Chapter 25 Chapter Twenty-Five

Germany's big breakthrough in Belgium! Ragucho declares: This is still not our war Janice Ragucho and Madeline walked past a newsstand on the corner of Fifth Avenue and Fifty-seventh Street when they saw a freshly arrived stack of afternoon papers, with a goose hatch stone on it, blown by the wind It rang.Janice Ragucho said to Madeline, who was helping her buy a dowry: "Oh, Dad's in the newspaper again, and he's giving a talk. Your family will find it interesting!"Rhoda, Pug, and Byron will arrive at Brooklyn Naval Station on the cruiser USS Helena at three o'clock.Janice was much more concerned with the prospect of meeting Warren's mother for the first time than with the bad news of the war.A gust of May wind sweeps through the street, blowing the skirts and hats of the girls.Madeline clutched a bag tightly with one hand, and pressed her hat tightly with the other hand, her eyes

Gaze at a two-column photo of Congressman Isaac Ragucho standing on the steps of the Capitol, speaking into three loudspeakers. "You see, he's very handsome," she said. "I hope you like him. He's a very capable man indeed," Janice said, raising her voice because of the wind. "In fact, he didn't want to go so far, it was all done by those reporters. Now he is in a disadvantaged position, and he can't stop." Madeline had her little apartment refurbished.The light green wall is covered with a light yellow and green printed drapery.The Danish-style chestnut furniture is simple and exquisite, making the room appear more spacious.There was a pot of daffodils and irises on the table, bringing spring and youth to the place, as the two girls had brought when they came in.Boyfriends of communists would not be entertained in such suites.Indeed, Madeline had long since dumped that poor brown-suited, trombone-playing, fish-eyed boyfriend.That's one thing Janice was glad to know.Her current boyfriend was a lawyer for CBS, a staunch Roosevelt supporter, very bright, but bald at twenty-six.

She called the answering machine, jotted down the message quickly in her notebook, and slammed the phone down. "What a mess, Janice. I can't go pick up my family with you. Is it bad luck? Two amateur actors have slipped away, and I have to audition for their replacements this afternoon. Mr. I have something to do!" It was obvious that she was very happy that she was so busy. "Also, do you know a guy named Bam Kirby? He's at the Waldorf Hotel now, and he says he's a friend of our family." Janice shook her head. Madeline called him and liked the sound of his voice after hearing his first words: there was an echo of kindness, humor. "Are you Rhoda Henry's daughter? I saw your name in the phone book, so I'll give it a try."

"I'm." "Well. I was well received by your parents when I was in Berlin. Your mother wrote to tell me that they arrived today. I think they may be tired and have nothing planned on the evening of their arrival in New York. I would like to take your family out to dinner. .” "Thank you very much, but I don't know what their plans are. They don't arrive until about one o'clock." "So that's it, then I'll book a seat first? If your family can come, please come to my hotel room around six o'clock. If you can't come, call me or ask your mother to call. .”

"Well, sure. Thank you, Warren's fiancée is here to see me, Mr. Kirby." "Ike Lacouture's daughter? Excellent. Be sure to bring her along." Madeleine is gone, full of interest and interest in her life now.Janice changed into a thick suit and was going to the naval base. Madeline is now in charge of scheduling the "Water Field Amateur Fun Show."Walter Field was a crappy old actor who put on an amateur entertainment show on the radio using the old burlesque formula, and it turned out to be a big hit.He suddenly became rich, immediately started a large real estate business, and died just as suddenly.Hugh Cleveland replaced him as host.Madeline still went out to buy him chicken sandwiches and coffee, but now also took care of the amateurs.She remains an assistant on Cleveland's morning show.She's making more money now than ever.For Madeline Henry, May 1940 was the happiest January of her life.

At the Brooklyn Navy Yard, the wind was blowing harder and it was colder.The cruiser was docked, a long rainbow of pennants fluttering from mast to bow and stern.The wharf was crowded with waving and shouting relatives, amidst the boiling voices, war refugees were swarming out along the pontoon.Janice found her way to the customs house, and Rhoda was standing next to a pile of luggage, blowing her nose.She caught sight of the tall fair-haired girl in a green woolen coat and a yarmulke. "Oh, aren't you Janice? I'm Rhoda Henry," she said, taking a step forward. "You are much prettier than in the picture."

"I'm Janice, Mrs. Henry! Hello!" Rhoda's slender figure, fashionable straw hat, fuchsia gloves and shoes surprised Janice a little.She had seen Warren's father briefly in Pensacola, but remembered him as a rough-skinned, weather-beaten man.Mrs. Henry looked young, beautiful, even voluptuous by comparison.And indeed it was, even though her nose was red and she sneezed from time to time. "You're so smart in such a suit. I'm wearing spring clothes, but this is really the North Pole," Rhoda said. "Where's Madeline? How's she?" Janice was quick to explain why her daughter wasn't here.

"So that's what happened! Med has become a business girl! My dear, I would like to kiss you, but I dare not, don't come near me, I'm contagious! I've got a bad cold and I'm sick. They should have put me in quarantine, or the whole country would have caught me. Hey, you're beautiful, you're stunning, and Lucky Warren! How is he now?" ① Madeleine's nickname. "Fine, I hope. He's frantically practicing ship landings somewhere in Puerto Rico." Victor Henry walked through the crowd with a fierce-looking customs inspector.In his blue wool coat with gold buttons and hardshell hat, he was a little more imposing than Janice remembered Henry.Henry briefly greeted Janice, asked about Madeline, and then asked Byron where he was.

"Brani's gone somewhere. He's going to make a phone call," his mother said. While the inspector checked the luggage, Janice told the Henrys about Balm Kirby's dinner.Rhoda sneezed and said, "What the hell. His plant's in Denver. What's he doing here? I don't think we can make it, can we, Pug? Sure, have dinner in Waldorf, so that's it." It would be nice to start life in America again, wash the smell of Berlin out of our mouths! Janice, you can't imagine what Germany is like now, it's horrible. I don't have any fantasies anymore Yes. I cry and laugh when I see the Statue of Liberty. I am for America, as I am and always will be."

"Really, I have something to talk to Fred Kirby," Pug said. "Why, Pug, that's not going to work. I've got this nasty cold, and my hair!" said Rhoda. "And what am I going to wear to Walldorf? All my clothes are wrinkled except this one I'm wearing. If only I could iron my pink coat and get a barber to do it for two hours." How nice the hair must be—" Byron strolled through the noisy crowd: "Hey, Janice! I guess you're here." Byron took a small box with the London mark on it from his pocket and handed it to her. Janice opened it, and inside was a Victorian brooch, a small gold elephant with two rubies in its eyes. "my God!"

"Anyone who would marry someone from our family would have to have the patience of an elephant," Byron said. "My God, haha, that's the truth," Rhoda said, laughing. He was even prettier than Warren, Janice thought, taking a slow, gentle look at him.There was an eager, excited twinkle in his eyes.She kissed him. "...I have nothing to contribute," came a shaky, strong, forceful, uninflected voice on the radio, the consonants slurred like a drunken man, "only blood, toil, tears and sweat." "I say, he's a genius," Rhoda exclaimed.She was sitting on the edge of a flimsy gold-painted chair in Kirby's room, a glass of champagne in her hand, tears in her eyes. "Where was he before this?" Spreading caviar from a blue tin with Russian writing on a small piece of toast, and carefully spreading the shredded onion on top, Byron said: "When Pullen entered Scapa Flow and sank the King He was in charge of the British Navy when the Germans crossed the Skagerrak into Norway." "Shut up and listen," Victor Henry said. Janice looked from her son to her father, crossed her long legs, and sipped champagne.Bamu Kirby blinked and admired her legs, which pleased her.He's a fun looking old jerk. "... You ask, what is our policy? I say our policy is to wage war, by sea, on land, and in the air, with all our great strength and all the inner strength that God can give us: to a heinous, deplorable war against the ugliest tyrannical regime that has never been compared in the criminal history of mankind. This is our policy. You ask, what is our purpose? I can answer in two words: Victory - at any cost, Against all horrors, victory must be won. I take up my task with hope and vigor. I firmly believe that our cause will never fail among humanity..." The speech ended.An American coughed and said in a trembling voice: "What was just broadcast was the speech of the new Prime Minister of Great Britain, Winston Churchill." After a while, Rhoda said: "This man is going to save civilization. We're going to join in. The Germans overplayed their cards. We'll never let them conquer England. The Germans have a strange sense of stupidity, you You know? You'd have to watch them closely for a long time to see that. Strangely stupid." Victor Henry looked at his watch and said to Dr. Kirby, "That's a good speech. Shall we talk for a few minutes now?" Kirby stood up and Rhoda smiled at him and said, "Champagne, caviar, business as usual. This is Pug." "We're waiting for Madeleine," Pug said. "Come on," Kirby said, heading for the bedroom. "But, Daddy, I have business to do first," said Byron. "I have to catch a Airplane bound for Miami.It's leaving LaGuardia in an hour or so. " "What! Dr. Kirby thought you were going to have dinner with him." "Well, but I already booked the ticket before I knew he was going to treat me to dinner." "Don't you wait until Madeleine arrives? You haven't seen her for two years. She's going to take us all to their show after dinner." "I think I'd better go, Dad." Pug stood up abruptly and left the room. "Brani, you're such a pain in the ass," said my mother. "Can't you wait until tomorrow?" "Mom, do you remember what it was like when you were in love?" Rhoda blushed, to the surprise of both him and Janice. "Me? My God, Byron, how can you say that! Of course I don't remember, I'm an old woman." "Thank you for this precious pin," Janice said, touching the little elephant on her shoulder. "The one in Miami must be a nice girl, isn't she?" Byron's eyes narrowed in a daze disappeared, and he showed a charming smile, and looked at her enviously. "She's not bad." "Bring her to the wedding, don't forget." When Byron came to the door, Rhoda said, "You've got what it takes to disappoint your father." "He'll be really disappointed if I don't disappoint him. Good-bye, Ma." In the bedroom, Dr. Kirby sat at his desk, checking the stack of publications and typed reports that Victor Henry had brought him from Germany.While he was scribbling in a yellow leather notebook, the small table shook and two reports slipped to the floor. "This apartment should be rented to dwarves," he said, and went on. Victor Henry said, "Fred, are you working on a uranium bomb?" Kirby's hand stopped.He turned around, one long arm resting loosely on the back of the chair, looking intently into Henry's eyes.The two were silent and looked at each other for a long time. "You can tell me it's none of my business, but—" Pug sat down on the bed. "These things I give you are all about uranium. Some information I can't get, such as the figures about graphite. The Germans told me in no uncertain terms that these figures are kept secret because of this secret bomb. The Germans Liked to talk very casually about this dreadful super bomb they're working on. It made me think it probably wasn't a big deal. But that list of requirements you gave me changed my mind again." Kirby emptied the pipe, filled it, and lit it for two minutes, during which time he did not speak, but looked at Colonel Henry, and then said slowly, "I am not a chemist, and this Uranium is more or less a matter of chemical engineering. As far as production technology is concerned, it involves electricity. Two months ago, someone came to talk to me and asked me to be an industrial consultant." "What's the current state of this thing?" "It's still very theoretical. It's going to take years to talk about a serious effort." "Can you talk to me in detail?" "Of course. It can be found in college physics textbooks. In fact, "Time" magazine also published it. It is the process of neutron bombardment. During the dissociation process of radium, put various chemical substances there and see what happens. This kind of experiment has been going on for many years in Europe and the United States. Last year, those two Germans tried it on uranium oxide, and they found barium. This is the original cord transmutation caused by the splitting of the atom. An incredible amount of energy carried in the mass. You've probably heard about a single lump of coal that can send a ship across the ocean, if you can harness the atomic energy in it." Victor Henry nodded. "Well, Pug, this means that it is indeed possible to do it with uranium. This is the process of atom splitting, and the energy emitted in the process is far greater than the energy expended to cause the split. The Germans proved this by measuring the mass of the atoms used and finding a great reduction in mass. They published the results of their experiment, and the whole scientific world has been buzzing ever since. "Okay, so the next step is this rare uranium isotope u-235. Through the chain reaction of releasing huge energy from the mass, this substance turns out to have huge explosive power. It is said that it can explode if you grab it Destroy a city. Those young people who study the atomic nucleus say that if only the industry can produce enough pure U-235, it can be done now." Pug kept his mouth shut and leaned forward nervously, listening to the situation, and kept saying "um, um" while Kirby was puffing smoke.He pointed a finger at the engineer and said, "I see. This is important military information." Kirby shook his head. "Not really, that's what everyone knows. It may have been a complete false alarm. These chemical engineers make no guarantees, and what they want will take a huge effort from industry to provide, and the thing that comes out may be It will explode, maybe it won't explode at all. Maybe it will suddenly explode into pieces when you just get bored and desperate. No one can say. Five minutes of writing in a notebook involves tens of millions of dollars in expenditure. It costs billions of dollars and may end up being nothing more than a pile of rubbish. Congress is clamoring for cuts. They are refusing to approve Roosevelt's request for two hundred more new planes." "I want to ask you two more questions, please let me know if it is beyond the scope." "Just ask." "What do you do in it?" Kirby rubbed his chin with his pipe. "Well, how do you isolate enough isotopes from a very rare metal to be productive? One suggestion is to turn the metal into an ionized gas and bombard it with a magnetic field. The lighter ions are will be distorted a little bit so that they can be freed and caught. The success of the whole process depends on whether the magnetic field can be kept stable, because a little instability will interfere with the ionization. My task is to control the Voltage." "Well. Now, one last question. Should I, given the chance, take my evaluated opinion to the President and advise him to quit doing that stupid thing about uranium?" Kirby let out a short baritone laugh. "The real question is the Germans. How far have they progressed? What they have achieved with pure graphite disturbs me. Graphite is needed at a later stage in the process. If Hitler had the uranium bomb first, Pug, and The uranium bombs are serviceable again. The consequences will be dire." The doorbell rang. "Probably your daughter is here," Kirby said. "Let's go down and eat." Here came Madeleine, smartly fitted in black over a short brightly colored coat and a tight skirt.The black hair was combed back.It's hard to believe she's only twenty years old.Maybe she was a bit of a young professional woman on purpose, but she did have to leave her table in the Empire Room twice when the head waiter came up to her and bowed to say that CBS had called her.Victor Henry liked her poised demeanor and her habit of not talking much.Her quick eyes looked this and that, and listened almost in silence as they talked about German conditions and wedding plans. At the information desk in the studio building, a prim, uniformed young man was waiting for them. "Miss Henry's guest? Come with me, please." He led them into the drab, low-ceilinged green room, where Hugh Cleveland and his staff were sitting around a table.Cleveland, buoyant and gracious, invited them to stay in their room while the show began.He was looking at the cards, reciting the amusing lines he was about to blurt out in a moment, and consulting with the joke maker.After a while, he wrapped the card around a rubber band and put it in his pocket. "Well, there's still five minutes," he said, turning to his guests. "I hear this fellow Churchill gave a pretty good speech. Did you hear that?" "Heard every word," Rhoda said. "Very powerful. This speech will surely go down in the history books." "It's really nice," Pug said."Too bad luck," said Madeline, "I was too busy to hear." The show's supervisor looked forty-five and dressed like a college student.He put one neatly manicured hand on the back of his head and said, "Talk all right, just needs some compression, a little more force. The tone is too soft. The line about blood and sweat is not bad." "There's a line like that? Wouldn't it be nice to fit that into the part about the hangman at the harp?" Cleveland said to the joke maker next to him.He was a sad-looking young Jew with so much hair that he needed a haircut. "Can we put the blood and sweat in it?" the gag maker shook his head sadly and said, "bad taste." "Don't be silly, Herbie, think of something to make up. Colonel Henry, how's the war going? Will the Gamelin plan stop the Germans?" "I don't quite know what's going on with Project Gamalin." Madeline seated her guests in VIP seats on the studio stage, near Cleveland's reception table for amateurs, in front of a gigantic cardboard billboard of Morning Laughter Pink Lapse Salt ads.She installed herself in that glass control room.The audience was large and, in Victor Henry's opinion, ignorant people who applauded the stuttering speeches of the amateurs and laughed at Cleveland's banter.Cleveland runs the show well with breezy, foxy charm.Pug knew now that Madeleine was now partnering with someone very promising.But the show disgusted him.An amateur actor played the wire repairman.Cleveland said, "Hey, hey, maybe they need you right now in France." "France, Mr. Cleveland?" "Yes, to repair the Maginot Line." ①In the original text, "wire" and "line of defense" are the same word. He winked at the audience.They laughed and clapped. "Do you find it interesting?" Pug whispered to Bamu Kirby over Rhoda. "I never listen to the radio," said the engineer. "Very interesting, like visiting a mental hospital." "Cleveland's a funny guy," Rhoda said. After the show, when the audience flocked around Hugh Cleveland for his autograph, Madeline came to them. "Too bad the two best bits were cut off for a press bulletin. These people in charge of the news, always so savage!" "What happened?" Victor Henry asked. "Well, news about the war, of course. It's the same situation, the Germans have taken a few more cities, France is routing, etc. Nothing new. Etc Hugh will lose his temper when he finds out that they stopped broadcasting the part about the executioner playing the piano. " "Are you Miss Henry?" A liveried servant approached her. "What's up?" "Emergency long-distance call, miss, in Mr. Cleveland's office, for Miss Ragucho, calling from Puerto Rico." The "Blue Bird" fishing boat floated gently in the bay at a speed of four knots per hour.In the sun, Byron and Natalie were lying on the bridge of the ship and hugging each other.Below, the sunken, sunburned captain drank from a pitcher of beer and yawned at the wheel.Faintly heard the urgent and broken call sign of the phone leading to the shore.A long pole is inserted into the hole of the air combat chair ①, and the fishing line is dragged in the water from there.The sunburned lovers, almost naked except for their bathing suits, forgot the fish, the lines and the captain.They forgot death, and they forgot war.The calm dark blue water and the clear light blue sky are like a big circle, and they lie in the center of this circle.The sun seemed to shine only on the two of them. ①The battle chair is a chair used by people fishing at sea. Sitting on the chair and pulling the fishing line makes the fish tired. From the deck came the echo of the hard knocking below, four rapid strokes, like a V signal in Morse code. "Hello, Mr. Henry, are you awake?" "What's the matter?" cried Byron gruffly, propping himself up on one elbow. "A call from shore, your father wants you to go back." "My father? Wrong ship, where is he in Washington?" "Wait a minute--hello, Bluebird wants Pierre Thomas--" They heard the phone rattling again. "Hey, Mr. Henry. Your father--is he a naval officer, Colonel?" "correct." "The office received a call from your girlfriend's mother. Your father is at her house. He left a message asking you to go back immediately." Natalie sat up, her eyes widened, showing a look of surprise.Byron yelled, "Okay, let's drive back." "What's going on?" Natalie said aloud. "I don't know at all." The boat drew a green and white circle in the dark sea, turned around and turned back at full speed.The boat started pitching, and the wind ruffled Natalie's loose, long black hair as she pulled a mirror from the straw basket. "Oh, look at what I've become, look at my mouth, it looks like it's been bitten by a mouse!" She put the back of her hand on her lips. "My Gorgon-like hair is useless to fix right now, until we get in the house. What does your father want with you, Blaney?" ①The snake-haired banshee in Greek mythology, when people saw it, they were frightened and turned into fossils. "Why are you so frightened? Probably came with my mother, she wanted to see you. It's not her fault, I slipped here right away. If they do come, I'll tell them what happened, Na Tali." A worried look appeared on her face.She took his hand. "My dear fellow, there is a Jewish rule that you cannot marry soon after a father or mother has died. It may be as long as a year, and--my God! Don't act like that! I don't intend to obey the rule Rules. But I can't make my mother sad on this issue. How to solve it, I need some time to think about how to do it." "I don't want you to break your rules, Natalie, but, God, it's a blow to me." "Honey, I was only planning to marry you an hour ago," she shook her head and smiled sentimentally. "I feel as if I've been possessed by a demon, almost out of my body. Maybe it's too much sun, maybe it's because I'm intoxicated with kisses. And now your father suddenly appears! Doesn't it all seem like a muddle?" Is it like having a big dream?" He put his arms around her shoulders, and as the boat pitched more, he held her close. "I don't feel that way, everything is very real, the most real thing is that we are getting married. The real thing seems to be just beginning." "Yes, no doubt about it, and I'm certainly not looking forward to writing this letter to Leslie. Oh, that sullen face again! It's like a Halloween mask. Put it on, put it on Take it off, it's frustrating - Braney, he came to see me right after Dad died and he was very kind and helpful. Not at all the Sloot he used to be, but a bit too late. He gave him Friends from my college days wrote, wanting to find me a teaching position. How I wish I knew what happened to your father coming here! Don't tell him about us, Byron. I'll wait until I've talked to my mother. " "Then you'd better talk to her right away. My father always likes to ask questions." "Oh! Oh!" she put her hands to her hair. "I'm happy and confused and restless! I'm so dizzy and feel like I'm only sixteen, but of course I'm not, God knows! If so, how good it would be for you." As the Blue Bird approached, Byron took out his binoculars and took a closer look at the jagged row of skyscrapers along the seashore. "As expected, he was there, waiting on the pier." Natalie had been lazily leaning on a chair, but now she sat up straight. "No way, really?" "It's there, walking back and forth, I can recognize the way he walks." She picked up the basket, ran into the cabin, and said to the captain: "Please drive slowly." "Okay, ma'am," the bearded man grinned and pulled the valve. She closed the small door leading to the forward cabin, and she reappeared shortly afterwards, in a gauzy skirt and white shirt, her glossy black hair brushed loose over her shoulders. "I'm a little seasick," she said to Byron, smiling weakly. "In the stuffy cabin, with the boat rocking, it's hard enough to make up my brows and mouth. Yo! Am I blue? I think blue." "You are beautiful." The boat cut through the waves and was still half a mile from the pier.Natalie could see a man in blue walking around in the distance. "Full speed ahead," she said tremblingly, "whether it's mines or not." After the boat stopped, Victor Henry bent down from the tar-smelling pier and held out a hand. "Hello, Natalie. I'm sorry for you, be careful not to step on that nail." Byron jumped onto the bank. "What's the matter, Dad? How is everyone?" "Have you two had lunch yet?" said Pug. The two of them looked at each other.Natalie laughed a little nervously. "I brought the sandwich, in the basket. We, I don't know, we forgot." Although Victor Henry's face was always serious, his eyes showed He had a funny look on his face, but it disappeared in a blink of an eye. "Well, well, from that diner"—he pointed his thumb at a humble clam bar on the pier—"the smell makes me hungry, but I guess I'll wait for you guys. I haven't eaten anything today." "Please come to my house, I would like to get you something to eat." "Your mother was very kind and made me orange juice and coffee. How about we go to the bar? These seaside restaurants are probably pretty good too." They sat in a small plywood shack painted bright red.Byron and his father had clam chowder. "I've never liked this," Natalie said to the waiter. "Get me a bacon and tomato sandwich, will you?" "Okay, miss." Victor Henry looked at her strangely. "What's wrong?" she said. "You don't really care what you eat." She looked a little perplexed. "Oh, you mean bacon? I don't give a damn. Lots of Jews do." ①The Kosher law prohibits eating pork. "Where's your mother?" "She has some vague taboos, but sometimes she ignores them, and sometimes she ignores them. I can't tell." "I've had a long talk with your mother. She's a very smart woman, and she's been strong through this misfortune, all right!" Pug put the cigarette and lighter on the table. "Looks like France is really going to die, doesn't it? Did you hear the broadcast this morning? In Paris, they're burning papers. The British Expeditionary Force is making a desperate escape across the Channel, but it's probably too late. The Germans are actually Probably wiped out the regular British army." "My God," said Byron. "If this is the case, the war will be over! How could there be such a big change in three days?" "But it did happen. While I was waiting for you, I heard the President on the radio in my car make an urgent address to a joint session of Congress. He asked Congress to authorize the production of 50,000 aircraft a year." "Fifty thousand a year?" Natalie said aloud. "Fifty thousand? This is just nonsense." "He said we're going to build the aircraft factory first, and then we're going to start production. From what I saw yesterday in Washington, Congress is going to approve the spending. They're finally panicking. They're waking up," Byron said. None of this helps Britain or France." "Can't help, not in this battle. What Congress is now thinking about is our own future fighting Hitler and the Japanese. All right." Pug lit a cigarette, and spread it open. Straight fingers calculated. "Warren's thirty-day vacation has been cancelled. The wedding has been brought forward. Warren and Janice are married tomorrow. They can only spend one day on their honeymoon, and then Warren goes straight to the Pacific Fleet. So, first, you tomorrow You must be in Pensacola before ten o'clock in the morning." Byron glanced at Natalie hesitantly, she was a little stunned.Byron said, "Well, I'll be there on time." "Well, secondly, if you're going to attend the submarine school's May 27th session, you'll have to report to New London and have your medical by Saturday." "Can't I have a medical in Pensacola?" The father pursed his lips. "I haven't thought about it. Maybe Rhett Tully can be accommodated. He has taken care of him enough to keep this place for you. Applications for admission to this school are piling up now." "May 27th?" Natalie said to Byron. "Only eleven days from now! Are you going to submarine school in eleven days?" "I don't know, it's possible." She turned to his father and asked, "How long is the training class?" "Three months." "Then what does he do after that?" "I reckon he might go straight to the fleet, like Warren. New subs are starting to come out." "Three months! Then you're gone!" Natalie exclaimed. "We'll talk about that later," Byron said. "Are you going to the wedding with me tomorrow?" "Me? I don't know. I wasn't invited." "Janice asked me to take you with me." “她说了吗？什么时候说的？你从来没告诉过我。”拜伦转过来向他父亲说：“嗯，这期潜艇训练班结束以后，下一期什么时候开始？” “我不知道。但是你越早开始越好。你还得在海上再训练十三个月才能去掌握潜艇。勃拉尼，再没有比取得潜艇驾驶员资格更艰苦的事了。当飞行员也比它容易。” 拜伦拿起父亲的一支香烟，点着，深深吸了一大口，然后，一边吐出一缕灰色的烟雾，一边说：“我和娜塔丽准备结婚。” 娜塔丽咬着下嘴唇，维克多•亨利打量了她一眼说：“原来如此，这可能影响你入学，也可能不影响，我事先不知道你们这件事，所以也没查问过。一般说来，在这种情况下，未婚的投考学员有优先权。不过，也许可以——” 娜塔丽打断他的话。“亨利上校，我知道这件事会造成很多困难。我们今天早上才决定的。我自己也还不知道什么时候以及如何才能结婚，好多问题纠缠在一起。”帕格点了点头，他一面吃饭，一面从眉毛下面看着她。 “没有不可克服的困难，”拜伦说。 “听我说，亲爱的，”娜塔丽说。“我决不会做任何阻碍你去潜艇学校的事。我的上帝，我在华沙呆过。”拜伦吸着烟，脸上没有表情，眼睛紧紧盯着他父亲。 维克多•亨利看了看手表，收起烟卷和打火机。“好吧，就这样。这个杂烩真不错，很叫人满意。下午有一架去彭萨科拉的飞机，我还赶得上。” “你打个电话来告诉我这些事不也行吗？”拜伦说，“那是很便当的。为什么要亲自来这里？” 维克多•亨利向侍者挥了挥账单和一张十元的钞票。“你跑得象火箭那么快，拜伦，那时候我不知道你的计划，也不 知道你的心情，甚至对于你肯不肯来参加婚礼我也没有把握。 " “我要知道的话，我也绝不会让他缺席的，”娜塔丽说。 “可是这一层事先我也不知道，我认为我应该当面和你们两人谈谈，也许还需要回答一些问题，甚至在必要时还得劝说几句。”然后他向娜塔丽说：“杰妮丝和华伦确实期望你去，这一点我可以告诉你。”她把一只手放在前额上。“我简直不知道我能不能去。” “我们去，”拜伦很干脆地说。“至少我去，这样就行了吧？” 帕格犹疑了一下。“潜艇学校的事怎么样？我已经告诉瑞德今天打电话通知他。” “如果塔利上校一定要今天回话，那么就告诉他不去了。行不行？” 娜塔丽用拳头捶了一下桌子，“不行，拜伦，不能就这样作出决定。” “我不知道该怎样作出决定。” “你可以和我商量，这事和我有关系。” 维克多•亨利咳了一声。“好吧。我该说的都说了，我得走了。这个问题明天还可以再谈。” “哦？”拜伦的语调带有讥讽味道。“那么你毕竟不是真的非今天给塔利上校打电话不可。”维克多•亨利的脸沉了下来。他靠到这个硬椅子背上。 “你听着，拜伦，给你制造麻烦的是希特勒和德国人，不是我。我是在提醒你注意。” “从欧洲传来的这些坏消息可能被大大地夸张了，而且，不管怎么说，不会有一只美国潜艇因为没有我而开不出去。” “哎呀，别说了，勃拉尼，”娜塔丽说，声音有些呜咽。 “让你父亲去赶飞机吧。” “你只要记住，发动这场战争的不是我，拜伦，”维克多•亨利说，他所用的语调几乎和他对万湖那个侍者的语调完全一样。他一面看着儿子的脸，一面从挂衣钩上拿下他的白色便帽。“我看你很可以成为一个很好的潜艇驾驶员，他们全是一群愚蠢的利己主义者，另一方面，我不会因为你要娶这位聪明美丽的年轻姑娘而憎恨你。现在我得离开这里了。”维克多•亨利站了起来。“明天在教堂见。早点来，你是男傧相。穿你那身深色衣服。……再见，娜塔丽，很抱歉打断了你们在船上的好时光，希望你尽可能去彭萨科拉。” “好的，先生，”她的忧愁的脸上露出一丝惨淡的微笑。 "thank you." 等他走出去以后，她转过身来对拜伦说：“我一向最讨厌烧鱼的味道，咱们走吧。刚才那会儿，我一直恶心，天晓得，我怎么会没吐起来。” 娜塔丽沿着码头跨步向海边走去。她深深地吸了好几口空气，裙子随着她扭动的屁股飘动着，薄薄的衬衫被风吹得贴在胸上，长长的头发在飞扬。拜伦紧跟在她后面。她走到码头尽头突然停住，两个衣衫褴褛的黑人男孩子正坐在那里钓鱼。她朝他转过身来，两臂交叉着。 “你到底为什么要用那种态度对待你父亲？” “哪种态度？我知道他来这里干什么，如此而已。”拜伦也同样尖锐地回答说。“他是来把我们分开的。”他的声音响亮，带点鼻音，很象维克多•亨利。 “好了，送我回家吧，马上回家。他说的完全对，你知道。你把目前的战争情况归咎于他。这就是你不成熟的实质。我替你难为情，我不喜欢这种情绪。” 他们沿着码头往回走，一直走到她父亲那辆新的别克牌蓝色小轿车前面。汽车闪闪发亮，晒在烈日之下，象火炉一样散发出热气。“请你把所有的门都打开。让空气流通一下，否则就要闷死在里面了！” 勃拉尼一面从这个门走到那个门，一面说：“我以前从来什么也不要，不要生活，不要他，谁也不要。现在我要了。” “即使是这样，你也得面对现实，不要乱发脾气。” “他已经说服了你，”拜伦说，“他立意要干什么，总是能达到他的目的。”他们钻进汽车。 “你了解的也不过就是这么些，”她厉声说，砰地一声关上她那边的车门，他正在发动马达。”我和你一起去彭萨科拉，好吗？我爱你。现在闭上嘴，送我回家。”