"And what did they say?" she whispered. "What will they do with you? You
are in the Reserve, aren't you?"
I laughed. "I enrolled in the navy for any duty that they saw fit to
assign me to. And the officer smiled, and said that I would be called
when I was wanted. I may be a coal-passer, Eve, or I may be a mechanic
to clean Tom's car, or I may breathe the pure air of heaven as I sail
the raging main."
Eve wrinkled her brow. "But I don't like that, Adam. Don't you know
whether you will be afloat or ashore?"
"I was told that I would be of more value ashore. And that I was sorry
to hear, for I had rather be afloat, except that we should be parted.
And I want to see a German submarine before I die. 'They ain't no sich
an animal.'"
And Eve laughed, and we got up and wandered home over the pebbles of the
shore. Fog was driving across the face of the moon, so that it was now
hidden, now partially revealed. From above the fog we heard the mutter
of thunder. Eve squeezed my arm.
"Do you hear the guns, Adam?" she asked. "The gods are warring."
"Never give it a thought, Eve," I said. "What are their wars to us?"
"Well," said Eve, sighing, "but I hope it will be ashore."
And we climbed the steep path, and went in to our candles, to wait for
Elizabeth. Elizabeth was like to be long in coming.