Stecker pushed open the canvas flap.
"Gunny, I've got to go down the hill for a while," he said.
"Major, I'm goddamned sorry," the gunny said and glowered at Galloway as if it were obviously his fault.
"Thank you, Gunny," Stecker said. "It is not for dissemination."
"Aye, aye, Sir."
"Hello, Pick," Major Jack (NMI) Stecker said to Second Lieutenant Malcolm S. Pickering. "How are you?"
Pickering was on a hospital cot next to the one where Second Lieutenant Richard J. Stecker lay. Tubing ran from Pickering Is arm into Stecker's; a transfusion was taking place.
"Jesus Christ, I'm sorry!" Pick said and sat up. There were tears in his eyes.
Stecker quickly pushed him back on the cot.
"Watch out for the tubes," he said. Then he dropped to his knees and put a firm hand on Pick's shoulders.
"There was just too fucking many of them!" Pick said. "I just couldn't cover him!"
"I'm sure you did the best you could, Pick," Stecker said, and then he turned and looked at the adjacent cot.
The suit, Flying, Cotton, Tropical Climates, had been cut from Second Lieutenant Richard J. Stecker's body. He was clothed now in undershorts and vast quantities of bandage and adhesive tape. There were splints on both legs. He was unconscious.
Major Jack Stecker laid a very gentle hand on his son's face and held it there for a long time.
Captain Charles M. Galloway felt like crying.
"Major, I'll go find Commander Persons," he said.
Stecker nodded.
Major Jake Dillon found Captain Galloway before Galloway found the medical officer.
"I thought you'd be here," Dillon said.
"What the hell do you want?"
Dillon handed him a message form:
FOLLOWING FOR MAJOR HOMER DILLON USMC X PLAN BAKER SUCCESSFULLY EXECUTED AS OF 0530 06OCT42 X CONDITION TWO REPEAT TWO X EXECUTE PLAN VICTOR X ADVISE ONLY DELAYS AND REASONS THEREFORE X FELDT
"Victor means go to Moresby, right?" Galloway asked.
Dillon nodded.
"What are you going to do for a copilot?" Dillon said.
"Sorry to hear about Major Finch."
"The way you were supposed to say that, Jake," Galloway said nastily, "was, `Sorry about Jack Finch,' and then ask what I'm going to do about a copilot,"
"OK, I'm sorry. But what are you going to do about a copilot?"
"I'm going to take the other kid in there, the one giving blood to Stecker."
"What kid?"
"Pickering."
"He's not a qualified R4D pilot. What the hell are you talking about?"
"He's a pilot. And he's not a bad one. And besides, all he'll have to do is put the wheels and flaps up and down and talk on the radio. I'll be flying."
"I don't understand, Charley. There must be another guy qualified in R4Ds somewhere on Henderson."
"If Pickering stays here, he's going to fly. And in the mental condition he's in, if he flies, he's going to get killed. If he comes with me, he only might get killed."
"That doesn't make any sense. It has nothing to do with his father?"
"Don't try to tell me about flying or pilots, Jake, OK?" Galloway replied.
"Forget it Charley. How long will it take to get going?"
"I don't know, Jake. It will have to wait until he's finished giving his buddy blood, OK? This idiot idea of yours will have to wait that long."
[Five]
CRYPTOGRAPHIC CENTER
SUPREME HEADQUARTERS, SOUTH WEST PACIFIC OCEAN AREA
BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA
0935 HOURS 6 OCTOBER 1942
Lieutenant Hon Song Do, Signal Corps, USA, had just about finished decryption of the Overnight MAGICs when one of the two telephones in his cubicle rang. Of these, one was a Class A switchboard line, and the other a secure Class X line that connected with only a few telephones -in SHSWPOA. Brass hats too important to use the ordinary system had Class X phones-the Supreme Commander, the Chief of Staff, the four Gs (Personnel, Intelligence, Plans and Training, and Supply) and a few of the Special Staff officers, including the Provost Marshal.
"Lieutenant Hon, Sir," he said, hoping that it wasn't the Supreme Commander and that his annoyance at being disturbed did not show in his voice.
"Major Banning, please," a voice Pluto did not recognize said.
"I'm sorry, Sir, Major Banning is not available."
"When will he be available?"