Chapter 14 Chapter Thirteen Catherine
At nine o'clock on Monday morning, Larry Douglas reported to the Pan Am offices at New York's LaGuardia Airport.He was greeted by pilot foreman Hal Sakowitz.As Larry walked through the office door, Sarkovitz picked up the transcript of Larry's flight log that he had been poring over for some time, and stuffed it into a desk drawer.
Sarkovitz was a sturdy, rugged-looking man with a well-lined face that was clearly weather-beaten.His hands were huge, and Larry hadn't seen such big hands before.Sarkovitz is truly a veteran of the civil aviation industry, having started flying in the days of the circus air tour, flying single-engine postal planes for the government, and was an airline pilot for two decades. , has also been a lead pilot for Pan Am for five years.
"I'm glad you're working with us, Douglas," he said.
"I'm glad to be here, too," Larry replied.
"Are you looking forward to climbing a certain height again?"
"Who wants what height?" Larry grinned, grinning. "Just point to the clouds at me, and I'll take off immediately."
Sarkovitz pointed to a chair: "I'll point here first, sit down. I like to make friends with the young lads who come to replace me."
Larry laughed: "You have been notified!"
"Oh, I don't blame any of you. You're all great pilots with a bright future. You have a fantastic combat record. You come into this office and you see me and you think: 'What if that idiot Sarkovitz can be a pilot foreman, they'll have to make me chairman.' None of you will be a navigator for long, just a stepping stone to being a pilot. Oh, that's good, and it should be so."
"I'm glad you can say that," said Larry.
"There's one thing I want to say, though. You've got to know where we are. We're unionized, Douglas, and promotions are strictly by seniority."
"I heard about it."
"One more thing, I'm afraid you haven't heard. The jobs here are ideal. More people get in and fewer people get out. This will slow down the speed of promotion."
"I'll wait my chance," Larry replied.
At this time, Sarkovitz's secretary sent coffee and Danish pastries.The two of them ate and talked, and got acquainted with each other a lot.
Sarkovitz's manner was friendly and unassuming, and the questions he asked seemed irrelevant.But by the time Larry left for the first session of practice, Sarkovitz had already gotten his hands on a lot about Larry Douglas.
A few minutes after Larry left, Carl Eastman arrived in the office.
"How is it?" Eastman asked.
"Can."
Eastman stared at him. "I'm asking what you think, Zack?"
"We're going to test him."
"What do you think?" Sarkovitz shrugged his shoulders and had to say, "Yes, that's my opinion. I think he's a very good pilot. That's what he should be, with an air combat record." Yes. If he flies into the sky and keeps him under a swarm of enemy planes, I don't think you can find a better man. The problem is..." He hesitated.
"Go ahead," Eastman urged him. "The thing is, there aren't that many enemy planes over Manhattan. I know guys like Douglas. For some reason I can't fathom, I always feel that their lives are tied to danger. They do amazing things. like climbing impassable mountains, diving to the depths of the ocean, or doing whatever other adventures they can find. If war breaks out, they're like the cream in a hot cup of coffee with milk They'll come to the surface." He walked around the chair and looked out the window.Eastman stood and said nothing, waiting for him to speak.
"I have a hunch about Douglas, Carl. There seems to be something wrong with him. Maybe he'll be captain of one of our fleets, and with him in charge, he'll do something. But, in Internally, he won't listen to the chief engineer, first-class pilot, and navigator. Especially when he can do better than others." He turned to Eastman, "strange The thing is, he's likely to be."
"Your words disturb me," Eastman said.
"Me too," Sarkovitz admits. "I don't think he'll—" He paused, searching for the right expression, "to stay long. Just talk to him, and you'll feel a pack of dynamite in his body, up to the tip of his ass, ready to They're all going to explode."
"Then what are you going to do?"
"We're taking steps. He's going to the training session and we'll have people following him."
"Maybe he wasn't good at training," Eastman said.
"You don't know enough about these guys. He's going to come out on top of the squad."
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Sarkovitz's prediction was really good.The training program includes four weeks of ground training, plus one month of flight training.Since the trainees are all experienced pilots with many years of flying experience, the purpose of the course is twofold: one is to pass the following subjects relatively quickly: navigation, radio sending and receiving, communication, chart recognition and instrument flight, To enable trainees to review past work and clearly identify the various weaknesses they may have; another purpose is to familiarize them with the various new equipment and instruments they will use in the future.
Instrument flying takes place in a dedicated linkage trainer.It's actually a mock-up of an airplane cockpit, fixed to a movable base that enables the pilot in the cabin to make the plane do a variety of maneuvers, including stalls, loops, dives and rolls.The top of the cockpit is covered with a black hood, and the driver can only fly in the dark, relying entirely on the instruments in front of him.The instructor gives instructions to the pilot from outside the trainer, telling him how to take off and land the plane in the face of strong winds, storms, high mountains, and every other similar danger imaginable.Most fledgling pilots step into a link trainer confidently, but they soon discover that the little trainer is a lot more difficult to maneuver than they originally anticipated.Staying alone in the small cabin, all senses are cut off from the outside world, and there is a terrible feeling.
Larry was a gifted student, with a mimetic disposition, attentive attention in class, and absorbing everything he was taught.He does all the homework assigned, and he does it very well and very carefully.He showed no signs of impatience, restlessness, or boredom.On the contrary, he was the most inquisitive student in all subjects and had the highest academic performance.The only area where Larry felt new and unfamiliar was the set of instruments and equipment inside the DC-4. The DC-4 was a lanky, round aircraft with equipment that hadn't been available before the outbreak of the Great War.Larry spent many hours inspecting every inch of the plane's sheet metal, studying how it fit together and the ways in which it performed its various functions.In the evenings, he was engrossed in studying more than a dozen operating manuals and maintenance instructions for the DC-4.
One night, after the other trainees had left the hangar long after midnight, Sarkovitz stumbled upon Larry lying on the cockpit floor in a DC-4, carefully observing the wiring. The wiring method and orientation.
"Listen, the son of a bitch is taking my job," Sarkowitz told Carl Eastman the next morning.
"It's really possible to go on like this," Eastman said with a smile.
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At the end of the eight weeks, a general graduation ceremony is held.Catherine flew triumphantly to New York to attend the ceremony where Larry received his navigator badge.
He made the badge as trivial as possible: "Cathy, this nonsense thing is just a little piece of cloth, and they gave it to you so you don't forget what you're supposed to do when you get in the cockpit."
"Oh, no, you don't," she said. "I spoke to Sarkowitz, the foreman, and he said you were very nice."
"What does that dumb ass Pole know?" Larry said. "Let's go celebrate."
That night Katherine, Larry, four of Larry's schoolmates, and their wives went to dinner at the Twenty-One Club on the east end of Fifty-second Street.There were many people in the lounge, and the head waiter told them that there would be no tables without a reservation.
"Go to hell with this place," said Larry. "Let's go to Tootsshore's next door."
"Wait a minute," Catherine said.She went up to the head waiter and asked him to find Jerry Burns.
After a while, a thin and short man came with scrambling steps, his gray eyes showed an inquiring look.
"I'm Jerry Burns," he said. "What's the matter?"
"My husband and I, and a few friends," Catherine explained, "were ten in all."
He shook his head: "Sorry, unless you have a reservation..."
"I'm William Fraser's partner," said Catherine.
Jerry Burns looked at Catherine reproachfully: "Why didn't you say so sooner? Wait a quarter of an hour, please?"
"Thank you," Catherine said gratefully.
She walked back to where the gang stood.
"A miracle!" said Catherine. "We have a table."
"How did you get it?" Larry asked.
"That's easy," Catherine said. "I mentioned Bill Fraser's name." She saw a slight change in Larry's eyes. "He used to be here often," Catherine went on quickly, "and he told me that if I got a chance to come here and couldn't find a table, I just had to say his name."
Larry turned to the others and said, "Let's go, this is where the tycoons stay."
The group of them walked towards the door.Larry said to Catherine, "Come on?"
"It goes without saying," Catherine replied hesitantly, "I want to tell them that we don't—"
"Hang on 'em, goddammit," Larry said loudly. "Are you coming or not?"
People around turned their heads to watch.Catherine felt a heat burn on her face.
"Okay," she said.So she followed Larry out the door.
They went to an Italian restaurant on Sixth Avenue and had a bad meal.On the surface, Catherine seemed to have nothing unpleasant to do as usual, but in her heart, there was a lot of anger.Larry's childlike behavior and his public humiliation made her very angry.
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When they got home, Catherine went into the bedroom in silence.She undressed, put out the light, and went to bed.Soon she heard Larry making a drink in the living room.
After about ten minutes, he ran into the bedroom, turned on the light, and walked to the bed. "Are you ready to be a virgin?" he asked.
She sat up, furious. "Don't be so aggressive all the time," she said. "What you said and did tonight is inexcusable. What got into your head?"
"It's the guy who got into your head."
She looked at him intently: "What?"
"I'm talking about Mr. Perfect—Bill Fraser."
She looked at him, unable to understand his words: "Bill did nothing but help us."
"Would you bet it?" he said, "Your business depends on him, and I depend on him for my work. Now, without Fraser's permission, we can't even get a seat in a restaurant. Well, he sandwiches it every day." on my neck, I can't take it."
It was not the meaning of Larry's words that shocked Catherine, but the tone of them.His tone was full of frustration and weakness, which made her realize for the first time how tortured he was.Of course, this is understandable.He spent four full years in the army, and came home to find his wife was in business with her former lover.And, to make matters worse, without Fraser's help, he might not be able to find a job by now.
This was the turning point in their life together, Catherine thought, looking at Larry.To continue living together without breaking it, to put him first, above her work, above her everything.Catherine seemed to really understand Larry for the first time.
Larry seemed to guess what she was thinking, and said contritely, "I'm sorry, I'm acting like a nasty bastard tonight. But, we can't get a seat, you mentioned Fraser's magic name, take a seat I got it. I just—just suddenly became like that."
"I'm sorry for you, too, Larry," said Catherine. "I'll never do that to you again."
So, the two embraced, and Larry said, "Please don't leave me, Cathy."
Catherine clung to him and said, "I will never leave you, my dear, ever."
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Larry's first job as a navigator was on scheduled airliner 147 from Washington to Paris.After each flight, he spent forty-eight hours in Paris before returning, staying at home for three days before sailing.
Larry called Catherine's office one morning. His voice was excited: "Hey, I found a famous restaurant for the two of us. Do you have time to eat?"
Catherine looked at the layout of a pile of posters on the table, which had to be reviewed and sent out before noon. "Okay," she said, desperate.
"I'll come to you in a car in a quarter of an hour."
"You can't go!" begged her assistant, Lucia. "If we don't hand over the advertising campaign plans to Steyversant today, he's going to lose his temper."
"Wait a minute," said Catherine, "I'm going to lunch with my husband."
Lucia shrugged and looked helpless, "I don't blame you. If you get tired of him, can you tell me?"
Catherine smiled: "You are too old."
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Larry greeted Catherine at the door of her office building and got her into the car.
"Did I mess up your day plans?" he asked mischievously.
"Where will it be?"
He laughed. "Those model managers are going to have a stroke."
Larry drove the car to the airport.
"How far is the restaurant?" Catherine asked.Since two o'clock in the afternoon, she has five appointments.
"It's not far... Are there many things to do in the afternoon?"
"No," she lied, "it's nothing important."
"very good."
When the car reached the junction to the airport, Larry turned the car around and drove into the entrance.
"Is the restaurant in the airport?"
"On the other end," Larry replied.
He parked the car, took Catherine's arm, and led her through the Pan Am gate.A charming girl behind the counter greeted Larry by first name rather than last name.
"This is my wife," said Larry happily. "This is Amy Manston."
The two women exchanged polite words.
"Let's go." Still holding Catherine's arm, Larry walked towards the boarding ramp.
"Larry—" Catherine noticed something different, "Where are you going?..."
"Hey, you're the girl I gossip about the most when I take you to dinner."
They went to door 37.Behind the ticket counter, two people are checking the passengers' airline tickets one by one.The sign read: "Flight 147, to Paris - departs at 1pm."
Larry went to the ticket counter and said to a man behind the desk, "Here she is, Tony," handing him a plane ticket as he spoke. "Cathy, this is Tony Lombardi. This is Catherine."
"I'm sure I've heard your name many times." The ticket inspector smiled and said, "Your ticket is fine." He handed the plane ticket to Catherine.
Catherine stared blankly at the plane ticket, completely confused: "What is this for?"
"I'm not telling you the truth," said Larry, smiling. "I didn't take you to lunch. I took you to Paris. To the Maxim's."
Catherine's voice changed: "Ma-Maxim Hotel? In Paris? Now?"
"Not bad."
"I can't," pleaded Catherine, "I can't go to Paris now."
"No problem, you can do it," he grinned. "Your passport is in my pocket."
"Larry," she said, "you're crazy! I don't have any clothes. I've got appointments. I—"
"I'll get you some new clothes in Paris. Appointments can be canceled or rescheduled. Fraser can get by without you for a few days."
Catherine stared at him, not knowing what to say.She remembered her resolution.Larry was her husband, and he had to come first.Catherine realized that it was more important to Larry than just to take her to Paris.He wanted her to come on the plane he was navigating, trying to show her off.She felt that she had almost screwed things up.So she put her hand in the crook of his arm, and smiled affectionately at him.
"What are we waiting for?" Catherine asked. "I'm starving!"
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Paris is a haven of pleasure and pleasure.Larry had made arrangements in advance to expect a whole week in Paris.Every hour of the seven days and seven nights seemed to Catherine packed with things to do.They lived in a lovely hotel on the left bank.
On the first morning in Paris, Larry took Catherine to a handicraft shop in the Rue des Elysees, and he seemed to want to buy Catherine everything in the store.She bought only what she needed and was amazed at how expensive each item was.
"Do you understand your own weakness?" Larry said. "You take money too seriously. You're on your honeymoon."
"Yes, sir," she said.Still, she refused to buy an evening dress she didn't need.She wondered where he got all that money all of a sudden, but Larry didn't like to talk about it.However, she insisted on him.
"I got a salary advance," Larry said to her. "What's so strange?"
Catherine hadn't the courage to say to him that he was childlike in his money, generous and a little extravagant, but that was a lovely side of him.
It's exactly the same cuteness as her father.
Larry took her around Paris on a tourist's itinerary.They went to the Louvre, the Tuileries Park and the Place des Invalides, and saw Napoleon's tomb.He also took her to a small, colorfully decorated restaurant near the University of Paris.They went to the central vegetable market, saw rows of shops, and saw fresh fruit, meat and vegetables from farms all over France.On the last day, which was Sunday, they spent the afternoon at Versailles, and then dined in a pleasantly beautiful park on the outskirts of Paris.What a perfect second honeymoon.
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Hal Sakowitz sat in his office, flipping through the weekly personnel reports.Before him was a presentation on Larry Douglas.Sackowitz leaned back in his chair, carefully reading the personnel report of Larry's activities for the week written by the relevant personnel.He bit his lower lip thoughtfully.Finally, he leaned forward, pressed the button on the intercom, and said, "Let him in."
A moment later, Larry walked in, wearing his Pan Am uniform and holding a flight case.He smiled at Sarkovitz. "Good morning, sir," he said.
"Sit down." Larry slouched into a chair facing the desk and lit a cigarette.
"I have a report here that you reported forty-five minutes late for your flight briefing in Paris last Monday," Sarkovitz said.
Larry's expression changed. "I was stopped by the parade at the Elysee Park Avenue, but the plane took off on time. I didn't know we were having a children's summer camp here."
"We're an airline," Sarkovitz said, his voice soft and lifeless. "We operate strictly on the basis of ticket purchase records."
"Yes," said Larry indignantly, "I'm never going to the Elysée Park again. Anything else?"
"Yes. Captain Swift believes that on the last two flights you had a drink before takeoff."
"It's all bullshit!" Larry snapped angrily, unable to bear it.
"Why does he lie?"
"Because he's afraid I'm going to take his job," Larry's voice was smoldering. "The coward who is a bitch should have retired ten years ago."
"You've flown with four captains," Sarkovitz said. "Which one do you prefer?"
"Not one," Larry replied.At this time, he realized that he had been caught in a trap, would he be rescued in time?He said quickly, "I mean—they're all right. I don't have anything against them."
"They don't like flying with you either," Sarkovitz said fairly. "You upset them."
"What does it mean?"
"It means that, in case of an emergency, a man is absolutely sure of the person sitting next to him. They are not sure of you."
"Jesus!" Larry snapped. "I've been over Germany and the South Pacific for four years, with emergencies and life-and-death situations, and they're sitting in the back, sitting and making big bucks. Don't they trust me? ? You are not joking!"
"No one said that you are not a hero in the fighter." Sarkovitz replied calmly. "However, we are flying a passenger plane, which is a completely different matter."
Larry sat there clenching his fists, trying to control his anger. "Okay," he said sullenly, "I've got something to do. If you're done talking, I'm going to take off."
"Someone else has done it for you," Sakowitz said. "You're fired."
Larry stared at him, not believing his ears: "What did I give?"
"In a way, I feel it's my fault, Douglas. I should never have agreed to hire you."
Larry stood up, his eyes blazing with fury.
"Then why do you still let me do it?" He demanded an answer.
"Because your wife has a friend," Sarkovitz replied, "his name is Bill Fraser..."
Larry crossed the desk and punched Sarkovitz in the face.This punch sent the opponent staggering back to the wall.Sarkovitz took advantage of this short distance, bounced back, and punched Larry hard twice.Then, he took two steps back, restraining himself.
"Get out," he said, "get out at once!"
Larry stared at him, a hideous face full of hatred. "You son of a bitch, I won't come next time you, the airline, beg me." He turned and rushed out. office.
Sarkovitz stood and watched him go.His secretary hurried over and saw the overturned chair and Sarkovitz's nose bleeding.
"No problem?" she asked.
"That's great," he said. "Get in touch with Mr. Eastman and ask him if he's available to see me."
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Ten minutes later, Sarkovitz had finished telling Carl Eastman what had just happened.
"What do you think is the problem with Douglas?" Eastman asked.
"Honestly? I think he's a psychopath."
Eastman stared at him with hazel eyes that seemed to see through everything: "I'm afraid it's a bit too much, Zack. He didn't get drunk at all when he flew, and no one can prove that he drank on the ground. Occasionally One time being late can't be avoided by anyone."
"If that's all, I wouldn't fire him, Carl. Douglas is not easily provoked. To tell you the truth, I deliberately provoked him, and it was not difficult. If he can hold his breath, I Maybe give him another chance and keep him on trial. Do you know what's worrying me?"
"what?"
Sarkovitz said: "A few days ago, I ran into an old friend who used to serve with Douglas in the RAF. He told me an unbelievable story. Douglas was in Eagle Squadron. At that time, he fell in love with a small English girl. But this girl was engaged to a young man named Clark in Douglas's squadron. Douglas tried his best to win the girl, but the girl was not at all interesting. In her A week before he and Clark were going to get married, the Eagle Squadron was ordered to cover the B-17 bomber during the air raid on Dieppe. Douglas served as the rear guard of the flying squadron. After the sky fortress dropped the bomb, their squadron also turned around and returned. When flying over the English Channel , they were attacked by German planes, and Clark was shot down."
Sarkovitz stopped talking here, immersed in his own imagination.Eastman waited for him to continue.
Finally Sarkovitz looked up at him, "According to my friend, there were no German planes around their plane when Clark was shot down."
Eastman stared at him in disbelief. "God! You mean Larry Douglas...?"
"I didn't say anything, but I'll tell you an interesting thing I heard." He pressed the handkerchief to his lips again.The blood has stopped. "In a dogfight, it's hard to say what's going to happen. Maybe Clark just ran out of gas. One thing's for sure, he's just out of luck."
"What happened to his fiancée after that?"
"Douglas took her and left her on the eve of his return to America." He looked thoughtfully at Eastman. "One thing I can tell you, it's true. I'm really sorry for Douglas's wife."
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Catherine was in the conference room having an all-hands meeting when the door opened and Larry walked in.
One of his eyes was blue and swollen, and his cheek was cut.She hurried up to him: "Larry, what's the matter with you?"
"I resigned," he muttered.
Catherine led him to her office, avoiding other people's curious eyes.She put a cold washcloth over one of his eyes and cheek. "Tell me, what's the matter?" she said.It angered her that the airline had treated him like this, but she endured it.
"They've been making things hard on me for a while, Cathy. I think they're jealous because I've been at war and they haven't. It's a total blowout today. Sarkovitz called me in and told me they hired me The only reason is because you're Bill Fraser's mistress."
Catherine looked at him without saying a word.
"I beat him up," Larry said, "I can't take it."
"Oh, dear!" said Catherine, "I'm so sorry."
"Sarkowitz is more sorry," Larry replied. "I beat him up. With a job or without a job, I can't let people talk about you like that."
She hugged him to her side and said firmly, "Don't be sad. You can go to another domestic airline to work."
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The truth is not as predicted by Catherine.Larry applied to almost all the airlines, and some asked him to talk to him, but all of them fell silent and there was no news.
Bill Fraser was having lunch with Catherine once, and she brought him all the troubles that came her way.
Fraser said nothing.But throughout the meal he was very considerate to her.Several times she felt that he seemed to be about to say something, but each time he hesitated to speak.Finally he said, "I know a lot of people, Cathy. Would you like me to help Larry in other ways?"
"Thank you," said Catherine gratefully, "but I don't think I'll trouble you. We'll figure it out ourselves."
Fraser looked at her for a moment, then nodded. "Let me know if you change your mind."
"Okay," she said gratefully, "I always come to you when I have a problem."
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The checklist of the company shows that the company has a fixed capital of $750,000.The means of transport were a converted B-26 aircraft and a converted DC-3 aircraft.The company's bank credit has exceeded $40,000.The vice chairman of the New York branch of BNP Paribas assured me that the company has good potential for development.Currently, the company is making $80,000 a year, and earnings are expected to grow 30% a year over the next five years.In view of the above situation, BNP Paribas New York Branch will increase investment to provide sufficient funds to purchase additional transport aircraft.
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Noelle locked all these reports and related newspaper clippings in a special handbag with only one key, which she always carried with her.The handbag was kept in a locked trunk, which was stored in the back of the bathroom in her bedroom.The reason why she did this was not entirely because she was worried that Demiris would inquire about her affairs, but more because she knew that he was a man of intrigue.It was Noelle's personal vendetta, and she had to be absolutely sure that Demiris knew nothing about it.
Constantin Demiris will play a part in her long-term revenge plan, while he himself will always be kept in the dark.Noelle took one last look at the letters and locked them, satisfied.
She's ready to start.
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The ringing of the phone pierced the silent night sky.At this time, Catherine and Larry were having dinner at home.During the meal, the atmosphere was very uneasy, but the two remained silent.Larry was rarely at home these days, and when he was, he was depressed and rough.Catherine understood his misfortune.
"It seems like some demon has possessed me," he had told her once when TWA went bankrupt.And so it is.He had had an unbelievable string of bad luck.Catherine tried to cheer up Larry, reminding him all the time that he was a terrific pilot who would make it someday, and luck if someone found him.However, life went as if it were with a wounded lion.Catherine never knew when he would hurl his curse at her.Because she was afraid of disappointing him and losing confidence in life, she always endured it and let him play his temper and lose his temper.As she was serving the dessert as a final course, the phone rang.She grabbed the phone.
"Hey."
The other side of the line was a British male voice: "Is Larry Douglas home? I'm Ian Whitestone."
"Just a moment, please." She held up the phone and waited for Larry to answer. "This is your call. A man named Ian Whitestone."
He frowned, momentarily puzzled. "Who?" Then his face brightened, "God!"
He walked over and took the phone from Catherine. "Ian?" He gave a short laugh. "Gee, it's been almost seven years! How did you find out where I live?"
Catherine watched Larry nod and smile as he listened to the phone.
After they'd been talking for about five minutes, Larry said, "Well, that sounds good, old man. Where can I go?" He listened again. "Okay. After half an hour. Then I'll see you then." Larry thoughtfully put the microphone back in place.
"Is he a friend of yours?" asked Catherine.
Larry turned to her. "No, not really. That's the way it is. He flew with me in the RAF. He and I weren't always on the same page. But he was talking on the phone. Said there was a worthwhile job and asked me if I was interested."
"What kind of work?" Catherine asked.
Larry shrugged and said he had no comment. "You'll find out when I get home."
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It was almost three o'clock the next morning when Larry got home.Catherine was sitting on the bed reading a book when Larry appeared at the bedroom door.
"laugh."
It is expected that something happy will happen to him.Catherine had not seen him so radiant and excited for a long time.Larry walked over to the bed.
"How did it turn out when you met him?"
"Very good!" Larry said unhurriedly. "So good I can't believe it now. I guess the work will be fine."
"For Ian Whitestone?"
"No. Ian's a pilot—just like me. Didn't I tell you we flew planes together?"
"yes."
"Well—after the war, one of his fellow Greek comrades helped him find a job as Demiris' private pilot."
"The giant in ocean shipping?"
"Not only ocean shipping, but also oil and gold mines - Demiris controls half of the world. Whitestone has a wonderful arrangement there."
"what happens?"
Larry looked at her and grinned. "Whitestone has resigned and is going to Australia. Someone arranged for him to do his old job there."
"I still don't understand," said Catherine, "what have these things to do with you?"
"Whitestone spoke to Demiris and suggested that I take his place. He had just resigned and Demiris hadn't had time to think about someone else. Whitestone thought it would be fine for me to take his job. ’ He hesitated. "You don't know what the job is about, Cathy."
Catherine thought of some of the things that had happened, and of her father and his soap-bubble dreams.她说话时故意带着不明朗的、有疑虑的口气，不愿让不现实的希望使他再空欢喜一场，但也不能给他泼冷水。
“你有没有说你同怀特斯通并不是特别要好的朋友？”
他犹豫了一下：“说了。”几条小小的皱纹爬上了他的额头。
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事实的确是这样的：他和伊恩·怀特斯通从来也没有彼此产生过十分的好感。昨晚来的电话出人意外。两人见面时，怀特斯通显得非常不自在。
等他把情况说明后，拉里说：“我很吃惊，你会想到我。”
之后，有过片刻尴尬的沉默。怀特斯通后来说：“德米里斯想要一个出色的飞行员，你最合适了。”
好像是怀特斯通硬要把工作塞给他，而拉里是在帮他一个忙。等到拉里说他很感兴趣后，他看上去是大大地松了一口气，而且急于要告别。总之，这次碰头异乎寻常。
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“这会是我一生中关键性的转折，”拉里对凯瑟琳讲，“德米里斯每月付给怀特斯通一万五千德拉克马，相当于500美元。怀特斯通生活过得像帝王一样。”
“那是不是说你要住在希腊？”
“我们要住在希腊，”拉里纠正她说，“有了这么多钱，我们每月可省下一大笔，够一年的闲居生活花了。我得试一试。”
凯瑟琳显得犹豫不决，谨慎地选择着用什么字眼讲话：“拉里，那么远，而且你还不知道康斯坦丁·德米里斯究竟是一个怎么样的人。要找飞行员的工作，这里也……”
“不！”他的语调很凶狠，“不管你的飞行技术多么高明，没有人肯放半个屁。他们关心的只是你付该死的工会费有多长时间了。在那里，我可以无拘无束。这是我一直向往的，凯茜。德米里斯拥有的机群之多你是不会相信的。好了，我又可以痛快地飞了，宝贝。我唯一要讨好的人只是德米里斯，怀特斯通说他会喜欢我的。”
她又想起了拉里在泛美航空公司的工作，想起了他曾经对这个公司怀有的希望以及他与小型航空公司打交道时的失败。天哪，她考虑着，我要往哪儿走啊？到希腊去就意味着她要放弃已经创立起来的一套业务，到陌生的地方去同陌生的人住在一起，陪着她那几乎也是一个陌生人的丈夫。
他瞧着她：“跟我一起走吗？”
她抬头看了看他急切的脸色。这是她的丈夫，如果她要保持关系不破裂的话，她得住到他住的地方去。但愿拉里成功，那有多好。他又将恢复到从前的拉里。恢复到她结婚时的那个惹人喜爱的、富有乐趣的、好得不得了的男人。这样的机会她可不能放过。
“当然跟你一起走，”凯瑟琳说，“为什么你不可以乘飞机到希腊去，直接见见德米里斯呢？如果工作谈定了，我随后就来。”
他笑了，那是媚人的、孩子般的笑。“我知道你是靠得住的，宝贝。”他的胳臂搂着她，紧紧地搂着。
这时，凯瑟琳想到了另外一个问题，她在盘算怎样跟比尔·弗雷泽说才好。
第二天清早，拉里飞往雅典去见康斯坦丁·德米里斯。
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拉里走后，凯瑟琳好几天都没有听到他的任何音讯。那个星期慢腾腾地过去了。她倒希望在希腊那边的事情进展不顺利，拉里快快回来吧。即使德米里斯同意雇用他，也不知道他们两人今后要在希腊待多长时间。在美国，迟早他总能找到工作的。
到了第六天，凯瑟琳接到一个国际长途电话。“是凯瑟琳吗？”
“喂，亲爱的。”
“立即准备行装。现在你是同康斯坦丁·德米里斯的新的私人飞机驾驶员在讲话。”
十天以后，凯瑟琳已坐在飞往雅典的班机里了。
Notes:
Notes: