colonel nodded at Barkison, “how was he on the
trip? I’ll bet he was sick all the time.”
“Oh, no, sir. I don’t think he was sick at all.” Hodges disliked higher
ranking officers being playful.
The Colonel and Barkison began to talk about various things and Hodges
looked out the window.
It was several miles to the Headquarters. It was several miles to
everything around here.
The countryside, if it could be called that, was bleak and brown. There
was no vegetation, only the spongy turf. Low hills sloped down into the
water and beyond them the white mountains disappeared into the clouds.
Ravens and gulls were everywhere. Some of the younger officers had
caught ravens, slit their tongues, and occasionally had taught them how
to talk. Ravens made good pets.
“I wonder how the Chaplain’s going to get back to Andrefski?” asked
Hodges.
“I haven’t any idea,” said Barkison. “He’ll probably fly. Are planes
flying out of here now, Colonel?”
“Certainly. They have all along. Well, except for a few days last week.”
Barkison smiled tightly. “Just when we wanted one, they stopped flying.”
“It must have been a great experience for you,” said the Colonel. “I’d
give anything to have been in your shoes. That ship was really busted
up.”
“Yes, we took quite a knocking.” Barkison looked away dreamily as
though he were reliving those daring hours when he had stood on the
bridge shouting orders to the men. Hodges thought this was very funny.
“I know the General thinks a lot of you for this. I heard him say so
this morning at a staff meeting, which reminds me we’ve got a new
Colonel in the Headquarters.”
“Who is it?”
“Jerry Clayton. He was at the Point before your time.”
“The name’s familiar. What’s he going to do here?”
“Well, this is just between us, Barkison, but I suspect....” The
Colonel lowered his voice and Hodges looked out the window.
The staff car drove up to a long building, rather complicated-looking
because of its many wings. Hodges opened the door and they got out.
“I’ll see you later, Hodges,” said Barkison. “I’ve got to go in and see
the old man. You’ll be over at the club for supper, won’t you?”
“Yes, sir. I’m going over there right now.”
“I’ll see you then.” Barkison and the Colonel walked down a long dimly
lit corridor to a door marked Commanding General.
Hodges went to his own office. This was a large room which he shared
with three clerks and two Lieutenants. Only one of the Lieutenants was
in the room when Hodges entered.
“Well, what do you know, here’s the boy again,” said the Lieutenant,
grinning and shaking hands. “You don’t look so bad. A little pale, but
nothing that a dose of raisin jack won’t cure.”
“Well, you look plenty lazy.” They insulted each other good-naturedly
for several minutes. The other Lieutenant was in his middle twenties
and a close friend of Hodges. They had gone to Officers’ School
together. The other Lieutenant was dark and handsome and constantly
shocked at Hodges’ desire for a military career. A desire which he
usually referred to as “crass” or “gross.”
“How’s the office been?”
“Just about the same. I think our friend the Chief of Staff is going to
get moved out.”
“How come?”
“Well, they sent a new Colonel in and it looks like our politician
friend is on his way out.”
“I guess that’s why he was down to meet us.”
“Sure, he’s winning friends all the time.”
“Say, I’m hungry. Let’s go over to the club.”
“O.K., wait till I take care of this.” The Lieutenant put some papers
in his desk. “I wonder where that damn CQ is? Well, we’ll go anyway.”
They went outside and Hodges saw that his baggage was gone. The driver
had probably taken it over to his quarters. He was glad that he
wouldn’t have to carry it.
They walked silently along the black roads. Jeeps and trucks clattered
by them. Men on their way to the theaters or cafeterias or recreation
halls walked along the road. The twilight was almost as dark as the
night.
The club was another long low complicated building.
Inside, it was warm and comfortable. There was a large living room with
a fireplace and comfortable chairs. In here it was almost possible to
forget that one was in the Aleutians.
Next to the living room was a bar and beyond that a dining room. Hodges
and the Lieutenant went to the bar.
“Beer.”
“Beer.”
They got beer.
“Those little ships are pretty light, aren’t they? I mean even in good
weather they jump all over the place.”
Hodges took a swallow of the bitter liquid. “I wouldn’t know,” he said
at last. “I’ve never been in a boat like that in good weather.”
“I guess that’s right. Say, did you stop off at the Big Harbor?”
“We were there for a night.”
“How was it? I never been there but I’ve heard a lot about the girls
there. Got a lot of Canadians there.”
“Well, they’re all over fifty.”
“That’s not what I heard.”
“That’s what I saw anyway.”
They drank their beer. “Come on,” said Hodges when they had finished,
“let’s go in the dining room. I’m starved.”
“Didn’t they have food on that boat?”
“They had it but it was pretty hard to get down when you were jumping
about like we were.”
The dining room smelt of steak. They took a table in a corner, and a
man took their order.
Barkison, wearing his new silver leaves, entered the dining room with
the Colonel. They nodded to the Lieutenants who nodded back.
“Is that what you want to be? A guy like Barkison: more brass than
brains?”
“Oh, he’s not so bad. You just have to get to know him. He’s done
pretty well. He might even be a General before this is over.”
“No war could last that long.”
The waiter brought them their dinner. Hodges ate hungrily.
“By the way,” said the Lieutenant, “I heard that a guy got killed on
your boat. Mast hit him or something?”
“That’s not quite right. He fell overboard.”
“How did that happen?”
“I don’t know. Nobody knows. He went out on deck to fix something and
he never came back.”
“You think he got the old push, maybe?”
“No, I don’t,” said Hodges and he spoke more sharply than was necessary.
“Well, don’t get so excited. It wouldn’t have been the first time. Was
he a popular guy?”
“No, I don’t suppose he was.”
“That sounds mighty familiar to me.”
“I think it was an accident, though,” said Hodges and he said the words
lightly, not making the mistake of sounding too interested as he had
before.
“This is the toughest steak I ever ate,” complained the dark Lieutenant.
“That’s one of the horrors of war.”
“It sure is.” They finished their dinner.
Hodges thought of the night that the Chief had disappeared. He could
remember himself building a house of cards. He could hear the Chief and
Bervick arguing. Then they went out together and he had stayed inside
building his house of cards. He had gone out on deck once. Duval had
been sitting on the railing and Bervick was fixing the ventilator. Then
he had gone back inside.
“Want some water?” asked the waiter, filling his glass and Hodges
thought of the splashing sound and of Bervick coming back into the
salon alone.
“What’s the matter with you?” asked the dark Lieutenant.
“Nothing’s the matter with me. What’s on at the show tonight?”
iii
Bervick came into Evans’ cabin. It was seven o’clock and Evans was
still asleep.
“Hey,” said Bervick, and he shook him.
“What’s the matter?” Evans sat up in bed.
“Nothing’s the matter. Just thought I’d see if you were up.”
“Well, I’m not up.” Evans stretched out again in his bunk. For a moment
he lay there quietly, his eyes half shut. He enjoyed the gentle rocking
of the ship.
“Get me a cigarette,” he said finally. Bervick felt in his pocket and
brought out a crumpled pack. He took out a cigarette, lit it, and
handed it to Evans.
“Thanks,” grunted Evans. He inhaled the smoke comfortably. Then he
began to think. When he awakened in the morning he always knew if
something pleasant or unpleasant was supposed to happen to him. Today
he felt would be a pleasant day.
“What you got on your mind?” Evans asked.
“Nothing, nothing at all.”
“That’s what I thought. What’re you doing up so early?”
“Just messing around, that’s all. I couldn’t sleep.”
“You never do sleep in the morning. You’ve probably got a guilty
conscience.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well,” Evans looked at him a little surprised, “well, I don’t know
what I mean, do you?”
“How should I?”
“This isn’t making much sense.”
Bervick agreed. Evans looked at him thoughtfully. He had been acting
strangely lately, ever since the Chief had disappeared. Evans wondered
absently if Bervick might not have had something to do with Duval’s
death. He examined the idea with interest. Bervick might have hit him
on the head with a hammer and then he might have dropped him overboard.
That was not at all unlikely. Evans smiled.
“What’s so funny?”
“Nothing, nothing at all. I was just thinking.”
“What about?”
“I was thinking what a funny thing it would be if you’d knocked the
Chief on the head and tossed him overboard.”
“Well, I didn’t,” said Bervick. His voice was even. “Don’t know that I
wouldn’t have liked to.”
“It doesn’t make much difference one way or the other,” said Evans,
quite sure now that Bervick had killed Duval. “It doesn’t make no
difference at all. He was better off out of the way. Guys’ve been
knocked off before. Nicer people than the Chief have been knocked off.”
“I thought about doing it a lot, but I didn’t do anything to him. He
just lost his balance.”
“You saw it then?”
Bervick nodded slowly. “Yeah, I saw him fall off.”
“Well, don’t tell me any more about it. I don’t want to know.”
“What’re you going to tell the investigating people?”
“That I don’t know nothing about what happened, and that’s what you’re
going to tell them, too.”
“You think I should?”
“I sure do.” Evans made smoke-rings. He was surprised at how easily
he was able to take all this. He felt certain that Bervick had been
responsible for the Chief’s death. He should report what he knew but he
would not. He would rather protect Bervick. Duval was dead now and he
saw no reason why anyone else should be hurt.
“You know I didn’t push him,” said Bervick. He looked strained, Evans
thought.
“O.K., then you didn’t. I don’t care.”
“I just want you to get that clear. I didn’t push him or do anything
else. He just lost his balance.”
“I believe you,” said Evans, and he almost did.
“I don’t want to talk about this any more. Is that all right with you?”
“Sure it is. You know what my report’s going to be. Let’s forget about
it.”
“Fine.” Bervick looked better already, and Evans wondered if perhaps
Bervick was telling the truth. Evans puffed on his cigarette. He was
not curious to know what had happened and he would probably never know.
It was Bervick’s business, not his.
“Going to see the Major this morning?”
Evans groaned. “I suppose I have to.” He got out of bed and shivered
in the cold room. He always slept naked, even in winter. Quickly he
dressed himself. Then he looked at himself in the mirror. He looked
scrofulous. Evans was not sure what the word meant, but it had been
going through his mind for several days and the sound of it was most
descriptive. From time to time he would mutter the word to himself.
Evans combed his hair and reminded himself again that he would have to
get a haircut soon.
“Are you ready?” asked Bervick, who had been watching him impatiently.
“All ready.” Evans put on his cap and they left the cabin and the
wheelhouse.
One of the deckhands was out on deck trying to tack another piece of
canvas over the hole where one of the forward ventilators had been. As
Evans and Bervick went by him, he asked, “Say, Skipper, do you know
what happened to the hammer? The one we keep in the lazaret.”
“No, I don’t. It was in there last I heard. You know anything about it,
Bervick?”
“I used a hammer to fix the ventilator the other night. I stuck it back
in the lazaret.”
“Well, it ain’t there now.”
“You better look again,” said Evans.
“It ain’t there.” The man turned back to his work and Evans and Bervick
climbed up on the dock.
Evans chuckled and Bervick said nothing.
They walked past the warehouses and the docks. Bervick was very quiet
and Evans did not bother him.
He looked at the sky and saw that the gray clouds were beginning to
thin. Perhaps they would have a good day, one of those days when the
sky was blue and the sun shone clearly. He watched the sea gulls dart
and glide in the windless air.
Evans wondered what the Major would have to say about the
investigation. He hoped there would not be too many questions. He was
afraid Bervick would say the wrong thing.
A truck stopped for them and they got into the back.
“I don’t think Barkison’s going to be too much bother,” said Evans. “I
think he’ll help us out.”
“I hope so. Not that we’ve got anything to hide from him, much.”
“Sure, that’s right. We haven’t got anything to hide.”
The truck stopped at the Headquarters and they jumped out.
They entered a large well-lighted room, full of clerks and typewriters
and file cases and all the necessary impedimenta of waging war.
Evans asked an effeminate-looking Corporal where he might find the
Adjutant’s office.
“Right down the hall, sir. First door on the left, sir.” The man
emphasized the “sir” in an irritating manner.
Evans and Bervick walked down the corridor. The anteroom to the
Adjutant’s office was smaller than the room they had just left. Several
clerks and several Lieutenants had desks here. On the walls were charts
of as many things as it was possible to chart or graph.
Evans noticed that one of the empty desks had the sign “Lt Hodges” on
it.
“Can I help you, sir?” asked a clerk.
“Yes, I’d like to see Major Barkison.”
“You mean _Colonel_ Barkison.”
“When was he promoted?”
“Well, he got it yesterday. You’re the Master of the boat he was on,
aren’t you?”
“That’s right.”
“I think he’s expecting you. Wait here please.” The man went into the
adjoining office and came out a moment later. “Colonel Barkison is busy
right now. He’ll see you in a few minutes. Why don’t you sit down?”
“O.K.” Evans sat in Hodges’ chair and Bervick sat on the desk.
“Quite an office Barkison’s got here,” commented Bervick.
“Yeah, I’d go crazy in a job like this, though. He sits on his butt all
day long.”
“I’d sure like to make the money he makes.”
“You could make more fishing.”
“Could be.” They waited for fifteen minutes. Then Lt Hodges came out of
Barkison’s office.
“How are you?” he greeted them. “You can go in now.”
“Thanks.”
Lt Colonel Barkison was sitting behind his desk, his mouth firm and
his jaw set as he shuffled some papers. He looked up as they came in.
Evans and Bervick did not salute and Evans was not quite sure whether
Barkison was disappointed or not.
“Good morning, Evans, Bervick. How’s your boat today?”
“Just fine, Colonel.”
“Good.” Barkison did not invite them to sit down and that irritated
Evans.
“About this investigation....” Barkison began. He paused and seemed to
be thinking. Then he said, “I’ve been appointed Investigating Officer.”
“Is that right, sir? I thought they would hold the investigation at
Andrefski.”
“Normally they would, but you’re not going back there. We just got
word from Andrefski that you’re to proceed straight to Seward for
repairs.” Barkison smiled. “Maybe you’ll even get to Seattle.”
“That’s the best news I’ve heard,” said Evans, delighted. Bervick
agreed with him.
“So,” Barkison frowned, “I’ve been made Investigating Officer.” He
paused again, then he confided, “I’ll tell you what I’m going to do.
I’ll take statements from you two and some others who might have seen
Duval. We’ll do all that tomorrow. From what I’ve already gathered I
feel that nothing new will turn up. So I can tell you _now_ that I’m
going to report plain accident in line of duty.”
“I’m glad it’ll be as simple as that,” said Evans, not knowing what
else to say.
“I feel you’ve had enough trouble without an unpleasant investigation,”
said Barkison and Evans noticed that he was careful not to look at
Bervick.
“Thank you, sir.”
“Don’t mention it. I’m quite appreciative of what you, ah, did. I’m not
quite sure in my mind, however, that it was a wise thing to do, to take
a ship out in such bad weather.”
Evans was surprised and a little angry. “What do you mean, Major, I
mean Colonel?”
“Nothing at all, except that some might say, now mind you I don’t, but
some might say you showed bad judgment.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, sir. You insisted on the trip.
I said that we were taking a chance, that was all.” Evans tried to keep
the anger out of his voice.
“I quite understand, Mr Evans,” said Barkison coldly, beginning to
shuffle his papers again. “I shall see you tomorrow.”
“Yes, sir.” Bervick saluted and Evans did not as they left Barkison’s
office.
“Well,” said Bervick when they were outside the Adjutant’s office,
“there goes that medal of yours.”
“I’d like to knock that little bastard’s head in,” said Evans with
feeling. “Did you hear him say I showed bad judgment?”
“Well, he had to pass the buck; I mean, it would look bad if people
heard he insisted on taking this trip in such bad weather. He just
wants to cover himself.”
“That man sure changed from what he was on the boat.”
“He’s just acting natural.”
Hodges came into the outer office as they were about to leave.
“What’s new?” he asked.
“Not a thing,” said Evans.
“How long you going to be around?”
“A few more days, maybe. Were going to Seward.”
“So I heard. That’s a good deal.”
“I’ll say.”
“Well, I’ll be seeing you around,” said Hodges. He looked at Bervick a
moment and he seemed about to say something. Then he decided not to.
“See you,” he said.
They said goodbye and went outside.
“What’s the matter with Junior?” asked Evans. “He looked at you sort of
queerly.”
“He’s got too much imagination, I guess.”
“Is that it?”
“That’s it.” Bervick smiled.
The sky was blue and clear now and the sun shone on the white
mountains. They walked back to the ship.
THE END
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES:
Italicized text is surrounded by underscores: _italics_.
Obvious typographical errors have been corrected.
Inconsistencies in hyphenation have been standardized.