Chapter 54 one year later

The street in London known as Whitehall is lined with magnificent buildings that reflect the glory of the British Empire a hundred years ago.The houses in these fine buildings had high ceilings and narrow windows, and many of them were divided up with cheap partitions into small offices for the lower ranks of officials, or as general corporate meeting rooms.The Order of Stealth Action Committee, a subcommittee under a subcommittee, was meeting in a windowless, fifteen-foot-square room, one wall of which was half taken up by a large, cold fireplace. Simon Fortescue, from MI6, in a striped suit, striped shirt, and striped tie sat in a chair.Special Operations was represented by John Graves from the Department of Economic Warfare, and it was technically overseen by this department throughout the war.Like other public servants on the committee, Graves wore the uniform of Whitehall, a black jacket and gray striped trousers.The Bishop of Marlborough is here too, in a vicar's purple shirt, his presence no doubt providing a moral yardstick for the matter of incentives for killing.The intelligence officer, Colonel Algernon Norby Clark, was the only member of the committee who had experienced the spectacle of war.

The secretary of the committee passed the debating members one by one, bringing them tea and a plate of biscuits. In the middle of the morning, they began to discuss Lance's "jackdaw" problem. John Graves said: "The group consisted of six women and only two survived, but they destroyed the telephone exchange at Saint-Cécile. This is also the headquarters of the local Gestapo." "Women?" said the bishop. "You mean six women?" "yes." "My God." His tone was obviously disapproving, "Why would you send a woman?" "The telephone exchange was heavily guarded and they got in by pretending to be cleaners."

"I see." Nobby Clark, who hadn't spoken all morning but smoked one cigarette after another, spoke: "After the liberation of Paris, I interrogated Rommel's assistant, Major Model Model. He told me that their correspondence was in Normandy D-Day was practically paralyzed, and he thought that was a big factor in the success of our big counteroffensive, which I didn't know was done by a few girls. I think we should consider awarding the Military Cross, which is Should it be?" "Perhaps," Fortescue said, becoming stiff. "The group has a disciplinary problem, though. There has been a formal complaint against its leader, Major Claret, that she insulted an officer of the Royal Guards. "

"Insult?" said the bishop. "What is it?" "There was an argument in a bar once, and I think she said 'fuck off' to the man. Excuse me, my lord." "My God. So she's not a good role model for the next generation." "Indeed. Perhaps a medal one level lower than the Military Cross, the Order of the British Empire, might be more appropriate." Nobby Clark spoke again. "I disagree," he said mildly. "After all, if this woman was made of slime, she wouldn't be able to blow up a telephone exchange under the nose of the Gestapo."

Fortescue was a little annoyed.He does not usually encounter such objections.He hates people who cannot be intimidated by his words.He looked around the table, then said, "It looks like the majority of opinions in this meeting are against yours." Clark frowned. "I think I can stick to this minority proposal," he said with patience and force. "Certainly," said Fortescue, "though I doubt very much that it will make any difference." Clark took a puff on his cigarette thoughtfully and asked, "Then why?" "We send the list to the Prime Minister and he may have an idea of ​​one or two nominations on the list. In that case, he will make his own choice, disregarding our advice, but in all other cases Now, he has no interest himself, but does what we suggest, and if the committee is not unanimous, he accepts the majority."

"I see," said Clark, "though I wish to put on record that I disagree with the committee, and I recommend that Major Claret be awarded the Military Cross." Fortescue looked at the secretary, the only woman in the room. "Please put this on record, Miss Gregory." "Okay," she said quietly. Clark stubbed out his cigarette, took out another, and lit another.That was the end of the matter. Mrs. Walter Lauder Frank came home happily.She managed to buy a sheep neck today.It was the first time she had seen meat in a month.She walked from her suburban home to the bombed center of Cologne, where she lined up outside the butcher shop all morning.The butcher Haile Beckman touched her back, and she had to put on a smile. If she resisted, he would never sell her meat again.She can stand Beckman's salty pig's hands.A sheep's neck would keep her fed for three days.

"I'm back!" She joyfully drew into the room.The kids are at school, but Dieter is at home.She put this hard-won piece of meat in the kitchen.She's saving it to share it at night when the kids are around.She and Dieter had cabbage soup and black bread for lunch. She went into the living room. "Hi, dear!" she said briskly. Her husband sat by the window, motionless.A black pirate eye patch covers one eye.He was wearing his smart old coat, but it hung loosely on his thin frame, and he was also wearing no tie.She tried to dress him up every morning, but she couldn't tie a man's tie well.There was a hollow expression on his face, and a stream of drool trickled down his open mouth.He did not answer her greeting.

She was used to it. "Guess what I bought?" she said, "I got a lamb neck!" He stared at her with that good eye. "Who are you?" he said. She bent down and kissed him. "How lucky we are to have stew tonight!" That afternoon, Flick and Paul were married in a chapel in Chelsea, London.The ceremony is very simple.The war in Europe was over, Hitler was dead, but the Japanese clung to Okinawa, and wartime austerity continued to bind Londoners.Both Flick and Paul wore their own military uniforms, and wedding dresses were hard to come by, and the widowed Flick didn't want to wear white.

Percy Sweet brings Flick out as a father.Ruby is the chief bridesmaid.She couldn't be a bridesmaid because she was married to Jim, the finishing school firearms instructor, who sat in the second row. Paul's father, General Chancellor, was the best man.He was still based in London, and Flick already knew him well.He was known as an ogre in the American army, but Flick thought he was very sweet and cute. Also sitting in the church was Mademoiselle Jeanne Remas.She was sent to the Ravensbrück Concentration Camp with the young Marie, where Marie died, but Miss Remus survived tenaciously.Percy Sweet had specially invited her to London for the wedding.She sat in the third row and wore a cloche.

Dr. Claude Bowler also survived, but both Diana and Maud died in Ravensbrück concentration camp.According to Mademoiselle Remass, Diana became a leader in the camp, bargaining with the Germans by taking advantage of their weakness to respect her aristocratic status, confronting the camp commanders without fear, complaining about living conditions, All strive for better treatment.Although it didn't have much effect, her courage and optimism boosted the morale of starving prisoners, and some survivors say she gave them the will to live. The wedding ceremony was very brief.As soon as the ceremony was over, Flick and Paul, who were standing in front of the church, turned around and accepted everyone's congratulations as a couple.

Paul's mother is here too.Somehow the general came up with a way to persuade his wife to board the transatlantic plane.She had arrived last night, and Flick had only now seen her for the first time.The mother looked Flick up and down, obviously trying to see if the girl was good enough to be a wife for her perfect son.Flick, feeling a little disappointed, but telling herself that the situation was quite normal for a proud mother, kissed Madame Chancellor affectionately on the cheek. They are making their home in Boston.Paul is continuing his passion for the educational record business.Flick plans to finish her doctorate and then teach French culture to American teenagers.The five-day transatlantic voyage was their honeymoon. Flick's mother wears a hat from 1938.She cried, even though it was the second time she had seen her daughter get married. The last person in the small group to come up to kiss Flick was her brother Mark. Flick has something to do to make his happy life perfect.She put her arms around Mark and turned to her mother, who hadn't spoken to him in five years. "Look, Ma," she said, "here comes Mark." Mark was kind of freaked out. Mom hesitated for a while.Then she opened her arms and said to him, "Hello, Mark." "Hello, Mom." He sighed and stepped forward to hug her. Afterwards, everyone walked out of the church into bright sunlight.