"Arrangements have been made to fly you to Pearl Harbor," Pickering said.
"How can that be done?" she asked.
"It's done," Pickering said. "One of my officers will have the details worked out by the time we get back to Philadelphia."
"It wouldn't be fair to the other wives and mothers-"
"The Commandant seems to feel, Ellie, that someone who has put as many years into The Corps as you have is entitled to a little special treatment."
When he telephoned Walter Reed with Vandergrift's message, the Commandant's precise words were, "You seem to have a lot of influence, Pickering. Why don't you use some of it to get Jack's wife out to Hawaii to be with her boy?"
"Oh, I don't know how I could-"
"Nonsense," Pickering said. "This won't be the first time you've picked up and gone somewhere on no notice at all." She looked at him.
"No," she said finally, "it won't. I'll throw some things in a bag."
[Six]
MOST URGENT
RAAF MORESBY 0410 9TH OCTOBER NUMBER 21
FROM OFFICER COMMANDING RAAF MORESBY
FOR ADMIRALTY MELBOURNE FOR VICE ADMIRAL SOAMES-HALEY
VIA RAAF MELBOURNE
MOST SECRET
START
PART ONE
REFERENCE YOUR 212 7OCT PART THREE SUB D: 0315M RPT 0315M
END
FELDT LT COMM RANVR
It began to grow light a little after five. Captain Charles M. Galloway, who was flying, reached over and touched the sleeve of his copilot, who was dozing. His arms were folded on his chest; his head was tilted to one side.
He woke startled.
"Go back and find somebody to come up here," Galloway ordered.
Pickering nodded, unstrapped his seat and shoulder belts, and went back into the cabin. He returned with the Marine sergeant who had given the Aussie Naval officer all the trouble during the briefing. He looked-and was-more than a little hung over.
Galloway waited until Pickering had strapped himself back in.
"You have the aircraft, Mr. Pickering," he said, and then unstrapped himself and got up, Pickering looked over his shoulder to see what Galloway was up to.
Galloway unfolded the step that let you stand and take navigational observations through the Plexiglas dome on top of the fuselage. Then he installed the hung over sergeant on it, facing to the rear.
He returned to his seat and strapped himself back in.
"What was that all about?"
"I don't know what I'll do if it happens," Galloway said.
"But if we are spotted by a curious Japanese, I think it would be nice to know it before he starts shooting."
"I'm sorry I asked," Pickering said.
[Seven]
APPROXIMATELY 40 MILES SOUTH OF CAPE HANPAN
BUKA, SOLOMON ISLANDS
0550 HOURS 9 OCTOBER 1942
The call came in loud and clear over Pickering's earphone. He even recognized the voice: "Greyhound, Greyhound, this is Greyhound Base. Over."
"I'll be damned," Captain Charley Galloway said.
Pickering picked up his microphone.
"This is Greyhound. Read you five by five. Over."
"Greyhound, I have you in sight. You are approximately two miles south. Over."
"Shit!" Charley Galloway said and pushed the nose of the R4D down.
"Understand two miles. Winds, please? Over."
"The wind is from the north. About ten knots. Over."
"Understand north, ten knots. Over."
"I suppose if there was something wrong with the beach, he would have said so," Galloway said as he began to retard the throttles.
"Yeah, I think he would have," Pickering said. "But let's check."
"How's the sand down there, Killer? Over."