Chapter 12 Chapter Twelve

The return from Berlin to Washington was as shocking to Pug as it had been when he returned from Manila in 1931 to his home country in the Great Depression.What surprised him this time was not the change, but the lack of change.After all the gaudy spectacle and war rage of Nazi Germany, it was like stepping out of a theater showing a color movie into a gloomy, quiet street.Even Rotterdam and Lisbon reacted eagerly to the war.And here, where the dome of the Capitol and the Washington Monument shone in the ninety-degree heat, people went about their business indifferently.The frenzied invasion of Poland already looked like a historic conquest of all ages, as distant from the city as a volcanic eruption on Mars.

He sat in the dining room of the Army and Navy Club and ate his breakfast of salmon and scrambled eggs.When he arrived here the first day, he was a little confused.The guy he reported to at the State Department's German branch - a nobodies judging from his tiny office, substandard furniture and no windows etc - told him to wait for a call the next morning; nothing else . "Alas, our budding friend!" "Where are your striped trousers, Pug?" Three of his classmates were grinning at him: Digger Brown, Paul Monson, and Harry Wallendorf.Although Pug and the three of them had not seen each other for several years, they sat apart from him and joked and chatted as if they saw each other every day.He looked at them with interest, and they looked at him as well, for they were all fat and bald.Monson, who learned to fly in 1921, is now an air operations officer on the USS Saratoga.Digg Brown, Pug's old roommate, was quite confident, though a little blue.He might be the first officer in his class to become a battleship vice-captain!Warrendorf, the smartest of the three, suffered as much as Tolliver, when he and six others washed a destroyer onto the rocks off the California coast while carrying out orders from the admiral on a foggy day.He was lowered to a minesweeper, where he remains to this day.

They joked crudely about Pug's social work on the surface, but they still had curiosity and respect for him.They ask a lot of very naive questions about the European war.They all estimated that the Nazis were twice as powerful as they actually were on the battlefield, and the Allies were completely powerless.Despite the ghastly reports of the Nazis in newspapers and magazines, Americans still know so little about Europe, and most of them are so ignorant of anything other than their profession, that it Pug was taken aback. "If it's like what you said, why did the Germans do so well in Poland?" Warren said.They all listened attentively to his estimate of the strength of the belligerents, but they didn't quite believe it.

"Everyone thinks that way. I think: surprise attack, good weapons and equipment, concentrated force, good command on the battlefield, strong political leadership, better training of troops, and a special combat plan; and there may be a lot of corruption in Poland places, confusion and betrayal. Meanwhile, Britain and France seem to just sit there in a daze, missing out on a great opportunity to defeat Hitler, which will never come again. If you don't go to war, you don't Impossible to win." A waiter asked him to answer the phone.A brisk, unfamiliar voice said, "Is that Lieutenant Colonel Henry? Welcome to the shores of peace. I'm Carton. Colonel Russell Carton. It seems we've been together for a short time at the Military Academy, in Fighting the Japanese in a sand table operation."

"Yes, Colonel, that was in 1957. I remember the Japanese beat us pretty badly." Pug tried to suppress the surprise in his voice.Russell Carton was Roosevelt's naval adjutant. There was laughter on the phone. "I hope you have forgotten that I was the admiral who commanded that battle. When will I pick you up? The appointment is at noon." "Is the road far?" "It's around the corner. In the White House. You're going to see the President...Hello? Did you hear that?" "Yes, sir, you say, to see the President. Any instructions for me on that?"

"Then I don't know. Please wear a white dress. Then, I will pick you up at half past eleven." "Yes, sir." He went back to the table and ordered some more coffee.The others didn't ask anything.He also pretended to be fine.But these old friends are hard to fool.They knew it was unusual to be back from Berlin so soon.Perhaps they had already guessed that he had answered an unexpected call.It's nothing special either.Monson said, "Don't you have a son in Pensacola, Pug? I'm flying up there the day after tomorrow to teach a little about landing on an aircraft carrier. You go too." "If I could go If so, Paul, I'll give you a call."

Pug felt a little reluctant when they left.They talked of a battle maneuver being planned, and it brought back memories of machines, fresh air at sea, and coffee on the bridge.They talked about recent promotions and appointments, talked with excitement about how the world was moving fast, how they had more More opportunities to make a career and win honors--those were what Henry was most interested in, but he hadn't asked for it for a long, long time.He had his hair cut, his shoes polished, put a new white cap on his hat, put on his white coat and sash, and sat in the hall for forty-five minutes without end, guessing. Looking forward to the upcoming meeting with Franklin Roosevelt, I was always terrified.He had seen him before.

A sailor came in through the turnstile and called his name.He drove a few blocks toward the White House in a gray Chevrolet, feeling a little bewildered trying to chat with Colonel Carton.Caton was obese, and he shook hands with all his strength.On his right shoulder, the so-called "leisure man's frieze" in gold and blue is shining, and those who know how to see it will know that this marks him as the adjutant of the president. Otherwise, the staff frieze should hang on the left shoulder.Pug followed the colonel through the wide public rooms and corridors of the White House and up the stairs. "Here we are," Carton said, leading him into a small room. "Please wait a moment." This time I waited for a full twenty-seven minutes.Pug Henry looked at the old sea battle engravings on the wall, and looked out the window; he walked up and down for a while, sat down on a big brown leather chair, and then paced up and down again.He wondered if the President remembered him, and hoped he didn't.In 1918, Franklin D. Roosevelt, the swaggering Assistant Secretary of the Navy, set off for Europe on a destroyer.The officers in the officer room, including Second Lieutenant Henry, secretly laughed at this tall, handsome young man with a famous family name.He made a great show of seaman's lingo, and hopped up the ladder like an old sailor.Still wearing strange clothes, constantly changing back and forth.The officers thought he was a charming young man, but he had no real skills, he was worthless, and the pampered life of the rich spoiled him.He imitated his great relative President Teddy Roosevelt, wearing a pair of pince-nez and imitating his popular manly demeanor, but the prim Harvard accent made his enthusiasm appear. Kind of funny.

① Teddy Roosevelt (1858-1919), the twenty-sixth president of the United States.He wore a tracksuit with gold buttons, white flannel trousers, and a straw hat on his head.The clothes are all soiled.Pug was scolded by his captain and the dripping Assistant Secretary of the Navy. One morning, Lieutenant Henry finished his usual homework on the foredeck and was sweating.Due to lack of water, he had to wash himself with sea water from the pump hose on the deck. Unfortunately, the bow of the ship was pitched so hard that the hose was released from his hand, and the water sprayed into the hatch leading to the wardroom, just in time for Roosevelt. Come up, and the door opens. "Well, come in, Pug," said Colonel Carton.The president waved him from behind his desk. "Hello! Nice to meet you!" The enthusiastic, rich, and dignified voice was familiar to the radio, and the tone was very kind, which moved Pug very much.The impression he got in his panic was: a magnificent round yellow room filled with calligraphy and paintings.A pale man in gray lolled in the armchair next to the president.Franklin Roosevelt held out his hand. "Put your hat on the table, Lieutenant Colonel, please sit down. Would you like something to eat? I'm having lunch." Next to the president's swivel chair was a small coffee table with a plate and a half-eaten stall inside. Eggs, toast and coffee are provided.He was wearing a shirt and no tie.Apart from newsreels and photographs, Pug hadn't seen him in more than twenty years, and his ruddy complexion hadn't changed a bit, he was still tall, but his hair was gray, and he was much older and fatter.For all the majestic air of a great man in the highest authority, the youthful conceit that made the ensigns on the "David" giggle was still in that great upturned chin. Some traces remain.Although his eyes were sunken, they were sharp and piercing.

"Thank you, Mr. President, I have eaten." "By the way, this is the Secretary of Commerce, Harry Hopkins." The pale man, smiling charmingly at Henry, gestured lazily that there was no need for a handshake. The President looked at Victor Henry with pleasure and playfulness, his large head tilted to one side. "Hey, Pug, have you learned how to hold on to a seawater hose at sea?" "Oh, my God, Your Excellency." Pug covered his face with one hand in mock despair. "I have heard of your memory. But I hope you have forgotten that." "Ha, ha, ha!" The president raised his head with a smile. "Harry, this young man ruined the best navy serge sweater and straw hat I ever had. It was 1918. You thought I'd forget that, didn't you? I never Will forget. Now that I'm Commander-in-Chief of the United States Navy, Pug Henry, do you have anything to say?"

"Mr. President, compassion is more powerful than power." ① This remark is quoted from the first scene of the fourth act of Shakespeare's comedy. "Oh ho, very good, very good. Quick mind, Pug," he glanced at Hopkins. "Ha, ha, ha! I'm a Shakespeare fan myself. Very well said. You've been forgiven." Roosevelt's face became serious. He glanced at Colonel Carton who was still standing at attention by the table. The adjutant smiled apologetically and left the room.The President ate a slice of eggs and poured himself some coffee. "What about Germany, Pug?" How to answer such a humorous question?Victor Henry caught the President's meaning from his tone. "It looks a bit like a war to me, sir." "What, kind of like a war? It looks like a real war to me. Tell me what you think." Victor Henry did his best to describe the special atmosphere in Berlin, how the Nazis minimized the significance of the war, and the silent composure of the Berliners.He also told how, on the first day of the war, a small airship towed Flying over the German capital with a toothpaste ad — the president snorts and a look at Hopkins—and in a recent issue of the Berliner Bild that I got in Lisbon, there were some posters of happy Germans sunbathing on the beach and dancing merrily on the grass in the countryside. Folk dance photo.The president kept looking at Hopkins, who had what Victor Henry called a banana face, long and curved.Hopkins seemed ill, probably running a low-grade fever, but his eyes were deep and lightning-fast. Roosevelt asked: "Do you think he's going to ask for peace after the war in Poland? Especially if he's as unprepared as you say he is?" "What will he suffer, Mr. President? Judging from the current developments, it may be so." The president shook his head. "You don't know the British. Though they're not necessarily better prepared." "I admit I don't understand, sir." Hopkins said softly for the first time, "How well do you know the Germans?" "Not very well, Monsieur Minister. This nation is not easy to understand at once. But with the Germans, there is only one thing to understand in the final analysis." "Oh, what's the matter?" "It's how to beat them." The president laughed, the heartfelt laugh of a man who loves life and laughs when he gets a chance. "What a war freak! Do you suggest, Pug, that we should get involved?" "Not at all, Mr. President, except until we have to get involved." "Oh, we're going to get involved sooner or later," said Roosevelt, stooping to drink his coffee. Pug was taken aback. It was the most startling revelation he had ever heard in his life.He could hardly believe that the great man in the shirt actually said it.Newspapers and magazines were filled with the president's resounding statement that the United States would not enter the war.Roosevelt went on to earnestly praise the report "Battle Readiness in Nazi Germany," which he said he had read with great interest.Some of the questions he asked later showed that he had almost no reservations about his analysis.He doesn't know much about Germany's important strategic situations any more than Harry Wallendorf or Digger Brown does, and asks the same questions, even asking "What was Hitler like? Have you ever talked to him?" ?” This is a commonplace question.Pug described Hitler's war speeches in Congress to Roosevelt.Franklin Roosevelt was particularly interested in this, and asked what tone of voice Hitler used, what gestures, what he did between pauses. "I heard," said Roosevelt, "that his speeches were typed on a special typewriter with extra-large letters, so that he didn't have to wear glasses." "I don't know that, sir." "That's right. My information is pretty solid. They're called 'Führer Fonts.'" Roosevelt sighed, turned his chair around, left his food, and lit a cigarette. "There's no other way than to go to a place, Pug, to see it, to experience it. That's what's missing in my job." "However, Mr. President, in the final analysis, it must be summarized into objective facts and figures." "That's true, but it always depends on who writes the report. Your report is pretty good. How on earth did you foresee that he would make a treaty with Stalin? Everyone here is amazed." "I can estimate with absolute accuracy that someone, somewhere, somewhere, Mr. President, happened to be me." "No, no, the report you wrote makes a lot of sense. In fact, we've got some intelligence here, Pug. A German embassy slipped a little - don't care which embassy - our State Department has a The treaty was forewarned, too. But the problem is nobody here believes it." He looked at Hopkins, a little jokingly. "That's where the trouble is when it comes to intelligence, isn't it, Pug? All kinds of weird intelligence comes, but—" The President suddenly seemed at a loss for words.He looked tired, bored, and absent-minded, smoking through the long holder.Victor • Henry wanted to leave, but he thought the president should send him away.Now he felt a little more at ease about the meeting.In short, Franklin Roosevelt's demeanor was a bit like that of an admiral chatting casually at dinner, while Pug was used to the arrogant and bossy style of naval admirals.Apparently his crossing the Atlantic during the war was just killing an hour of leisure for the President. Hopkins checked his watch. "Mr. President, the Secretary of State and Senator Pittman will be arriving soon." "It's time already? About the embargo? That's it, Pug." Henry jumped up, picking up his hat. "Thank you for stopping by here. This meeting is very important. Well, if there is anything you think I should know in the future, as long as you come across anything that you think is meaningful or interesting, write a letter. How about writing to me? I'd love to hear what you have to say. That's what I mean." Henry could only blink and nod at this odd suggestion to bypass the chain of command, which contradicted Henry's twenty-five years of naval training and experience.The President noticed his expression. "Not a formal report, of course," he said hastily. "Whatever you do, just don't write me any more reports! Now that we've reacquainted, why don't we keep in touch? I like that thing you wrote, I can almost see the submarine base being deserted by five o'clock in the afternoon It illustrates a lot of important issues in Nazi Germany. Often a little thing like how much a loaf of bread is worth, what jokes are being circulated, or an advertisement for a blimp over Berlin. A report of dozens of pages contains more meaning. Of course, a formal report is also indispensable. But, God knows, I have seen enough such reports!" Franklin Roosevelt gave Henry a stern look, as if a boss wanted to know if the other party understood after he issued an order. "Yes, Mr. President," Henry said. "Oh, by the way, Pug. Here's a proposal, just sent to my desk, to help the Allies. We are, of course, absolutely neutral in this foreign war, but—" the President suddenly Grinning slyly, his tired eyes sparkled again, searching the cluttered table, and he picked up a piece of paper. "Here. We're offering to buy the Queen Mary and the Normandy to evacuate the Americans in Europe. Thousands are stuck there, you know. What do you think? This Give the Allies a lot of their much-needed dollars, and we can get these ships. These are luxurious first-class cruisers. What do you think?" Victor Henry looked from Hopkins to the President.Obviously this is a serious question.Both of them were waiting for his answer. "Mr. President, I believe that these two cruisers are important military treasures, and they will not sell them unless they are crazy. They are two excellent army transport ships. They are the fastest of all ships of their tonnage at sea. Outperform any submarine in cruising speed. Because of the speed, there is almost no need to zigzag. The internal decoration of the ship is dismantled, and their load capacity is particularly huge." The President asked Hopkins dryly, "Is that the opinion of the Naval Operations Department?" "I'll have to look it up, Mr. President. I remember their main concern was where the money was coming from." Franklin Roosevelt raised his head in thought, then smiled and stretched out his long arms to Henry to say goodbye to him. "You know why I didn't get more mad about that suit that time? Because your captain said you were one of the best ensigns he'd ever seen. Well, keep in touch." "Yes, sir." "Yo, how's it going?" asked the President's aide, smoking a cigar in the reception room.He stood up and flicked off the ash. "I think everything is going well." "It must be. I had an appointment to see you for ten minutes, but you stayed for almost forty minutes." "Forty minutes! How fast. What now?" "What do you mean?" "I haven't had any very special instructions. Do I go straight back to Berlin, or what?" "What did the president say?" "I think he must have said good-bye to me." Colonel Carton smiled and said, "I think you're done. Maybe you should report to the Chief of Naval Operations anyway and stop coming here." He put his hand in his breast pocket. "One more thing. This was delivered to my office not long ago, from the State Department." This is a business urgent envelope.Henry tore it open, and inside was a thin sheet of pink telegraph paper that read: Pass the telegram.Byron Henry is safe in Warsaw.Negotiations are underway with the German government for the evacuation of all neutral personnel.Slote. Hugh Cleveland was disappointed when Victor Henry walked into the announcer's office; he was just a dumpy man in his fifties, with plain features and broad shoulders; he wore a brown suit and a red butterfly Bow tie, standing in front of the reception staff's desk.On his weather-beaten face, there was a soft but slightly guarded expression, but it was not at all sophisticated.Cleveland has interviewed many, many different people, and according to his judgment of people, this may be a professional player turned manager, a lumber merchant, or an engineer; a perfect American, very smart, a little Don't be scary.But he knew that Madeleine feared and adored her father.Gradually, he became very respectful of this girl's opinion, so he spoke in a very respectful tone. "Lieutenant-Colonel Henry? My pleasure. I'm Hugh Cleveland." "Good morning. I won't disturb you. I was just calling here and wanted to drop by to have a look." "I'm so glad you're here. Madeline is taking time for a manuscript. Come over here, please." They walked down a cork-floored hallway with green acoustic panels on either side. "She hardly expected it. She thought you were in Germany." "I'm here temporarily." Madeleine ran out of a door that said "No Entrance" and hopped up to Henry, kissing him.She was wearing a stylish dark brown pleated skirt and gray shirt. "My God, Dad, I didn't expect that. Is everything okay?" "Very good." He narrowed his eyes at her.She looked much more mature, radiant with excitement.He said, "If you're busy, I'll go and we'll talk later." Cleveland interrupted: "No, no, Lieutenant Colonel. Come in and have a look. I'm going to interview Ida May Pyleham." "Oh? The author of The General's Wife? I read it on the plane. It's an interesting story." In the tiny studio, furnished like a study with fake wainscoting and fake books, Cleveland said to the thin-faced, white-haired authoress: "Miss Pyleham, this is the Another admirer of The General's Wife. Lieutenant Colonel Henry was the US Naval Attaché in Berlin." "Stop saying that! Hello." The woman shook her pince-nez towards Henry. "We're not going to get involved in this stupid war, are we, Lieutenant Colonel?" "I hope not." "I think so too. If that guy in the White House suddenly died suddenly, I'd be more hopeful." Pug sat down in a nearby armchair and listened to their reading.The authoress made a scathing review of contemporary literature, calling one famous writer obscene, another lazy, and a third superficial.He was thinking about yesterday's meeting with "the man in the White House."He felt that he had been recalled on the spur of the moment, and had cost the public two thousand dollars to travel back and forth from Germany just to chat aimlessly while eating eggs.Morning papers reported that yesterday was a busy, stressful day for the president. The headline "Roosevelt Declares Partial National Emergency" took up several columns.The other three headlines on the front page all began with either Roosevelt or the President; he had organized two major government committees, he had raised the sugar limit, and he and House leaders had worked on revising the Neutrality Act.All this was done by the man in the shirt with the ruddy face who sat behind his desk and never left; but he had such a spirited look that you forgot he was paralyzed in a chair.Pug tried to convince himself that he might have said something, made an argument, that had illuminated the President's thinking, and that would have made his trip in vain.But he couldn't do it.His comments about Germany, like his original report, fell on the president's ears.The president was mainly interested in the details of Hitler's oratorical skills and some of the local atmosphere in Berlin.The President's offer to write some chatty letters still puzzled him, if not out of focus.For the first few minutes, President Roosevelt's enthusiasm, his humor, his amazing memory, and his hearty laugh all charmed Victor Henry.But looking back on all this, Lieutenant Colonel Henry wondered how differently the president would have behaved to a man who walked into his office to shine his shoes. "Fourteen minutes and twenty seconds, Mr. Cleveland." Madeline's inflected voice from the microphone woke him up. "Very well, can we record it, Miss Pyleham?" "No. These remarks about Hemingway are too polite. I would like to spend another half hour revising the manuscript. Please give me a cup of strong tea with lemon." "Yes, miss. Do you hear that, Madeline? Go get it." Cleveland invited the naval officer into his office, and Pug took a cigar.The young announcer had one leg straddled the arm of the chair, much to Henry's distaste.Pug had corrected Byron's habit quite severely. "Sir, you should be proud of Madeleine. She is an extraordinary girl." "Unusual in what way?" "Well, you see, when you tell her anything, she understands. Or she doesn't understand, and she asks questions. If you send her to fetch anything or do anything, she will do it. She never Not wordy, I haven't heard her complain yet. She is not timid, dares to talk to anyone directly, and is not rash. She can be trusted. Are there many people in the Navy who can be trusted? In our kind of career Here, such people are as rare as giant pandas, especially girls. Things are not so smooth here. I know, you want her to go back to school, she has to go next week, I am very sorry .” "The child is only nineteen years old." "She's better than the twenty-five and thirty-year-old women I've worked with," Cleveland said with a laugh.Pug thought the easygoing fellow had an infectious laugh, and a natural enthusiasm that was a little bit Presidential.Some people have this trait, some don't.He himself has none of it.In the Navy, this trait is not particularly appreciated, people call it "slippery head", people with this trait climb fast, they also form a habit of relying on this trait, until it is too slippery and they fall . "I hope she shows those qualities in school. I don't think it's a good idea to let a nineteen-year-old girl hang around in New York." "Well, sir, I don't want to argue with you, but Washington isn't a convent either. It's a matter of upbringing and character. Madeline is a fine and reliable girl." Pug snorted noncommittally. "Sir, how about you coming to our show? We are very honored to have you." "As a guest? You're kidding. I'm nobody." "The U.S. Naval Attaché in Nazi Germany is certainly a character, you can cheer up the military readiness and the Two Ocean Fleet. We just had Admiral Prieber on the radio." "Yeah, I know, that's how I found out what my little girl was up to these days." "Would you like to think about it, sir?" "Never consider it." Pug's tone suddenly became icy, not only because he wanted to end the conversation, but because he suspected that he was praising Madeline so much just to flatter him. "I think it's okay to ask, right?" Cleveland smiled flatteringly, and smoothed his thick blond hair with his hands.His sunburned face was flushed as if he had just come out of a barber's; he looked handsome in a college jacket and sweatpants, although Victor Henry felt that his Argyle socks A little too much.He didn't like Cleveland, but he could see that Madeline was willing to work hard for such a Broadway guy. ①Broadway is a street in New York, USA, where theaters and movie theaters are concentrated. ②Argyll is a county in Scotland, England, which produces wool; Argyll socks are wool socks with a Scottish checkered pattern. Later, Madeline showed her father around the studios.Some of the corridors resembled the passages in a ship's cabin, full of electrical installations and thousands of colored wires in bundles.All this interested Pug.He would love to look at the control charts and see how radio programs flow from this nerve center to the rest of the country.In the rehearsal room, there are large cardboard sets, aspirin bottles, toothpaste cans, gasoline pumps, etc., as well as flashing red lights, poseur singers, giggling audiences and bouncing people making funny faces. The clowns, not only seem vulgar and stupid in their own right, but they look doubly vulgar in the case of Poland being invaded.Here, right at the heart of America's communications apparatus, Hitler's war seemed less significant than a clash between rude men. "Madeline, what is it about these messy things that fascinates you?" At this time, they were coming out of the rehearsal room of a comedy show.There, a star wearing a firefighter hat sprayed the bandleader, songstress and audience with mineral water from a bottle. "Dad, you may not be interested in that man, but millions of people are. He gets fifteen thousand dollars a week." "Here's the absurdity of the thing. That's more than a rear admiral earns in a year." "Dad, I've seen the most famous people in the last two weeks. I've seen Jarley Cooper. Just today, I've been with Miss Pyleham for another two hours. You know, I still I dined with the Chief of Naval Operations, it was me!" "I've heard. What's this Cleveland like?" "He's fantastic." "Is he married?" "Married with three children." "When does your school start?" "Dad, do I have to go back?" "When did we ever make any other plans?" "I'm so sad. I feel like I've joined the Navy. I want to stay." He gave her a cold look, and she stopped talking. They went back to her small office partitioned off from Cleveland's office.Pug smoked one cigarette after another and sat silently in an armchair, watching her work.He noticed her tidy files, the lists she checked, the crispness with which she made the phone calls, and the little chart she had drawn on the wall with her own invitations and reservations for September. Invited guests, and celebrations to be held in New York.He noticed how engrossed she was in her work.When they were visiting the radio station just now, she just casually asked about the situation at home, didn't mention Germany at all, and didn't even ask what Hitler was like. He cleared his throat and said, "Hey, Madeleine, by the way, I'm going to the Brooklyn Navy Yard to have dinner aboard the USS Colorado. Digger Brown is the mate, you know? Lady Brown's father. Would you like to come? What's the matter? What's the matter?" Madeline sighed. "Well, I'll be there, Dad. Anyway, it's so rare for me to see you. Let's meet about five o'clock—" "Do you have other plans?" "Yes, I didn't expect you to fall out of the sky suddenly. I was going to have dinner with some young people, and then go to the theatre." "What young man?" "You know, the young guys I met at CBS. A couple of writers, musicians, an actress, and some girls who were new here like me. There were eight of us, kind of a bunch. .” "I'm sure there are bright-eyed ensigns among the junior officers." "Yes, of course there will be such an ensign." "You know, I'm not trying to drag you anywhere." "Father, you should talk to Lieutenant Colonel Brown. I'll hang out with the lieutenants another night. Shall we have breakfast together tomorrow? I'll go to your hotel." "Very well. I suppose these lads of yours, these young men, are probably theatrical fellows by profession, shallow pretty little characters." "Honestly, you're mistaken. They're both serious and intelligent." "I think the strangest thing is how you fell in. It's so far from what your mother and I expected of you." 梅德琳乜斜了眼瞧着他说：“是吗？难道妈妈从来没对您说过，她曾经想当演员？她难道没对您说，有整整一个夏天，她曾经在一个巡回演出的音乐节目里当过舞蹈演员？” “有这么回事。那时候她十七岁，干了件荒唐事。” “是吗？嗯，有一次，我们在一个阁楼上，可能是在马头庄，她发现了她那把跳独舞时候用的阳伞，这是一把桔黄色纸伞。是的，就在那个挺脏的阁楼里，妈妈当场甩掉鞋，张开伞，提起裙子，把整个舞给我跳了一遍，而且她还唱了一支歌儿，叫'中国姑娘庆—庆—查拉—娃'。我那会儿大概十二岁，可我还记得。她把脚都踢到天花板了，妈妈真是那样的，天哪，我真愣住了。” “嗯，是的，'中国姑娘庆—庆—查拉—娃'！”帕格说，“她也给我跳过，那是好久、好久以前了。实际上，我们那时还没结婚。好，我要到'科罗拉多号'去了。明天早饭以后，我就飞往彭萨科拉，去看拜伦。假使我能弄到飞机票的话，后天就回柏林。” 梅德琳离开桌子，用两只胳膊搂住他，她身上散发着甜蜜的魅力，脸上焕发着青春、健康和幸福的光采。“好爸爸，让我工作吧，求求您了。” “我以后从柏林写信或打电报给你。我还得跟'中国姑娘庆—庆—查拉—娃'商量商量。” 布鲁克林海军基地富于海港气氛，驱逐舰成排地停泊着，亮着红色桅灯，“科罗拉多号”从舰首到舰尾，灯火辉煌，它那巨大的主炮塔的大炮，斜着瞄向前面——这一切都给维克多•亨利一种宁静的感觉；这种感觉在其他人只有回到自己家里，抽支雪茄、喝杯酒时才能感到。要是说他在这个世界上有个家的话，那就是一艘战列舰。一艘战列舰是用各种钢板和各种机器，在不同的时间和不同的地方拼在一起，形成许字形状，取了许多名称，然而一所战列舰始终是海上最强的军舰。这就是说，上千种不断改变的体积、设计、推进力、装甲、武器装备、内部通讯、内部供应系统等规格；上千项的礼节和纪律约束着全体船员，从舰长直到最年轻的勤务兵，成为一个可靠的集体的意志和智慧。从这个意义上说，在腓尼基和罗马时代就有战舰，而且永远会有战舰——这是人类知识和技术的活的高峰，这是一种水面上的机械结构，为了一个目的，即控制海洋。这是维克多•亨利全心全意献身的唯一事物：甚于他的家庭，更甚于那个叫作“海军”的散漫的抽象概念。他是战列舰的人。 一九一三年，与其他的毕业生一道，他直接从军官学校上了一艘战列舰。他也曾在较小的军舰上服役过，但他是打了“战列舰”印记的人，而且不断回到战列舰上去。他的光辉的服役成绩，是他在“西弗吉尼亚号”上以炮术军官级别服役两年，在一次舰队炮击比赛中，获得了米特鲍尔奖旗。他临时想出的加快十六英寸炮弹从弹仓到炮塔速度的办法，已经成为海军的标准条例。在这一生中，他所盼望的，就是成为一艘战列舰的副舰长，然后成为舰长，然后成为一个战列舰分队的舰队司令，他不能看得再远了。他认为一个战列舰分队的司令官，就如同一个总统、一个国王或是一个教皇同样光荣。他跟着一个笔挺地疾步前进的舷门传令兵，走下一尘不染的洁白走廊，往高级军官室走去，心里寻思：在柏林度过的每一个月都是在拆他所希望的台。 迪格•布朗在“科罗拉多号”上才当了六个星期的副舰长。他坐在餐桌的头上，那么拚命地开玩笑，帕格觉得，他是想使自己和舰上的少校们，和两条杠的中尉们相处得随便一些。这样做是对的。迪格是个自高自大的家伙，会一下子就大发雷霆。帕格的作风要更单调些。他自己的幽默感有时候会变成尖刻的讽刺。作为一个副舰长，——要是他真能当成的话——他打算保持沉默，说话简短。人们会称他是愚蠢、乖僻的狗杂种。跟大家亲热、交朋友，有的是时间，但是你一上了军舰报到，就得马上工作。逢到上司是个狗杂种，特别是个有知识的狗杂种，每个人，包括自己在内，还都会迅速服从他的命令，这真是生活里一件悲哀的事情。在“西弗吉尼亚号”上，在第一面米特鲍尔奖旗在舰上的桅桁头上飘扬之前，谁都恨他。这以后，他就成了舰上最得人心的军官。迪格直接的挖苦对象，是他的通讯军官，一个身子干瘦、愁眉苦脸的南方人。最近“科罗拉多号”得到一台新的强力传声无线电收发机，能使电波以很小的角度从电离层反射。如果天气正常，可以和欧洲海上的船只直接通话。迪格已经和他在“马布尔海德号”上当轮机军官的兄弟谈过话了。那艘军舰正停在里斯本。这位通讯军官，从那时起，就通过“马布尔海德号”的无线电室，和一个在巴塞罗那的旧女友调情。三天前迪格发现了这件事，至今还拿它寻开心。 帕格说：“那么这个玩意儿的效果怎么样，迪格？汤姆说话你听得清吗？” “啊，百分之百。真了不起。” “你说，我能和柏林的罗达通话吗？”帕格突然觉得这倒是个机会，可以把梅德琳的情况告诉她，或许可以就此作出决定。通讯军官很高兴能借此机会不再被挖苦，立刻回答说：“舰长，我知道，咱们今天夜间可以叫通'马布尔海德号'。接通里斯本到柏林的长途电话，可能会容易些。” “那得是——那里的早晨两、三点钟吧？”布朗问。 “两点钟，先生。” “帕格，你想打扰罗达的美梦吗？” “恐怕得这样。”上尉小心地把餐巾卷成一个环形，就离开了。 谈话转到德国和战争问题上。这些战列舰上的军官和大多数人一样，对纳粹的战争机器都幼稚地估计过高，而且十分羡慕。一位气色健康的上尉说，他希望海军在登陆舰艇方面多干些工作，不能只限于他在报纸上读到的那些。如果我们卷入战争，他说，登陆几乎就会成为整个海军的问题，因为那时候，德国人可能已经控制了欧洲的全部海岸线。 迪格•布朗把他的客人带到副舰长房舱去喝咖啡。他向他的菲律宾侍者发了命令，随即以当官儿的那种漫不经心的傲慢派头懒洋洋地靠在一张漂亮的蓝皮长沙发上。他们俩议论起同班的同学：有两个闹离婚，一个夭亡，一个声名显赫的领袖人物变成了酒鬼。迪格对当战列舰副舰长的重担诉了一遍苦。他的舰长能得到这个地位，纯粹是靠运气、魅力和一个能干的妻子——就靠这些；他那种管理军舰的方法，快要使迪格得心脏病了；舰上人员从上到下都很懒散；他制定了一个生硬的训练计划，以至很不得人心，等等。帕格觉得迪格对一个老朋友炫耀得太过分了，就提到他此次从柏林回来，是向罗斯福汇报，迪格一听，马上变了脸色。“我并不觉得意外，”他说，“还记得那次在陆海军人俱乐部你接到的那个电话吗？我当时对他们说，我敢打赌，是白宫来的电话。你是飞黄腾达了，伙计。” 维克多•亨利占了上风之后，就心满意足，没有再多说什么。迪格等了会儿，装上烟斗，点了火，然后说：“罗斯福到底是个什么样儿，帕格？”亨利把总统如何有魅力和吸引人一类的琐事讲了讲。 有人敲了敲门，通讯军官走了进来。“我们没费什么劲儿就叫通了'马布尔海德号'，先生，花了这么长时间一直在接柏林。请您再说一下那个电话是多少号？”帕格告诉了他。 “是的，先生，号码对，没人接。” 迪格•布朗和维克多•亨利互相看了一眼。布朗说，“在早上两点没人接？再试一次。听起来象是有点儿麻烦。” “我们叫了三次，先生。” “她可能出城了，”亨利说。“不用麻烦了，谢谢。”上尉走了出去。迪格沉思地抽着烟斗。 “另外，她也会在夜间把卧室的电话线掐断的。”亨利说，“我把这点给忘了。要是门关着的话，书房里电话响她可能听不见。” “噢，是这么回事儿。”迪格说，又抽起烟来，有一会儿两人都没有说话。 “好啦。恐怕我得走了。”维克多•亨利站起身来。 副舰长陪他走到舷梯口，自豪地望着那宽阔的主甲板、高耸的大炮和穿着洁白制服的哨兵。“甲板上够整齐的了，”他说，”这是我的最低要求。好了，祝你在前线运气好，帕格。替我问候罗达。” “要是她还在那儿，一定办到。”两人都大笑起来。 “你好，爸爸！”保尔•孟森的飞机着陆的时候，华伦在彭萨科拉机场上迎候。他身穿飞行夹克，头戴飞行帽。华伦敏捷而有力的握手，显示出对自己所从事的事业是多么骄傲。他那晒得黑红的面颊容光焕发，扬扬得意。 “喂，你怎么晒得这么黑红？”帕格问。他有意避开不谈儿子额头上的那块伤疤。“我以为，他们一定在这儿的地勤学校里把你累得够呛。我想你肯定给压垮了呢。” 华伦大笑起来。“是这么回事儿，我有几次机会到海湾的深海里去打鱼，很快就晒黑了。” 他用汽车把父亲送到单身军官宿舍，一路上说个没完。他说，飞行学校里谣言很多，在希特勒进攻波兰的第二天，华盛顿已经下令把学生的人数增加三倍，而且把一年的课程缩短为六个月。全校都在“缩短课程”。按照旧的课程，每个人先应该取得驾驶大型慢速巡逻机的资格，然后是侦察机，再以后，假如飞得相当不错，才能编入空军第五中队进行战斗机训练。现在，飞行员要同时进行巡逻机、侦察机或战斗机的训练，而且就编在里面。名单早晨就要公布，他真想进第五中队。华伦一口气把这些都讲完了，才想起问问父亲家中的情况。 “我的天，勃拉尼这会儿在华沙？哎呀，德国人快把那座城炸平了。” “我知道，”帕格说，“我早就不去替拜伦担心了。他会挖掘出什么人的金表从瓦砾中爬出来的。” “他在那儿干什么？” “追求一个姑娘。” “真的吗？妙极了。什么样的姑娘？” “一个雷德克利夫学院的犹太高材生。” “您是开玩笑吧。是勃拉尼吗？” "yes." 华伦改变了话题，他脸上的表情非常复杂，又是惊讶，又是悲哀。 听保尔•孟森讲课的人出奇地多。一定有二百多名穿咔叽军服的飞行学员；小讲堂里挤满了留着平头、面色健康而机灵的年轻人。跟大多数海军军官—样，保尔是个骄横自负的演说家。但是由于这时他正在向学员们讲授如何避免伤亡，所以他们挤着坐在椅子上听。他使用幻灯和图解，以及许多技术上的专门术语，偶然也开个沉重而血腥味的玩笑，把在航空母舰上降落时最危险的情况，接近舰身时最后的生死关头，撞上后作什么动作，以及类似的叫人兴奋的事儿都讲述一番。听了暗示他们自己可能会死掉的笑话时，学生们大笑起来。这群挤在一起的人们，发出一种象舰上被服室的强烈男人气味。帕格的目光落到华伦身上，他正坐在帕格旁边走道对面一排人之中，身子笔直，全神贯注，但也只不过是人群里又一个剪平头的脑袋。他想起了在华沙德国人炸弹下的拜伦。他心里想，对于家里有成年儿子的父母来说，这十年可真不好熬啊。 讲课结束以后，华伦告诉他，众议员艾萨克•拉古秋（就是带他到深海去钓鱼的那个人）邀请他们到海滨俱乐部吃晚餐。拉古秋是这个俱乐部的董事，在他参加议会竞选之前，曾任海湾木材纸业公司的经理，这是彭萨科拉最大的企业。 “他非常想见见您，”他们走回到单身军官宿舍去的时候，华伦说。 "why?" “他对这次战争和对德国都很感兴趣。他的判断是相当有力的。” “他怎么会看中你的呢？” “嗯，是这样，他的女儿杰妮丝和我挺合得来。”华伦露出容易理解的笑容，在大厅里和他父亲分手了。 头一眼看到杰妮丝•拉古秋，维克多•亨利就决心不向华伦提帕米拉•塔茨伯利了。那位身材纤细、穿一身素净服装的英国姑娘，怎么敌得过这么一个迷人的金发女郎呢？这个自信而漂亮的高个子美国姑娘，公主般的傲慢神气，可爱的脸容，只是不整齐的牙齿是个小小的缺点，只要一转身，裙子一飘，两条长腿就使人神魂颠倒；她是另一个年轻时的罗达，一身云彩般的粉红颜色，完全由甜蜜的香气、女性的魅力和少女的风度所构成，只是说的话不同了，裙子变短了。只是这个姑娘从外表和举止看都比罗达有头脑。她向帕格问候，以恰到好处的尊敬把他作为华伦的父亲对待，同时那双闪亮的眼睛也恰到好处地暗示，他并不因此而是个老家伙，他本人就是个漂亮的男子。一个姑娘在半分钟的交谈中能以眼神的流动和微笑做到这点，真算得是个能人了，帕格想，所以他那傻里傻气的作媒念头，也就打消了。 海面上吹来一阵狂风。海浪冲击俱乐部的阳台，大量的浪花溅到餐厅的玻璃墙上，使得拉古秋这个烛光晚宴显得更安乐。维克多•亨利一直没弄清坐在餐桌旁的十个人到底都是谁，尽管其中有一位是佩绶带的海军航空站司令官。不久就很明显了，最重要的人物是议员艾萨克•拉古秋，一个小老头儿，一头厚厚的白发，绯红的面孔，一笑就伸出半个舌头，神态狡猾、诡秘。 “您要在此地呆多久，亨利中校？”拉古秋从长桌子的一端大声问，正好穿绿上衣的侍者把盛在银盘子里的两大条干烧鱼端了上来，“如果气象预报员不报这种坏天气的话，您可以花上一天工夫到海上去打鱼。这两条鱼就是您儿子和我一起打的。” 帕格说，他明天一早就得返回纽约，去搭到里斯本的飞机。 拉古秋说：“对了，我想我也得赶紧到华盛顿去参加那个特别会议。喂，怎么样？您对于修改中立法案有什么看法？形势到底糟到什么程度？您应该知道。” “众议员先生，说到糟，我看波兰很快就要陷落。” “哦，真他妈的，盟国还指望它呢！欧洲人的头脑叫人摸不透。总统本人也有个欧洲人那样的头脑，要知道，他是荷兰人和英国人的杂种，这一点是真正理解他的关键。”拉古秋说着笑了笑，伸出舌头。“我和荷兰人打过不少交道，他们很会作硬木交易。我可以告诉您，他们都是挺狡猾的家伙。在未来的几周里，情况越是糟糕，那么，罗斯福更加容易硬叫国会把他想干的事通过。是不是这样？” “您和希特勒谈过话吗，亨利中校？他到底是个什么样儿？”拉古秋夫人问；她是个瘦弱憔悴的女人，带着温顺的笑容，可爱的声音，表明她的社交生活主要就是缓和或者试着缓和他丈夫的冲劲儿。 拉古秋回答说——好象她是在对他讲话似的——“哼，这个希特勒是个江湖骗子，我们都知道这一点。盟国早在几年前就可以不费劲儿地把他和他的纳粹一起收拾掉了，可是他们光是坐等。这是他们活该，不管我们的事儿。现在说不定哪天，我们就会听说德国人奸淫修女啦，焚烧士兵们的尸体作肥皂啦之类的事儿了。你知道，英国情报人员在一九一六年就编过这样的谣言。我们都有关于这些事的文件证明。亨利中校，您怎么看？您在德国人中间生活，您说他们是不是象纽约报纸上说的那种野蛮民族？” 餐桌上所有人的脸都朝向帕格。“德国人是很不容易看透的。”帕格慢慢吞吞地说。“我妻子比我对他们更有好感。他们对犹太人的态度实在无法恭维。” 议员拉古秋举起一双大手喊道：“简直不能饶恕！这样看来，纽约的报纸在这个基础上就很能使人理解了。” 坐在餐桌中间的华伦坚决地说：“先生，我看不出来，总统的修正法案怎么会削弱我们的中立。现金买货和运输自理，只是意味着任何人都能来买东西，只要有船可运，有钱可付。任何人，包括希特勒在内。” 拉古秋对他微微笑了笑。“政府一定会因为你而感到骄傲，我的孩子。这是正确的解释。只是我们都知道，盟国有船又有钱，而德国人两样都没有，这样我们才能使工厂为盟国生产作战物资。” “但是从来也没人阻止过希特勒建立一支商船队，”华伦立即反驳道。“他的打算反倒是积累坦克、潜艇和俯冲轰炸机。都是侵略武器。这难道不是他的不幸吗？” “华伦说的非常对。”杰妮丝说。 拉古秋靠到椅背上，眼睛盯着女儿，杰妮丝任性地朝着父亲笑了笑。 “你们两个毛孩子所不理解或是不能理解的，”拉古秋说，“就是：这个建议是帐篷缝里伸进来的骆驼鼻子①，当然，看起来合情合理，当然是的。那是漂亮的包装。罗斯福的脑子就是这么盘算的。但是咱们可别孩子气。他不是要召集一次特别会议来帮助纳粹德国！他认为，他负有从希特勒手下拯救世界的使命。从一九三七年起，他就一直在这么讲了。他讲这个问题讲得嗓子都哑了。照我看，阿道夫•希特勒既不是丑恶的魔鬼，也不是反基督的异教徒。那些都是胡说八道。他不过是又一个欧洲的政客，比别人更下流，更极端而已。这不过是另一次欧洲战争，结束得会比别的战争肮脏得多。我们拯救世界的办法，是不卷入这场战争。要作明智的堡垒！”他突然说出了这么句话，然后看了看桌子四周的人们，好象在等着别人喝彩。“我们就应该这么办。大西洋和太平洋是我们的铜墙铁壁。明智的堡垒！要是我们一卷进去，我们就会象别人一样破产，牺牲一两百万我们的好青年。整个世界就要陷入野蛮或是共产主义，这两者没有多大差别。俄国人就会称霸世界。” ①阿拉伯寓言：一匹骆驼不肯在帐篷外面露宿，先要求伸进鼻子，后来要求伸进前腿，最后全身进了帐篷，把主人挤了出去。是“得寸进尺”的意思。 一个坐在帕格对面带着助听器的秃顶小老头儿说了声“对极了”。 拉古秋歪过头去，对着他说：“你和我都认识到了这点，拉尔夫，但是使人奇怪的是，不知为什么至今只有很少人懂这个道理。明智的堡垒！战争结束后，等着收拾残局，重建一个理想的世界。这就是我们的目标。我要到华盛顿去，要象一条鳄鱼一样为此而战斗，请你们相信我。可能我会在我的大多数民主党同事之中名声扫地，但是在这个问题上，我要走我自己的路。” 晚宴结束后，杰妮丝和华伦没等喝咖啡，也懒得作解释，就一同离开了俱乐部。姑娘调皮地笑了笑，挥挥手，两条穿丝袜的腿和粉红色纱裙转了一下，人就不见了。华伦停住脚步，跟他父亲约定第二天清早打网球。维克多•亨利发现就剩下他一个人跟拉古秋在一起，坐在休息室一个角落里的红皮椅上，抽着昂贵的雪茄，喝着咖啡和白兰地。这位议员没完没了地闲扯彭萨科拉的迷人生活——打野鸭子，钓鱼，四季如春的气候，以及它的繁荣昌盛、飞速发展。他说，随着海军航空基地的扩大和木材贸易的勃兴，战争会使彭萨科拉变成一座真正的新兴城市。“需要涂木馏油的电话线杆。中校先生，你了解这个项目。就在上周，我们公司收到一些从北非、日本和法国寄来的，使人难以相信的订单，突然全世界都拉起电话线来了。这是一种迹象。” 他想说服亨利多呆一天。一只从荷属圭亚那来的运红木的船中午就到，它要在港内卸下木材。锯木厂工人把木材绑成木筏推进河滩。“那真是好看。”他说。 “哦，我这次碰巧是要跟一个老朋友一同飞回纽约的。我还是走的好。” “是从那儿经里斯本到柏林去吗？” “是这么打算的。” “那么，最近这段时间，咱们碰面的机会就不多了。”拉古秋说，“您的夫人是格罗佛家的，对吧？在华盛顿的海米尔顿•格罗佛是我的朋友。我们每个月大约在地中海俱乐部吃一次午餐。”帕格点了点头。海米尔顿•格罗佛是表兄弟中间最有钱的，罗达高攀不上。 “您是亨利家的。是费吉尼亚州亨利家的成员吗？他们是老派特里克①的后代。” ①派特里克•亨利（1736—1799），美国独立战争的领袖之一，曾任弗吉尼亚州长。 亨利大笑着摇了摇头说：“我想不是，我是加利福尼亚州人。” “是的，华伦对我说过。我是指您的祖上。” “噢，我的曾祖父在淘金时代之前，就从西部迁过来了，我们说不准是从什么地方。我的祖父去世很早，所以我们从来没直接听到这些事。” “您可能是苏格兰—爱尔兰人。” “啊，不，是有点儿混血。我的祖母是法国人和英国人的混血。” “是吗？我们的家族里也有点儿法国人的血统。这不是什么坏事，对吧？使人都带上些爱情的色彩。”拉古秋哈哈地狂笑起来，就是美国人在一起聚会时发出的那种狂笑。“您的华伦是个挺不错的小伙子。” “谢谢您的夸奖。您的女儿好得没话说了。” 拉古秋深深叹了口气。“女孩子就是麻烦。华伦告诉我，说您也有一个女儿，那您也一定有所体会了。她们什么时候都在耍弄你。我们没有您福气，我们没有儿子。华伦想一辈子在海军驾驶飞机，是这样的吧？” “嗯，那对金翅膀这会儿在他眼里不知有多大呢，议员先生。” 拉古秋喷了口烟。“我喜欢刚才吃饭时候他那种坦率的谈话方式。当然，对于外交上的问题，他还幼稚得很。在木材贸易里，可以学到许许多多外面世界的东西。”拉古秋摇晃着盛白兰地的大矮脚杯。“您看到华伦继承了海军事业，肯定很 Happy.您一定不愿意看见他改行去做买卖或是这一类的事情。 ”议员笑了笑，又露出舌头和两排象他女儿那样的牙齿，结实而不整齐。 “议员先生，华伦是在走他自己的路。” “我不敢肯定。他认为他爸爸是最了不起的人。” 谈话使帕格越来越窘。他娶了一个比他自己有钱得多的姑娘；他曾经怀疑过这样一种生活道路。他并不特别喜欢杰妮丝•拉古秋。她身上夺目的光辉一旦熄灭，她就会象她父亲一样固执。这位父亲已经公然在动脑筋想把华伦据为己有了。亨利说：“嗯，在战争结束之前，他反正离不开。” “当然。不过，要知道，这不会太久。如果我们不卷进去，一年左右战争就会结束。也许还要快。盟国一旦积极起来，他们就不会把我们拖进去。他们一定会拚命做有益的交易。要是他们另作别的打算，那才傻呢。好了，中校，这次和您见面我太高兴了。是这样吗？无论如何，盼望现在的这些年轻人会干些什么是毫无意义的，是不是？这跟你我年轻时候的世道，完全不同了。” “当然不同了。” 次日清晨，六点半整，华伦就到了父亲的房间。他没多说什么话，用手揉了揉充血、发肿的眼睛，喝下了侍者送来的桔子汁和咖啡。外边还在刮大风。他和他父亲都穿上打球时穿的厚运动衣，两人就开始打起来。帕格连赢了三局。球儿忽然飞到这儿，忽然飞到那儿。 “昨天晚上玩得好吗？”帕格喊道，这时华伦把球打过围墙，被风吹到附近一间小屋顶上。 华伦大笑起来，脱掉运动衣，又采用了以往的急速发球和中场扣杀，赢了后五局。父亲是个刻苦而稳健的运动员，反手球十分有力，可是他已经喘不过气来了。 “糟了，华伦，你还有一个球就赢了，拿去吧。”他喘着粗气说。儿子放过了一次容易的扣杀机会，把球打到帕格能接得到的地方。 “爸爸，是风的关系。” “它真捣乱。” 这时候，帕格把运动衣甩掉，接回了儿子的几次扣杀。他喘过气来，呼吸正常了。“哎呀！我得走了。上地勤学校去。”华伦嚷道，用毛巾擦脸。“爸爸，您的球还是打得那么好。” “噢，我们挺运气，在柏林住的房子有网球场。你也打得比过去好了。” 华伦走到球网旁边。他还在出汗，眼睛明亮，看上去精力充沛，欢欢喜喜。“您睡得不错吧。” “那个杰妮丝倒是个不错的姑娘。” “她挺有头脑，爸爸。她对历史可懂得不少。”父亲带着询问的目光看了他一眼。噗嗤一声两人一同大笑起来。“反正一样，这是实话。她懂得历史。” “你们昨天晚上讨论什么来着？百年战争①？”华伦哈哈大笑起来，使劲地挥动着球拍。帕格说：“她父亲可指望把你培养成个木材商啊。” ①百年战争：十四世纪三十年代到十五世纪五十年代英法两国封建统治阶级争夺领土的战争。 “他喜欢开玩笑。我三月份就出海，可能是这样。” 地勤学校大楼外边，一个木制布告板几乎被一群激动地吵吵嚷嚷的学员们完全围住了。华伦说了声“分配名单”，就钻到他们里边去了。一会儿工夫，只见他那只穿着白运动衣的胳膊举过了大家的头。“太棒了！”华伦高兴得连蹦带跳地跑回单身军官宿舍。他被分到第五飞行中队，而几个最好的飞行学员却没能进去。尽管那次着陆翻了跟头，他还是干得不错。父亲听着他说，不时微笑着点头，回想起在安纳波利斯自己第一次到战列舰上服役的那一天。 最后他说，“你曾经在华盛顿对你妈妈说过，你适合做的是另外的什么工作啊。” 儿子有点不好意思了，然后又笑起来。“那时候我还没飞过呢，爸爸。什么也比不上飞行。很难用语言表达出来，但是绝对没有任何东西能和飞行相比。绝对没有！” “好了，咱们都得去洗洗了，我看还是在这儿说再见吧。”他们正站在单身军官宿舍阴暗的正方门厅里。华伦看了看表说：“天哪，已经到了？只好再见了。好吧，请您从柏林写信来把勃拉尼的情况告诉我，好吗？一得到确实的消息就来信。”