From Here to Eternity_ The Restored Edit - Jones, James [32]
“Yes, Sir,” Capt Holmes said. “I’ll start in soon.”
But his voice was overwhelmed by the screek of an opening drawer, the traditional indication that the interview was ended. Col Delbert raised his eyes from the drawer and looked at Holmes inquiringly, but Capt Holmes was already on his feet replacing the chair against the wall. Anyway, he had gotten a green light on Stark’s transfer and that was what he came for.
The wood noises woke the cocker and he rose and stretched himself, one leg at a time, unrolling his pink tongue in an insolent yawn. He licked his chops and stared at Holmes accusingly. Holmes stared back, lost in sudden thought, his hand still on the chair, enviously watching the sleek black wellfed arrogance stretch itself back out on the polished floor and resume its interrupted meditation. He remembered his hand on the chair then, removed it, turned around for the impersonal ritual of saluting. With all its time-stopping associations of the Point, and God, it seemed to draw him in again to the Old Man, by its very deliberateness. But he knew it did not change anything.
“Oh,” the Col said, as Holmes reached the door. “How is Miss Karen getting along? She feeling better?”
“She’s feeling a little better lately,” Capt Holmes said, turning back. The Colonel’s eyes had lost their flatness and become deep, very deep with a little red light at the bottom.
“A fine lady,” Col Delbert said. “Last time I saw her was at General Hendricks’ party at the Club. My wife is giving a bridge party this week. She would like to have her come.”
Capt Holmes forced himself to shake his head. “I know she’d be delighted,” he said, “but I doubt very much if she’ll be feeling up to it, Sir. She’s none too strong, you know. Things like that excite her so.”
“Ah,” the Col said. “Too bad. Told my wife I was afraid of that. Ah, will she be feeling well enough by the time the Brigadier’s party comes up?”
“I hope so, Sir,” Capt Holmes said. “I know how badly she would hate to miss it.”
“Ah,” the Col said. “Certainly hope’ll be able to come. We all enjoy her company so much. Charmin’ lady, really, Captain.”
“Thank you, Sir,” Capt Holmes said, not looking back at that red light at the bottom of the deepness.
“By the way, Captain, I’m giving another little stag next week. I’ve secured the same apartment upstairs at the Club. You’re invited, of course.”
Holmes’s eyes went opaque again as he grinned, shamefacedly. “I’ll be there, Sir.”
“Ah,” the Col said, opening his mouth and tilting back his head and looking at the other down his nose. “Fine. Good. Thats good.” He opened another of his desk drawers.
Capt Holmes left.
The stag made him feel a little better, in spite of the pinning down. How could anyone say positively who would win? But at least he wasnt on the shitlist yet, those stags were exclusive, nothing but rank there.
But down deep it did not change a thing and the porch and stairs, as he went down going home now to lunch, had lost their sense of permanence. Some day he would be reassigned, back to the States he hoped, anyway some place where there was Cavalry again. What a wild idea this had been, this going in the Infantry just to do a tour in the Islands, the goddamned Paradise of the Pacific.
Still, he told himself, it isn’t as if you’re going to spend the rest of your life in Schofield Barracks. What can he do?
He would have to speak to Karen, though. The Colonel would want her at the Brigadier’s party. He would have to talk her into going, some way. If she would only consent to be nice to the old duffer, it might mean the majority even if the squad lost, this year or next. He didnt want her to sleep with him or anything like that. Just be nice to him.
Walking out the truck entrance he returned the salutes of several privates coming from the PX without seeing them, and c