Chapter 47 Chapter Forty Seven

A week later, Victor Henry was lying in the upper berth of an officer's cabin on the heavy cruiser USS Tuscaloosa, with a colonel from the Army Operations Planning Division sleeping in the lower berth, snoring softly.A hand was on his shoulder, and someone whispered in his ear, "Are you Colonel Henry?" He was awakened.By the red light coming in from the corridor, he saw a sailor handing over a telegram.He turned on the dim little lamp on the bunk. Colonel Victor Henry is ordered to transfer to Augusta by 5 o'clock today with all his luggage. "What time is it?" murmured Pug, signing the telegram.

"Four-thirty. The officer on duty says the captain's cutter is waiting for you, sir." Pug tried to pack quietly, but the rattling of an iron drawer woke the Colonel awake. "Hey, Captain, are you leaving? Where are you going?" "Go to the Augusta." "What?" the colonel yawned, curling up under the blanket.Even in midsummer, it can be cool in the early mornings on Nantucket Sound. "I thought that boat was for dignitaries and presidents." "I think maybe the Vice Admiral decided he needed another typist." "Is that Vice Admiral Kim? Is that the one who shaved with the blowtorch?" Pug smiled politely. "Yes, that's the one."

"Okay, good luck to you." Gusts of wind rolled over the moorings before twilight, dispelling the morning mist.The light waves on the sea rocked the slow-moving speedboat, causing the clock on the boat to ring once or twice from time to time, and Pug had to straighten himself on the wet and cold leather seat.The speedboat swayed dully for a while, and the long black figure of the "Augusta" without lights loomed out of the fog.The cruiser didn't even have an anchor light on, which was rare in peacetime and a serious violation of regulations.The president's yacht and the sand dunes of Martha's Vineyard loomed through the dissipating fog.Colonel Henry was on the gangway of the cruiser as a reddish dawn appeared in the east.The old battleship's neat, smooth new paintwork, the slight glint of metal, was cleanly dressed.

The tense and quiet movements of the sailors in Bai Wuxia's uniform - all this shows that this is Vice Admiral Jin's flagship.The specially installed long plank on the deck and the newly welded handrails are obviously special devices arranged for the crippled president. Wearing a snow-white uniform, Vice Admiral Jin sat on a high chair on the bridge with his thin legs up, asking the captain of the "Augusta" about the arrangements he had made for Roosevelt.Henry came, and he didn't notice it at all.The captain, a classmate of Pug's, was answering questions like a midshipman in an oral exam.When King told him to go, he said a low "Hi, Pug," and left the bridge.

"Henry, the President wants to talk to you when he's on board." King turned his cold eyes to Pug as he loaded a cigarette into a black filter holder. "I just found out, that's why you're called here. We're leaving and you won't have time to get back on board the Tuscaloosa. I think you've got all the reports or materials he might ask for. Alright." "All my papers are here, Admiral." Pug clapped the paper bag in his hand, and he never left the bag all the way from that warship to this warship. Kim smoked a cigarette, chin tilted skyward, squinting at Victor Henry. "I informed you last week that the President asked you to participate in this exercise. However, he did not say that you should obey his orders. Do you happen to be a distant relative or a family friend of Mr. Roosevelt?"

"Neither, General." "Well—remember, you're serving the U.S. Navy anytime, anywhere." "Yes, sir." In fact no one saw the crippled man hoisted aboard the warship.The entire crew of the ship, all dressed in snow-white uniforms, assembled on the long front deck under the main turret and stood at attention.There was no military music, no gun salute. The "Potomac" left Martha's Vineyard and leaned to port, a short order sounded and the bosun's whistle screamed.After a while, the "Potomac" turned over the waves and left the warship, so the president appeared, sitting in a wheelchair, pushed by a colonel, followed by a group of conspicuous civilian officials and admirals.Just like the arrangement in a drama, the sun came out at this time, and the sun shone on the deck, illuminating the smiling and waving president.In his white clothes, drooping white hat, energetic demeanor, wide face with glasses, and a cigarette holder in his mouth, he was full of Roosevelt's demeanor, almost like acting.An actor would dress like this.Roosevelt was really doing it for the crew, Pug thought, perhaps because of the presence of sunlight.The wheelchair and the group of entourage passed the front deck and entered the cabin.

The two cruisers immediately weighed anchor and headed out to sea, escorted by a destroyer squadron in front.The morning sun is hidden in the clouds.In the gloomy gray weather of the North Atlantic, the fleet crossed the main shipping line and sailed northeast at a speed of twenty-two knots.Victor Henry walked for hours on the main deck, savoring the high, black waves of the wind and the gentle rumble of the iron plates beneath his feet.It didn't surprise him that the President hadn't called him yet.His planners were on the Tuscaloosa; they were going to do a lot of work along the way.When the two cruisers arrived at the meeting point, they would have to meet overnight.It may be meaningless to separate him like this, but the president's will must be obeyed.

The next morning, when he had just finished eating ham and eggs in the dining room of the headquarters, a waiter handed him a letter with a yellow note inside: Brother, if it is not your turn to be on duty, it will be around ten o'clock come see me. The captain carefully folded the note and put it in his pocket.These correspondences, however insignificant, were preserved by Pug for future presentation to the grandchildren.At ten o'clock, as he walked to the door of the President's room at headquarters, a stout, staring Marine stood at attention when he saw him. "Here we come, Pug! Just in time for the news broadcast!" Roosevelt sat alone in an armchair, with a pocket radio on a green baize table in front of him, blasting advertisements.The tired dark circles under Roosevelt's eyes could be seen through the pince-nez, but he looked at ease in an old gray sweatshirt with his shirt collar unbuttoned.He had cut himself while shaving, leaving a clotted gash on his broad chin.He looked well, sniffing pleasantly the sea breeze blowing in through the little round porthole, which ruffled his thin gray hair.

He shook his head mournfully at Moscow's acknowledgment that the advancing Germans had passed far beyond Smolensk.Then the broadcaster said that it is no longer a secret where President Roosevelt is now; On the back deck, sail through the Codfish Bay Canal.When Roosevelt heard this, he glanced at Colonel Henry slyly, with a complacent and smart look on his smiling face. "Ha, ha. Here I was at eight o'clock, out on the ocean. Guess what I did, Pug?" "It's a clever deception, sir. Someone on the yacht pretending to be you?" "Exactly! Tom Wilson, the mechanic. We put him in a white suit and a white hat. Well, that's nice. It works!" He turned down the radio, which was broadcasting another advertise. "We can't let the submarines bomb Churchill and me. But I admit, I'm glad I fooled the journalists. They really made my life miserable." Roosevelt searched among the piles of papers on the desk. "Oh, here it is. Here you go, buddy." The typewritten document was titled: "To the President—Top Secret, Only Twice."

The President turned up the radio again and sat down in the armchair.The broadcaster was describing the newspaper's poll forecast for a House vote to extend the military service law, and the President's impressionable face turned weary and serious when he announced that the measure would lose by a vote of six to eight. "That's not right," the president interjected, staring at the radio with dark circles in his eyes, as if arguing with the announcer.On the next program, the German Propaganda Ministry laughed at the charges made by world Jewish leaders about the massacre of Jews in the German-occupied Soviet areas.The German Ministry of Propaganda said that the Jews were spreading malicious propaganda about the allies, and the Red Cross could go to confirm it anytime and anywhere. "This is lying again," the President said, turning off the radio with a gesture of disgust. "Really, these Nazis are the most lawless liars. There's no way the Red Cross could ever get there. I think, and I certainly hope, that these stories are horribly exaggerated. Our intelligence says so. But as long as There's smoke—" He took off his pince-nez and rubbed his eyes vigorously with his thumb and forefinger. "Pug, are your daughter-in-law and her uncle back?"

"I hear they're on their way, sir." "Okay, very good." Roosevelt took a long breath. "That submariner of yours is a kid." "I'm afraid it's a reckless little guy," Victor Henry said while chatting with Roosevelt, trying to read this explosive document, but it was difficult to read because there were many numbers in it. "I have a son who's also an ensign, Pug. He's on board. I hope you know him." "I would love to, sir." Roosevelt lit a cigarette and coughed. "I've got a statement from these Jews. It was brought to me by a delegation of good old friends. It's amazing how the Jews hold together, Pug. But what? What if it's just Blame the Germans, it's embarrassing, and it's useless. I've tried my best. We've managed to get an immigration law, with a little bit of this and that, and yes, we're kind of Luck. But I'm dealing with this Congress that's going to disband the military, can you imagine I'll be bringing them a bill to bring in more Jews? I think we'll beat them on conscription, but a tie at best. " While speaking these words, Franklin Roosevelt cleared a place on the table, took out two decks of playing cards, and concentrated on playing a complex exclusive game.The ship was rocking slowly, and he played cards silently for a while, then said in a new cheerful voice, "My God, Pug, aren't you excited to be back at sea?" "Of course it is, Mr. President." "I've sailed many times around here. I can steer the boat for them, no doubt!" He watched Pug turn to the last page. "How? What do you say?" "This is for my boss, Mr. President." "Yes, but Gloria Turner is on the 'Tuscaloosa'. In any case, I really don't want to let the chiefs of the various armies quarrel." The president said affectionately as if to please He smiled. "Pug, you have a sense of the facts, and I understand what you say. Those are two unusual qualities. So let's do it together. Take your time." "Okay, Mr. President." Pug flipped through the file again, jotting down points quickly on a legal pad.The president lit another cigarette and carefully turned over the cards one by one. There was nothing in the file that surprised Henry.He'd heard all this before when he was arguing with the Army Operations Planning Officer.Here, however, the Army raised the issue with the President, perhaps through Marshall, or through some informal means, which the President would normally allow.The document is indeed explosive, and if it were leaked to neutral MPs, Lend-Lease might be over, the Selective Service Act would be killed, and an impeachment campaign might even start.So he was surprised to see that it existed. Roosevelt once proposed to prepare a "Victory Platform" as a new starting point to break the "Lend-Lease Act" and the paralysis of military production.There were five or half a dozen agencies that had locked themselves in and locked themselves in with some big business—Munitions of the Army and Navy, War Resources, Office of Emergency Management, National Defense Advisory Board, Office of Production Management.Their chiefs were swindling the President; all Washington was dumbfounded by so many new names.Stock-outs and withholdings were increasing; actual munitions production was pitifully low.In order to break this situation, Roosevelt ordered the army to list everything they needed to win a global war, and then formulate a new priority based on this general list. Planners such as Victor Henry worked for weeks, calculating possible American attacks on France, Africa, Germany, Italy, China and Japan mainland, air raids on industrial cities, and alliances with the British and even the Russians joint operations.Both the Army and the Navy, with special distrust of each other, communicated little about this programme, each prepared a draft and, of course, each demanded the greatest possible share of manpower and industrial output.They took pains to keep this "Victory Program" secret and to keep the documentation to a minimum.The document now in Victor Henry's hands is the Army's sharp criticism of the Navy's demands. "How about some orange juice?" the president said as a waiter came in with a jug on a tray. "Do you like this? Philip squeezed them out of fresh oranges. He's got some nice oranges." "Thank you, sir." Pug sipped the frothy orange juice from his glass. "This matter requires an equally long document to answer, Mr. President. Mainly, the Navy and the Army use two different crystal balls. This cannot be avoided. The Army is a huge army, and its ultimate responsibility It is to keep the United States safe. There is nothing in dispute. They imagined that after Russia and Britain closed their doors, they would fight the Axis powers alone. So they asked for a lot. They reached the number of 9 million troops in the army. The total U.S. manpower is down. It’s the largest force our country can send into battle." "Maybe we need that many," the president said. "Yes, sir. Mainly, we see things differently on Lend-Lease. The Army says we're going to take out too many weapons and machines, and the Germans might capture them and beat us back. But Our argument is that even if the Soviet Union would collapse soon, and so would Britain, the Germans themselves would have to die a lot before they could knock them down. One German dead is one less German to beat us one day .” "I agree," the president said flatly. "Well, then, Mr. President, why shouldn't we support those who are killing Germans at all costs? We can rebuild and replace lost supplies very quickly, but it takes a living German to produce It would take twenty years to add a dead German." The President grinned and said, "Well said. However Lend-Lease is not the only bone of contention here. I note that the Navy demands a substantial share of our total steel production." "Mr. President—" Pug said, leaning forward, elbows on knees, hands outstretched, as hard as he could—"Hitler didn't attack Britain last year because he couldn't make the world's strongest His troops landed on the coast a few miles away. He had all the ships he needed to get them across the sea, but he couldn't get them to land on the opposite side. Attacking from the sea is a difficult tactical problem, Mr. President. No It's more difficult than that. It's easy to get your men ashore from one place or two, but how do you keep the opposing defenders from driving them away? Your men are in a dilemma. But the defenders have all the maneuvers Sex, superiority in numbers and superiority in firepower. They can concentrate and knock you down." As Pug spoke, the President nodded, his cigarette holder hanging from his teeth, his eyes sharp and focused. "Well, sir, the solution is to use special ships, and rush to the open beach in great numbers. You send a larger force ashore, and keep supplying it, supporting it, until it takes over You can open a port. Then you can use your ordinary transport ship, your luxury liner, if you have one. So the invasion can continue. But you need a large number of these landing craft, sir, and you need Various types. This analysis was delegated to me. It appears we will have to build about a hundred thousand or so, all inclusive." "One hundred thousand!" said the President, shaking his head. "What, all the shipyards in America can't make it in ten years, Pug, even if they don't do anything else. You're talking nonsense. Everyone always exaggerates his little expertise." Yet Roosevelt Smiling excitedly, eyes shining brightly.He spoke of the landing craft used by the Navy during the last war, when he was Under Secretary of the Admiralty; and of the ill-fated Gallipoli landing in England.Victor Henry took out photos of German attack ships and new British ships from the file package, as well as blueprints of some American ships.The President watched carefully with interest.Different ships serve different tasks, Pug said, from large landing ships that cross oceans with tanks and trucks in their stomachs, to small amphibious tanks that can crawl ashore, run back into the water, and maybe even dive.Apparently Roosevelt loved these things.His exclusive poker hands were scattered and forgotten beneath the spread of photos and pictures. ① Gallipoli is Gribolu, at the mouth of the Dardanelles in Turkey. During the First World War, the British army attempted to land here in order to open the Dardanelles, but failed. "Hey, have you guys thought of this?" said the President, holding up a lined yellow pad, drawing with a thick black pencil. "The idea came to me when I was studying Gallipoli's report in 1917. I sent it to the Naval Bureau, including sketches, etc., and have not heard back since. I still say that it is useful, Though I didn't remember it until just now. You see, Pug." This picture shows a rectangular flat-bottomed boat with an arched frame above the heads of soldiers squatting in the center, on which is an aircraft engine turning a huge shrouded propeller. "I know there's a stability issue with something so heavy and so tall, but if the boat's beam is wide enough and it's made of aluminum--you see this kind of boat, you can go right up to the beach, Pug, through the swamp, where Whatever. The underwater obstacles become meaningless." The president looked at his work with a smile and smugly scribbled below: Roosevelt - August 7, 1941, "August Tower" cruiser, on the way to meet Churchill. "Here you are. Don't bury it like the Naval Bureau! Study it. Maybe it's just a figment of the imagination, but--ah! Would you like to go out and see the sun, it's coming in through that porthole!" The president put on a white hat, pressed his hands on the table, propped himself up with almost ape-like strength, moved, and moved smoothly into the wheelchair.Victor Henry opened a door to a sunny deck.Roosevelt turned his wheelchair nimbly over the long gray-painted plank covering the hatch threshold. "Ah! How comfortable it is! Warm sun and ocean air. Just what the doctor ordered. Give me a hand, Pug." The President settled into a blue leather chaise longue, just in the way of the deck building. A corner of the wind.They looked back at the long gray cannons, at the spray from the stern of the slightly pitched cruiser. "I'll say it again, you'll never find a place in a shipyard or a naval yard to make these landing craft, Pug. You need to build merchant ships, you need to build escort destroyers, you need to build aircraft carriers. You can only use whatever you can find Factories—inland rivers—hundreds of small factories.” President Roosevelt looked up at the sea. "You know what? This program may be a godsend to small business. Congress gave us all kinds of trouble for it. It's a real idea. Money goes to small factories in many states—" the President said He lit a cigarette and deftly wrapped his hands around the matches to keep out the wind. "Very well. Show me your comment on that Army paper, Pug. Write it down yourself and give it to me today." "Okay, Mr. President." "Now I'm very interested in the question of the landing ship. But I don't want to keep you stuck in it. As soon as the "Victory Program" is completed, I will transfer you from the battle plan and send you to sea. You have already It's over time." Victor Henry saw that he had won Roosevelt's favor, and he also saw that the time was right.He said, "Well, Mr. President, it's been a long time for me to look forward to being an mate of a battleship." "Deputy captain? Don't you think you can be the captain?" Knowing in his heart that his whole life might depend on the following sentence or two, Henry tried not to show emotion in his face or voice, and said, "I think I can, sir." "Well, you've held up unpaid missions ashore. The Commander-in-Chief should do justice to the situation. We'll let you command a battleship." The president said it lightly.But his cultivated tone of voice, the self-satisfaction with which he tilted his head, the stateliness with which he propped his arms on his chair, and the smile he gave Colonel Henry, expressed the enjoyment of his power and the contentment of his conferring grace. "Thank you, Mr. President." "Now, Pug, you'll find Clerk Talay in the command room. Would you please call him?" Victor Henry was dizzy by the last topic. He returned to the President's room and interrupted the chatter of General Marshall, Vice Admiral King, Vice Admiral Stark and General Watson.They were all in smart uniforms, sitting comfortably in the couches and armchairs, and all four old, dignified heads turned to look at him.Vice Admiral Jin gave him a puzzled look.Pug restrained himself from running, and walked quickly across the room and out. Apparently, it was for this less than an hour's talk that Franklin Roosevelt summoned Victor Henry to the "Augusta".After that, on the way to Newfoundland, the captain never saw the president except from a distance. Pug no longer wanted to probe the President's intentions.He hadn't felt elated when Roosevelt summoned him; he wasn't embarrassed now that the president had completely forgotten him.Nor did he have the illusion that he held high in the President's eyes, or that what he said and did could affect the course of history.The president also uses some other unknown figures, some of whom are still secrets as to who they are and what tasks they have.He himself knew a colonel in the Marine Corps who was on a presidential mission in Japan, China, and India; and an old Oregon lumber merchant, a friend of his father's, who specialized in buying rare strategic materials from South America. , so as not to fall into the hands of the Germans.Pug counted himself among the little men, and saw the President's use of him as an occasional impulse.Roosevelt liked him because he was alert, hardworking, and quiet.He happened to guess that the Nazis and the Soviet Union were going to sign a treaty, which made people believe that he was really smart.What's more, there is that strange sentence that Roosevelt said: "I understand what you said." But the president's promise to put him in command of a battleship kept Victor Henry awake.Only two of his classmates commanded battleships.He ran to the headquarters to check the "Navy Yearbook" and estimate the possibility.Of course, the new warships - like the "North Carolina" class or "Indiana" class of giant battleships - are not his turn.He'll get a modern old ship. The deadline for the submission of the "Victory Program" is less than a month away.He checked the records and found that within a month or two there was a vacancy on either the California or the West Virginia.It was quite a head-scratcher for Captain Victor Henry, who had been in the Navy for thirty years and had to consult the list of battleships to guess which one was about to come under his command! He wanted to suppress his elation.Henry admired the President, and sometimes he almost fell in love with the brave cripple, with his cheerful smile and boundless work ethic.But he didn't know Roosevelt or trust Roosevelt, and he simply didn't have the unending devotion that someone like Harry Hopkins felt for the character.Behind the amiable, aristocratic exterior there loomed an inexplicably stern character: far-sighted, determined, a hard-nosed scoundrel who valued nobody but his own family, perhaps even his own. Not in his eyes.It is possible that Roosevelt would remember to give him command of a battleship.It's equally possible that some new job squeezes out the phrase, and it's finally forgotten.Roosevelt made Victor Henry understand what a great man is; the captain of the navy remembered several times the teachings in the Bible that earthen pots should be kept away from iron pots. In Newfoundland, a gray tranquility hangs over the deserted Argentia Bay, where the American warship is anchored, waiting for the arrival of Winston Churchill.The mist dyed everything gray: gray water, gray sky, gray air, and gray hills tinged with green.These huge gray army The warships—those steel monstrosities that had invaded the Indian lands in the twentieth century—floated in the mist like hideous apparitions of the future.On these warships, sailors and officers went about their daily tasks amidst the blaring of whistles and broadcasting horns.But beyond the daily din of these warships, a primordial silence still weighs heavily on Argentia Bay. At nine o'clock, three gray destroyers appeared, followed by a battleship camouflaged with colorful circles like snakeskin.This was HMS Prince of Wales of the Royal Navy; it was the largest warship present, and its guns hit the German battleship Bismarck.As it passed the Augusta, the brass band on deck broke the silence and played "The Star-Spangled Banner."After the performance, the band on the rear deck of the "Augusta" played "God Save the King". Pug Henry stood near the President, under the canvas canopy of the No. 1 turret, with naval and military officers and key civilians such as Averill Harriman and Sumner Wells.From less than five hundred yards away, Churchill could be clearly seen, dressed in ridiculous blue, waving with a long cigar.The President, in a neat brown suit, stood motionless with his legs spread apart, taller than any of them; he held his hat to his chest with one hand, and with the other clutched his son's arm.His son was an officer of the Naval Air Corps, and he looked very much like him.On Roosevelt's broad pink face, there was a self-conscious majesty. There was no poetry in Pug Henry's mind at this great moment.Experts from the Naval Bureau were debating the type of camouflage.Some prefer the tropical brindle of the Englishman, while others favor plain gray, or blue stripes.Pug saw the mottled battleship first in the fog before he spotted the monochrome destroyer a mile ahead of it.He was going to write a report on this. "God Save the King" is over.The president's face relaxed. "Really! I've never heard 'My Country Is For You' played so well." Everyone around him laughed politely at the President's joke.Roosevelt himself laughed.The screeching of the bosun's whistle broke up the courtesy review on the cruiser's deck. ① American folk song, the same tune as the British national anthem "God Save the King". Vice Admiral King greeted Pug. "Take my speedboat aboard the 'Prince of Wales' and report to Mr. Harry Hopkins. The President wants to speak to Churchill before his visit, so hurry." "Yes, sir." Victor Henry boarded King's speedboat and passed hundreds of yards of calm water. From the "Augusta" to the "Prince of Wales", it was equivalent to going from the United States to the United Kingdom, from peace to war.This is an amazing leap.King's handsome flagship was a world apart from the storm-battered British warship.The gangway of this British warship has been corroded by sea water, the camouflage paint has peeled off, and even several main guns are rusty.Pug was startled to see cigarette butts and waste paper in the scuppers of the deck, although groups of sailors were scrubbing vigorously.On the superstructure, there are patches of thick steel plates welded everywhere-this is the adhesive plaster applied to the "Bismarck" after it was wounded by the discharge. The duty officer on deck had sunken cheeks, a neatly trimmed brown beard, and a lovely smile.Pug envied the patina on the gold braid of his cap. "Ah, yes, Colonel Henry," he said, returning the British salute smartly, palms out, "Mr. Hopkins has received the signal and is waiting for you in his cabin. The Quartermaster will accompany you." Victor Henry followed the quartermaster from corridor to corridor; it was the same American battleship he had always had in mind, but different in many details: symbols, lamps, fire extinguishers, and the shape of the watertight doors were different. "Hello, Pug," said Hopkins, as if he and the captain hadn't seen each other for a day or two, although they last saw each other on the train to Hyde Park in early March, and Hopkins He traveled around London and Moscow and attracted the attention of the press all over the world. "Do you want me to go with you?" "Yes, sir." "How's the president feeling?" Hopkins opened two handbags on the bunk in the small cabin outside the officer's room.In one handbag he carefully packed papers, folders, and books; in the other, he stuffed casual clothes, medicine bottles, and shoes.Hopkins looked thinner than before, a stooped scarecrow in a gray double-breasted suit dangling.In his long, gaunt, curved face the keen, feminine eyes stood out large, ape-like.He looked good and moved quickly after this sea voyage. "He's in very good spirits now, sir." "I can imagine that. Churchill too. Churchill is like a boy on a first date. Yeah, it's a historic moment." Hopkins pulled some dirty shirts from a drawer , stuffed into a handbag for clothes. "Almost forgot about it. I forgot a few things in the Kremlin and had to cheat a few more in London." "Mr. Hopkins, what about the Russians? Can they hold up?" Hopkins paused for a moment, curled his lips with a stack of papers in his hand, and then said with certainty: "The Russians can stand it. But it's a desperate business. They need help." He hastened again. Organize things. "Flying from Arkhangelsk to Moscow, Pug, is a continuous flight for hours, flying through green jungles and brown swamps. Often you can't see a village from one end of the sky to the other. This time Hitler But it took a big bite." He tried to snap the buckle on the handbag, and Pug helped him. "Ah, thanks. What do you think Stalin wanted most of us, Pug?" "Airplane," Victor Henry replied immediately. "'Lots of planes.' Same as the French chanted last year." "It's aluminum," said Harry Hopkins. "Aluminum to make airplanes. Well, let me correct - he needs anti-aircraft guns first. Aluminum next. Also needs a lot of army trucks. Stalin didn't plan on three weeks, or six weeks, Or be defeated in three years." Hopkins put all the papers in the small handbag and closed it. "Let's go." Go out through the officer's room.This cabin is very large, stretching from the port side of the ship to the starboard side.It was furnished like a London club, with dark wainscoting, comfortable chairs, rows of novels and encyclopedias, and a bar.The prime minister's valet opened the hatch of the prime minister's cabin, and they saw a strange sight.Winston Churchill, barefoot, wearing a dressing gown, tie, and yellow silk drawers, is standing in front of a mirror, looking at himself. "Here you are, Harry." He ignored Colonel Henry, turning the long cigar in his mouth. "I didn't notice whether the Prime Minister of His Majesty the King of England visited the President of the United States before at sea. I saw the President wearing an ordinary brown suit. But he is the head of state, and I am just a prime minister." Churchill's old fat face was mischievously Rejoice in playing with this unique historical question. “我知道，这看来很可笑。我的礼宾人员要我仍旧穿那件旧的铜扣子外套，戴上帽子。可这是很不正式的服装。” “首相，”霍普金斯说，“你穿上它看来就更加象一个前海军人员了。” 丘吉尔听见他在和罗斯福通信中用的这个古怪名字，咧开嘴笑了。他对跟班说：“很好。还穿那套港务局的制服。” “首相，这一位是海军作战计划处的维克多•亨利上校。” 丘吉尔耷拉着眉毛，说：“你来啦。那些登陆舰艇你弄成功了没有？” 霍普金斯和维克多•亨利四目相视，而丘吉尔的阔嘴则满意地皱了起来。帕格说：“真没想到您还记得我，首相先生。这是我现在的一部分工作。前些日子，我和总统详细地谈了谈登陆舰艇的事。” “是吗？美国是否要造足够多的舰艇？需要的数量很大呢。” “我们会制造的，先生。” “我们的人把你需要的东西给了你没有？” “他们合作得很出色。” “我想你会发现，”丘吉尔没好气地说，跟班正在帮他穿肥大的蓝裤子，“我们这些单纯的岛民想出了一两种可能证明有用的设计。”丘吉尔说得很慢，舌尖音含糊不清，口气有点象发牢骚。 霍普金斯向丘吉尔说了一句告辞的话，他们就走了。在走廊里，霍普金斯怀疑地咧嘴一笑，说：“我们演习礼节好几天，可是他到最后一分钟还拿不定主意穿什么衣服！然而他还是一个非常、非常伟大的人物。” 霍普金斯畏葸地从舷梯上刚下到金海军中将的快艇上，快艇的尾甲板一下子被海浪抬高，然后在他脚下落了下去。他失去了平衡，倒在艇长的胳膊里。艇长叫了声：“来吧，先生。” “帕格，我绝对当不了水手。”霍普金斯跌跌撞撞地进了房舱，叹了口气坐了下来。“我登上水上飞机到苏联去的时候，扑倒了下来。那一次几乎当时就结束了我的使命。”他环顾一下这艘设备完美的快艇。“好啦，好啦。美国！和平！那么——你还在作战计划处。你要参加参谋会议了。” “是的，有一些会议，先生。” “你要在脑子里记住，我们的朋友要求的是什么。跟首相在海上航行五天以后，我对这一点很清楚。”霍普金斯伸出一只瘦削的手，扳着瘦削的指头。他仿佛把维克多•亨利当作一个共鸣盘，在与总统见面前帮他恢复记忆，因为他的话一半是说给自己听的。“首先，他们会催促立即与德国宣战。他们知道，这一点他们得不到。然而可以给第二个要求铺平道路；这第二个要求才是温斯顿•丘吉尔横渡大洋的真正原因。他们要美国警告日本，任何反对在亚洲的英国人的行动都意味着对我们开战。他们的帝国在这一点上十分软弱。他们希望这样一个警告能够把它支撑住。然后他们要催促给他们在埃及和中东的人大量战争物资。因为如果希特勒到那里插手，封锁运河，这个帝国就会窒息而死。他们也会设法巧妙地然而坚决地——如果我在他们的地位，我也会这样做——达成一项协定，即他们要比俄国优先获得美援。他们会说，现在是从西边炸死德国鬼子的时候了，是准备最后攻击的时候了。他们会暗示，我们给俄国的东西，过几个星期以后，会倒过来对付我们。”维克多•亨利说：“总统不是这么想的。” “我希望不是。如果希特勒在俄国打赢，他就独霸了世界。如果在俄国打败，他就完蛋了，即使日本人行动起来也没用。那里的斗争规模之巨大简直无法想象。一定有上百万人在互相射击，帕格。七百万人，也许还要多。”霍普金斯慢吞吞地说出这个数字，把两只手的瘦削的指头都伸了出来。“俄国人直到现在还在挨揍，不过他们并不害怕。他们要把德国人赶出去。这就是现在的战争。这就是现在物资应该去的地方。” “那么，这次会议几乎是没有意义的了，”帕格说。快艇驶近“奥古斯塔号”，慢下来，轧轧响着。 “不，这是一次胜利，”霍普金斯说。“美国总统和英国首相会见，面对面地讨论如何打败德国人。全世界都会知道。现在说来，这就是足够的成就。”霍普金斯对维克多•亨利忧郁地微笑了一下，大眼睛里闪现出智慧的光芒。他在摇晃着的快艇里站了起来。“帕格，这也是换岗。” 十一点钟，温斯顿•丘吉尔来到“奥古斯塔号”军舰。在他的随行人员中间，亨利上校看到了勃纳－沃克勋爵，立时他的脑海中浮起了穿蓝色空军妇女辅助队制服的帕米拉•塔茨伯利的幻影，以致罗斯福和丘吉尔在甲板舷梯口会面时那场戏剧性的握手他都没注意。当时这两位人物握住手不放，微笑着交换问候的话，让摄影记者照相。 一上午，对英国和帕米拉的思念困扰着帕格。在“威尔士亲王号”舷梯上那位值日军官地道的英国式敬礼，军官室里看到的伦敦杂志，温斯顿•丘吉尔说话时重浊的舌尖音，都象一首歌或一阵香味那样唤醒了他的记忆。一九四○年戈林对伦敦的空袭，已经仿佛是另一个世纪的事，是另一场战争。这个矮小的不知名的海军上校，站在一排英国皇家参谋军官的后面，他的脸将来在照片上也许根本找不到，这会儿他正在拚命把头脑里不相干的东西去掉，集中注意力。 这两位领导人用一种奇怪的方式互相压低对方。他们俩都是第一号人物。然而这是不可能的。那么，谁是第一号呢？罗斯福站着要高一个头，然而他是撑在两条毫无生气的腿棍子上，紧倚着他儿子的胳膊，他的长裤空荡荡地耷拉着。丘吉尔呢，是一个穿蓝制服、弯腰曲背的匹克威克①，庄重而高兴地抬头看着罗斯福，他年龄更老，更严肃，更自信。然而在首相身上有点敬佩对方的痕迹。仅仅是一丝一毫之差，到底还是罗斯福看起来是第一号人物。也许这就是霍普金斯所说的“换岗”的意思。 ①匹克威克，狄更斯小说的主人公。 一个看不见的信号使摄影工作结束了，握手礼也结束了，一辆轮椅出现。这个登第一版的挺立的总统变成了帕格更为熟悉的瘸子，他拖着跛足走了一两步，坐进轮椅，松了一口气。两位伟人和他们的军事首脑们离开了后甲板。 参谋人员立即开始工作，整天开会。维克多•亨利和计划人员一起工作，比参谋长们和他们的代表们低一级。勃纳－沃克就是参谋部的代表。因此离开处在顶点的总统、首相以及他们的顾问们很远。熟悉的老问题立刻就来了：来自英国军方过分的和自相矛盾的要求，不真实的计划，未曾填写的合同，乱七八糟的特权，不正当的联络等等。计划人员很快想出了一个主要问题。首先是建造新船来代替被潜艇击沉的船。战争物资不运过大洋就没有东西用来对付希特勒。这个只要意见一致看来就十分简单的平凡道理，变成了一条红线，贯串着每一项要求，每一个方案，每一个计划。钢材、铝材、橡胶、阀门、发动机、机床、铜线，所有上千种战争需要的东西，首先得装船。这把简单的尺子，很快地暴露了这个“民主的兵工厂”①的贫乏，提出了——作为一个特别紧急的项目——建造新的轧钢厂以及把钢材变成战争机器和工具的工厂的巨大任务。 ①“民主的兵工厂”一语出自罗斯福的演说，指第二次世界大战中的美国。 在讨论宏伟的设想计划——成百艘的船，成万架的飞机，成万辆的坦克，成百万的人员——的所有谈话中，总有一个可悲的项目反复出现；急需十五万支步枪。如果俄国垮台，希特勒也许会专注于一场从空中对英国的侵略战争，象对克里特岛那样。而保卫英国飞机场用的步枪还缺乏。在现在，所要求的这十五万支步枪与将来对北非或者法国海岸联合进攻所需军用物资的庞大数字相比，实在少得可怜。 第二天早晨，在波光闪烁的海湾上，许多船只群集到“威尔士亲王号”周围来做礼拜。经过几个灰蒙蒙的雾天以后，阳光照在周围的山丘上，耀得人睁不开眼，使一片松树枞树的森林显得格外青翠。 一艘美国驱逐舰把它的舰桥正对着这艘战列舰，徐徐地靠拢，舰桥正好与主甲板相平，然后搭过一块跳板。弗兰克林•罗斯福身穿蓝衣服，头戴灰帽子，撑着一根手杖，倚着他的儿子，蹒跚地走上跳板，费劲地把一条腿往前拖，然后再挪另一条腿。海湾里一片平静，但是两艘军舰还是在低浪中晃动。高个子的总统每跨一步，就来回摇晃。维克多•亨利和挤在驱逐舰舰桥上的所有美国人一样，都屏住气看着罗斯福费劲地摇摇晃晃从狭窄而不稳的跳板上走过去。在“威尔士亲王号”后甲板上等待着的摄影记者们，也看着总统，但是帕格注意到他们没有一个人把这重要的跛足行走场面摄进镜头。 他想起了他最初认识他时候的弗兰克林•罗斯福——一位年轻的海军部次长，体格强壮的富有自信的花花公子，显而易见的谈情说爱老手，心里只有自己，对一切满不在乎，在一艘驱逐舰的舷梯上跳上跳下，滔滔不绝地说些水手俚语。岁月已经使他变成这个半身不遂的灰白头发的人，在跳板土喘着气痛苦地挪一步不过几英寸。然而，帕格想，这里面却显示了足够的意志的力量，来打赢这场世界战争。一条临时性的便桥可以很容易地架起来，弗兰克林•罗斯福可以坐在轮椅里，庄严、舒适地推过去。要他走路，他只能是这个可怜样子。而在温斯顿•丘吉尔邀请下去参加宗教仪式的时候，他就是这样走着，登上了一艘英国战列舰。 他的脚踏上了“威尔士亲王号”，丘吉尔对他敬礼，伸手去扶他。铜管乐队演奏起《星条旗永不落》。罗斯福立正站着，胸脯一起一伏地喘着，脸色紧张而呆板。然后，由丘吉尔陪同，总统跛着脚，蹒跚地一路走过甲板，坐了下来。轮椅始终没有出现。 在尾甲板上集合排列着的水手们，唱起了《啊上帝，我们自古以来的救主》和《前进，基督的士兵们》。温斯顿•丘吉尔不断地擦眼睛。这些古老的赞美诗，在露天，在长长的炮筒之下，由上千个年轻的男声齐声唱着，使维克多•亨利浑身激动，眼泪盈眶。然而这场宗教礼拜却也使他不安。 他们都在这里，美国的海军和英国的海军，象亲密的战友一样，一起祈祷。但是这却是个虚假的景象。英国人在战斗，而美国人没有。首相举行这场大炮底下的宗教仪式，是真心诚意的想打动总统的感情。在这里，是金刚石琢磨金刚石，意志对付意志！丘吉尔是在使用一切可能的手段，包括传说中罗斯福的宗教倾向，来感动他。如果弗兰克林•罗斯福经得起这场考验，没有答应对德国宣战，也没有答应至少给日本一个最后通牒，那么他就是一个铁石心肠的人；而这个在他旁边流着眼泪的老胖政治家，只是独自在玩一场十分难的游戏，为此维克多•亨利很钦佩他。 那个英国牧师，白红两色的衣服在风中飘动，浓密的灰发吹得乱七八糟，正在念着皇家海军祈祷词的最后几句：“……从海上的危险中，从敌人的强暴下，拯救我们；让我们得到保证在正当的时刻航行海上……让我们安全地带着我们 劳动的成果回到陆地的怀抱……以赞美和显耀你神圣的名字；以我主耶稣•基督的……” 有几个英国水手，小心地从队列中走出来。起先是一个，然后又是一个，偷偷从制服里掏出照相机。没有人阻止他们，而这两位领导人还微笑着挥手，于是人们一下子挤上来了。几十架照相机出现了。水手们笑着，欢呼着，在这两个大人物周围挤成一圈。帕格•亨利看着军舰上这种不常有的混乱，觉得又有趣，又生气。有人在他胳膊上碰了一下，是勃纳－沃克勋爵。“你在这里，老朋友。跟你说句话好吗？” 也许是英国人不象美国人那样怕火，也许是他们找到了一个很好的办法来冒充护墙板，勃纳－沃克的房舱幽暗、暖和、舒服，看来象一间藏书室。“我说，亨利，你对在舰上喝酒有什么意见？我这里有一瓶上等的樱桃酒。” “我赞成。” “好。你在军队里干得象根骨头，是不是？可是昨天晚上总统请我们喝了一顿好酒。” “总统是一切海军条令的创造者，先生，他可以按照自己的愿望进行修改。” “是吗？那倒很方便。”勃纳－沃克点了支雪茄，两个人喝起酒来。“我想你总知道，这艘军舰是在没有护航的情况下过了海洋的。”这个空军准将又说，“我们离开英国的第一夜，就逢到了全强风。我们的驱逐舰没法保持速度，我们只好单独成锯齿形前进。” “先生，我听到这个真是大吃一惊。” “真的吗？你是不是觉得英国首相过于冒险，让德国鬼子在大海上很容易地给他一下？三千英里没有空中掩护也没有海面护航，直接穿过一整队的潜艇？” “你们有你们的善良天使保佑。我只能这样说。” “啊，好吧，无论如何我们总算到了这里。不过还是谨慎点儿，别让这些善良天使操劳过度。什么？你不同意？我们回去的时候，大西洋里的每一艘德国潜艇都必定会作好战斗准备。我们全都得经历一番。”勃纳－沃克顿住话头，看着手里雪茄上的灰。“你要知道，我们航行的护卫很单薄。我们调了四艘驱逐舰。要是有六艘，邦德将军一定会更高兴的。”维克多•亨利很快地说：“我会和金海军中将谈一谈。” “你要了解，这不能是我们这方面提出的要求。首相会真正发火的。他希望我们能碰到'蒂尔毕茨号'，来一场炮战。” “我现在就去办这件事，先生。”帕格喝干樱桃酒，站了起来。 “啊？是吗？”勃纳－沃克开了舱门。“十分感谢。” 尾甲板上，照相还在进行。两位政治家正在愉快地闲谈，现在是拿着照相机的军官们来把水手挤开了。他们背后站着的参谋官员和文职顾问都满脸不高兴。霍普金斯斜眼看着阳光普照的海面，现出一副痛苦的表情。那些军人在一起谈话，只有金海军中将象木头一样站在一边，长鼻子对着大海，不满意地绷着脸。帕格向他走去，敬了个礼，用尽可能简单的话把他和勃纳－沃克的谈话作了汇报。金的瘦削下巴上的皱纹加深了。他点了两次头，没有说话，就走开了。他并不是要到什么地方去，只不过是要亨利告退的表示，而且是使人信服的表示。 在许多酒会和宴会之间，这次会议又进行了两天。一天晚上，丘吉尔在“奥古斯塔号”的军官室里吃完晚饭之后，站起来滔滔不绝地发表了一篇丰富多彩的启示录式的谈话，描述了这场战争将要如何进行。封锁、越来越强的空袭、破坏。将会逐渐削弱纳粹对欧洲的控制。俄国和英国将会“形成一个包围圈”，并且缓慢地、无情地把它收紧。如果有了美国这么一个羽毛丰满的同盟，当然一切就会进展得快得多。在西边不需要大规模入侵或者长时间的登陆作战。几个装甲纵队在被占领国家登陆，就会引起群众暴动。希特勒的黑色帝国将会在瓦砾、鲜血和火焰中突然垮台。弗兰克林•罗斯福眼睛发亮，微笑地注意听着，什么也没有说，只和其他人一起由衷地鼓掌。 会议的最后一天，正在午饭之前，金海军中将派人来叫帕格。他看见这位将军只穿衬衫和裤子正在房舱里用毛巾擦脸和耳朵。“海军特混舰队第二十六点三点一号，包括两艘驱逐舰'梅伦号'和'棱德号'，已经组成，”金没打招呼，开口就说，“要它护送'威尔士亲王号'到冰岛。你作为联络军官到'威尔士亲王号'上去，在冰岛离舰，然后随我们的特混舰队返回。” "Yes, yes, sir." “不发给你书面命令了。不过我们已经和上次的处境不一样了。告诉你个秘密，我们不久就要把所有的船只护航到冰岛。要能就在下星期。见鬼，现在我们的海军陆战队已经占领了那个地方。总统甚至派了一个年轻军官作为海军副官，陪丘吉尔去参观我们在冰岛的基地。这个人就是海军少尉小弗兰克林•罗斯福。”金在谈到这个名字时，脸上毫无表情。 "Yes, sir." “那么，亨利，你在语言方面怎么样？” “还在很久以前我曾经学过一种外语，将军。” “好，九月份要派一个军用物资特使到苏联去。当然，如果那时候俄国还打仗的话。霍普金斯先生提出了你的名字。他好象对你印象很深，总统也是，说你对登陆舰艇有专长等等。 已经看过你的服役档案了，好象你自称懂得一点'刚刚及格'的俄语。嗨？How is this going?这很不简单啊。 " “将军，这是我一九一一年进海军军官学校时登记的。当时是这么个情况。可是现在我连十个字都记不得了。”亨利把 童年时在索诺玛郡曾与说俄语的同学在一起的情况说了一下。 “明白了。好吧，档案里就是这样写的。从冰岛回来，就把你从作战计划处调出来，你自己作个准备，进一步温习一下俄语，以便有可能承担到苏联去的特殊使命。会给你派译员的。但是即使你懂一点点，你的情报价值就会更大一些。” "Yes, yes, sir." 金穿上制服上衣，眼睛望着维克多•亨利，这是亨利所能记得的第一次他受到了微笑的恩赐。“从档案里，我还偶然地了解到，你还是个优秀的炮术军官。” “我的一个希望就是重新去干这行。” “你听没听说，延长征兵法案一个小时前在众议院通过了？” “通过了吗？感谢上帝。” “多一票。” “什么？多一票，长官？” “一票。” “唉！这鼓励不了英国人，将军。” “是啊，连总统也鼓励不了。然而这是现在美国人民的想法。这也许是作茧自缚，但是事实如此。我们的任务是无论如何设法干下去。顺便说说，亨利，不久在我的参谋部里需要一个作战军官。你去俄国的任务完了之后，或者去不成的话，也许会任命你做这项工作。”维克多•亨利板着脸。“这是一个荣誉。” “我想你会喜欢的。我相信你是合适的。”金说着，不自然地流露出一点儿亲热的表示。 与当一艘战列舰的舰长相比，这真是个倒霉的前途。绝望逼得帕格说：“罗斯福总统也许有别的打算。我也不知道。” “我对总统谈起过。他说这看来对你是个恰当的职位。”《诗篇》里有一句话闪过帕格的脑海：“不要相信王侯。” “谢谢您，将军。” 没出一个小时，维克多•亨利正收拾东西的时候，总统派人来叫他。这一次只谈了一两分钟。罗斯福看来很疲乏，正 专心铺着绿呢子的桌子上用铅笔很快地批注一个一个的文件。哈利•霍普金斯也在房舱里，他旁边还站着一个漂亮的高个子少尉，面貌极象一九一七年时在“戴维号”驱逐舰上跳跳蹦蹦的海军部次长。总统把小弗兰克林•罗斯福介绍给帕格，说：“你们两位要一道航行，应该互相认识下。”在亨利和少尉握手的时候，总统用男人对男人的那种深沉的目光瞥了亨利上校一眼，等于说——“照顾照顾他，和他谈谈。” 这一点人情味，把维克多•亨利心里对总统不相信的疙瘩消除了一半。也许罗斯福已经用一句玩笑话回绝了金，意思还是要给他一艘战列舰。总统让他告退时的那种亲热态度，总是那么让人捉摸不透。 乐队演奏了国歌，礼炮隆隆地齐鸣，在充满了山丘绿草和火药硝烟气味的清新微风中，“威尔士亲王号”离开了阿根夏海湾。这次伟大的会议结束了。 在“威尔士亲王号”的军官室里，维克多•亨利能够感觉到笼罩着全舰的阴郁气氛。这次会议的结果究竟给英国增加的援助是什么，还没有宣布；这件事本身显然使战列舰的军官们感到是个不好的预兆。这些人，都是在空袭和炮战中打了两年仗的老兵，尽管他们的军舰是那么堂皇，他们的军官室那么过分的豪华。英国的困境似乎浸透了他们的骨髓。他们不能相信，温斯顿•丘吉尔把他们窘迫的海军中最好的军舰，连同他自己的生命，都拿来冒险，就是为了这么空手回去。这不是温斯顿的气派，他们谈话的口气中，只有模糊的希望，而不是真正的信任。吃完晚饭以后，帕格坐在休息室里，面前放着一杯葡萄酒，他总觉得有点不对头，尽管他们对他很有礼貌。后来他明白了，他在场，使他们感到不自在。于是他很早就上了床。第二天，他在“威尔士亲王号”上兜了一圈，从舰桥一直到机器舱，发现了许多和美国军舰不同之处，特别是这些衣着邋遢、负担很重、工作紧张的船员，和“奥古斯塔号”上打扮得干干净净、快快活活地干活儿的水手大不相同。 这天晚饭之后，梯莱特少将向他走来，把一只瘦削的手按在他肩头。“想不想看看潜艇侦察图，亨利？首相认为你应该看看。一个欢迎委员会已经聚集在那儿了。” 会议期间，帕格曾经几次看到过这个难以亲近的老军事历史学家，两天前，在军官室举行的欢迎美国客人的晚会上，几个年轻的英国军官开始了一场他们所谓的“滑稽舞”。他们只穿着苏格兰裙子，或者披条彩色毛巾，戴着古怪的假发，走了进来，尖声地吹着风笛，噼噼啪啪地放鞭炮，在椅子桌子上走鹅步。过了一会儿，梯莱特少将站了起来，脸上没有一丝笑容——帕格想，他要来阻止这场马戏了——他在一张桌子上跳起了一场发狂的快速舞，吹风笛的人绕着他一面吹一面走，全场的人都大声喝采。可是现在他还是那么古板。 梯莱特打开一扇亮着红色保密信号灯的钢舱门。丘吉尔穿着一件象机械士工作服那样的连衣裤，弯着背，垂着眼皮，正在仔细观看一幅占了一面舱壁的俄国前线地图。对面舱壁上挂着一幅大西洋地图。房舱里烟雾腾腾，几个年轻军官正在中间的一张桌子上收发电讯。 “那里，”首相用手里的雪茄指了指苏联地图，对梯莱特和帕格•亨利说，“那里是一幅可怕的未展开的图画。” 斯摩棱斯克东面那条画成红色的前线上，现出了两个新加上的鼓包，指向莫斯科。丘吉尔咳着，眼望着亨利。“你们的总统警告了斯大林。我甚至更加明确地警告过他，我的情报根据确凿。真是，没有一个受到突然袭击的政府这样不值得原谅了。勇敢而倒霉的俄国人民碰到了恶运，被这么一伙上当受骗的笨蛋带着走。”首相转过身子，走向另一面舱壁；他那拖沓的脚步，维克多•亨利在他伦敦的办公室里已经注意到了。在阿根夏湾，丘吉尔显得健壮、红润、活跃，简直年轻了十年。现在他两颊发灰，满是红斑。 “喂。在这里我们有进展吗？” 一个个黑色的小棺材形状的标记，散落在宽广的蓝色平面上，一个军官还在往上加，在靠近战列舰前进的航程附近形成一群。再往前，是一大群红头针，其中夹着几只蓝头针。 “这个新潜艇群，是黎明时候被一架美国巡逻飞机发现的，先生。”那个军官说。 “啊，是的。邦德海军将军就是这样告诉我的。我想我们正在避开它？” “我们已把航程改向北方，先生。” “我看，护航舰'h—67号'差不多到家了。” “今天晚上我们就要把这些针拔掉，首相先生。” “这是好消息。”丘吉尔粗声地咳嗽着，又抽了口雪茄，对帕格•亨利说：“好吧，我们还会给你点儿好戏看的。这不象乘轰炸机到柏林上空那么热闹，嗯？那次挺好玩吧，上校？” “那是少有的特权，首相先生。” “随时可以。随时都可以。” “太荣幸了，先生。一次已经足够了。” 丘吉尔哑着声音嘎嘎地笑了。“敢情如此。梯莱特将军，今晚上什么电影？” “首相，我想是斯坦•劳莱和奥利佛•哈台的《海上精华》。” “《海上精华》，啊？太合适了！军医命令我躺在床上，还命令我不许抽烟。我要去看《海上精华》，还要带着我的雪茄。” 帕格•亨利在欣赏《海上精华》的时候，心里老是担心这艘战列舰随时会碰上一群德国潜艇。那些德国的艇长很有本领，会溜过护航的驱逐舰。但是直到电影演完，没有发生事故。首相在拖着脚步出去时，用伤了风的沉浊声音说：“一场挺好看的但是毫无关系的电影。” 第二天，克利门•艾德礼的广播讲话使军官室里挤满了人。每一个没值班的军官，所有的参谋人员和战争计划人员，都集合在军官室里唯一的一架格格发响的老收音机周围。战列舰正穿过一场狂烈的暴风雨，颠簸着，摇晃着，发出缓慢冗长的呻吟。对于这位美国客人说来，这半个小时真不好受。艾德礼在宣读《大西洋宪章》的时候，亨利看见的是：困惑的眼色、拉长了的脸和不住的摇头。讲话的调子很高，但并不证明美国人的许诺有一点点增加。对纳粹暴行的责骂，对“四项自由”的赞扬，对未来世界和平和友爱的献辞，都包括了；但是对英国人更多的战斗支援，却是个零。有些句子谈到自由贸易，谈到所有人民的独立，这些话，如果具有什么含意的话，那就是意味着英帝国的末日。 帕格并不特别惊讶，他只是想：弗兰克林•罗斯福这家伙可真厉害。 “哼！”在收音机关掉后的一片沉默中，梯莱特少将牢骚满腹地说，“我敢说，不止这些，还有呢。你说怎样，亨利？”所有的眼睛都看着这个美国人。 帕格明白，没有办法含糊过去。“没有了，先生。我想大概就是这些。” “现在你们的总统在联合公报中许下诺言，要消灭纳粹的暴行，”梯莱特说，“这是不是说你们要参加进来，不管用什么方式？” “这是指《租借法案》而言，”帕格说。问题从四面八方向他投来。 “你们不准备和我们站在一起对付日本人吗？” “现在不。” “那么，简单明了地说，你们不准备在太平洋打仗了