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Ninety Days Inside The Empire: A Novel by William Appleman Williams

The Admiral Loses More Than a Few Good Men

Page 110

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Base Security had talked with Cat three times. Ralph told Mitch that they couldn't get clearance from Breckinridge to go off base.

"The Admiral says he was off-duty and outside the base."

"Yeah. It's the letter of the law."

"Even if we tried, Mitch, we got no chance to do what we did with your daughter. This is all after-the-fact."

"What do you know otherwise?"

"Better talk with your friend The Judge."

"Thanks, Ralph."

Marsh evaded Mitch. He wanted to talk first with Cat and Susan.

"How's the baby?"

Susan smiled. "Abbey Mae says whoever it is has been getting a lot of exercise. I'd say he was mad as hell about being disturbed that way. But I mean fine."

"Good, but you might think about a trip home."

"Cat keeps tellin' me that and so far the answer is no. NO."

"So what happened, Cat?"

"Please, Judge, not again."

"Yes, one more time, slow and easy. Let's have a drink."

Susan said he wasn't supposed to yet.

"Set the clocks ahead, Susan. This is one time the doctors are wrong."

"Thanks, Judge, I think it will help."

Marsh let Cat go through it in his own way. It was the first time Susan had heard it all together and she tried to pretend she was asleep.

Marsh thought about it through the rest of his drink. Susan got him another.

"All right. Now the tough ones. You recognize or remember any voices or names?"

"One voice I know I've heard. I keep thinking it was at that meeting when Clay talked."

"I'm sure you're right. Now, any names?"

"Come on, Marsh. Somebody tapped me just right and I didn't come to until they had me fixed just like they wanted me. They were damn good, Marsh."

"I know. Back to the names."

"No names, but I think I'd recognize the other voices if I heard them again soon enough. Kind of like southern filling station talk."

"How many?"

"The one I've told you about and two others."

"Where? You've never said."

"Funny about that, but how the hell do I know? I did have the feeling I was in a jail -the way the doors sounded- but, hell, that can't be right."

"I think it is."

He left the second drink.

"Susan, you keep bringing him along, and take care of that baby."

Ten days later Marsh asked Cat to come along and stand behind some bushes around the side of the parking lot where the sheriff's deputies went for a beer.

The men were laughing, talking loud. After comparing women they got serious.

"We did that one good."

"Too damn easy, if you ask me."

"Fun, though."