From Here to Eternity_ The Restored Edit - Jones, James [461]
“Livin on a goddam powder keg!” Pete hollered. “Thats all primed to blow, the minute this country starts to fight!”
Warden jumped up off the cot and grabbed him, still leaning like a defiance of the law of gravity, with both arms around him. “All right, all right, Pete, all right. Sit down. Have another drink. Lets listen to the music for a while.”
“I’m allright,” Pete said strangledly. “I guess my enthusiasm just got the best of me for a minute. Let go of me.” Warden let him go and he sat back down. “Wheres my drink?”
“Here,” Warden said, holding him out a canteen cup of whiskey.
“Guess who I ran into up to Schofield today, Milt,” Pete said painfully, in an almost rupturing effort to be casually conversational.
“I don’t know,” Warden said. “Who.” He held out his cup.
“I’ll have to get the other bottle,” Pete said, getting up. “This one’s done.” He went back to the table.
Behind them the music stopped and the announcer came on.
“Lucky Strike green has gone to war,” the announcer said. “Yes, Lucky Strike green has gone to war.”
“Who did you run into up at Schofield, Pete?” Warden prompted as Pete came back.
“Your Lucky Strikes have put on khaki and enlisted,” the announcer said.
“Capt Holmes’s wife,” Pete said. He poured whiskey into Warden’s cup. “Imagine that? Aint seen her for months. She was in the Evacuation Office at Regiment when I went in to get my chit. She’s going back to the States on the same boat I am.”
“Haw!” Stark guffawed drunkenly.
“Who?” Warden said.
“Capt Holmes’s wife,” Pete said. “Hell, you remember Capt Holmes’s—Major Holmes’s—wife, dont you?”
“Sure,” Warden said, “I remember her.”
“Haw!” Stark hooted drunkenly.
“Well,” Pete said, “seems they’re still living in their old quarters in the Regiment’s M O Q, so she had to report to Regiment instead of Brigade for her evacuation number and shipping list chit for her and her kid. Christ, there was a whole bunch of them in there; Major Thompson’s wife; Col Delbert’s wife; I dont know who all. And Holmes’s wife is booked for the same boat they got me booked for. Leaves on January 6th.”
“Haw!” Stark guffawed explosively again.
“Whats the matter with you?” Pete said.
“Nothin,” Stark grinned. “I just happen to think of something.”
“Of course,” Pete went on, “she’ll be goin back First Class, and I’ll be down in the hole, but still she’s goin on the same damn boat I am. Its sure a damn small world, you know it?”
“Haw!” Stark giggled. “It sure is.”
“You want another drink, Stark?”
“Naw,” Stark grinned. “I’m doin fine. Just fine.”
“Well?” Warden said casually. “What’d she seem like? What’d she have to say?”
“Haw!” Stark guffawed drunkenly.
“Ask about the Compny,” Pete said. “Wanted to know how the Compny Administration was making out. And how the supplyroom was makin out with the new supply sergeant. And ask how you were getting along with the new Compny Commander.”
“Me?” Warden said.
“Haw!” Stark guffawed.
“Yes,” Pete said. “Say, whats the matter with you?” he said to Stark.
“Nothin,” Stark giggled happily.
“You know,” Pete said to Warden, “she knows a hell of a lot more about this Compny than I ever thought she did.”
“She ought to,” Stark said.
“She even ask me if Prewitt was back yet.”
“Him too?” Stark grinned. “She loves this Compny,” Stark grinned. “All of it. Aint that right, Milt?”
“You know I believe she does,” Pete said. “It surprised me. How much she knew about it. I liked her a lot.”
“You did, hunh?” Stark grinned. “Well then you ought to look her up on board ship. Dont you think, Milt?”
“She’ll be upstairs,” Pete said. “Officer Class. I’ll be down the hole. I wont even see her.”
“Dont let that bother you,” Stark grinned. “Just look her up and ask her to invite you up to her stateroom. She’ll do it. Aint that right, Milt? . . . And then while you’re there ask her for a piece of ass. She’ll give you that, too. She loves this Compny.”
Pete was a little slow on the uptake. But a shocked look began to spread over his face, as it dawned on him what Stark had said.
“Shut up, you son of a bitch,” Warden said.
“You think I’m lyin, Pete?” Stark