"I'm afraid to ask, but does it have something to do with Steve?"
"Yes, but he's all right, Daphne," Moore said.
"Then what?"
"We needed a new code to communicate with them," Moore explained. "Pluto Hon came up with a simple substitution code based on personal things that only Barbara and Lieutenant Howard would know. He wanted to do the same thing with you and Koffler."
"He's all right?" she asked.
"Yes, he's all right."
"Daphne," Barbara said, "I wish I was pregnant."
What the hell is the matter with you, Barbara? That's absolute idiocy! Jeanne thought. God, don't let me be pregnant!
"It's not quite the same for you, Barbara," Daphne said.
"I believe Joe's coming back," Barbara said. "Steve will, too."
"You're in love with Joe," Daphne said.
"You're not in love with Steve?"
"How could I be in love with him? I hardly know him."
How could I be in love with Johnny? I hardly know him, either.
"You're upset," Barbara said. "Understandably."
"Actually, I think I'm thinking pretty clearly," Daphne said.
"What happened-and I was with him only that one night happened because he came to Wagga Wagga-"
"Where?" Moore blurted and was immediately sorry.
"My family has a station, Two Creeks Station, in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales," Daphne explained. "You'd call it a farm, or a ranch." He should not be hearing this, Joanne decided. This is between women, and none of his business.
"Why don't you go get dressed?" Joanne snapped.
"Hey, I'm trying to help," John replied. "And I do have to get the stuff for a code from her."
"You know all about codes, too?"
"I know what Pluto told me to get from her when she showed up," Moore said. "What about... Wagga Wagga'?" Daphne smiled.
"Steve thought it was funny, too," she said. "I thought you knew all this, John?"
"I wasn't here," Moore said. "I came after Koff- Steve and Lieutenant Howard jumped into Buka."
"That's right, isn't it?" Daphne said. "I'd forgotten."
"You don't have to talk to him about this," Joanne said.
"It would be helpful if she would," Moore said coldly.
"It's all right. If it will help Steve," Daphne said.
"I'm not trying to pry," Moore said, looking at Joanne. "I just need words we can use for a code. Wagga Wagga sounds fine." He looked at Daphne. "Steve would remember that?"
"Oh, I'm sure he would. He got lost twice trying to find it," Daphne said.
"What was he doing there?"
"After I learned that my husband was killed in North Africa," Daphne said, "there was a memorial service for him.
When Steve heard, he wanted to do something for me. So he drove out. In that Studebaker, I think," she said, gesturing outside. "With a box of candy and flowers and a bottle of whiskey, he didn't know what was appropriate, so he brought one of each." Steve's a nice kid, John," Barbara said gently.
Yes, a nice kid," Daphne said. "And I rode back from New South Wales to Victoria with him. He had to stop at Captain Pickering's place. What was it called?"
"The Elms, in Dandenong," Barbara furnished.
"And everybody was there, and they ran you and me off, and we eavesdropped-"
"I was sent from the hospital to give them their shots," Barbara said, looking at Joanne.
"I didn't even know Joe was in Australia until I walked in there. We had only the one night, too."
"-and we heard what was going to happen to them the next day," Daphne went on, "and I decided-helped along by several gins-that the two loneliest people in the world were Yeoman Farnsworth and Sergeant Koffler, and... I'd always heard that all it takes is once; but even that didn't seem to matter."
"Steve's in love with you," Barbara said.
"You said it, Barbara," Daphne said. "Steve is a nice kid."
So is John Moore a nice kid. You should have realized, Joanne Miller, that your maternal instincts and/or hormones were getting out of control. You should have reminded yourself that all he is is a nice kid.
"He's more than a nice kid," Moore said. "He's one hell of a man. I don't think I like that `nice kid' crap."
Go to hell, you bastard!
"You're right," Barbara said. "I didn't mean that the way it sounded."
"He's a kid," Daphne insisted. "Even if he were here, even if he wanted to marry me, even if I wanted to marry him, I couldn't. He's a minor, and your regulations don't permit your sergeants to marry; they have to be staff sergeants or above."
"You're sure about that?" Barbara asked.
"Yes," Daphne said.