The Passion and the Glory

by Christopher Nicole

  They all knew about the court martial, with the probability that he might never be promoted again. But it seemed all was forgiven.

  ‘And to you,’ Walt said.

  ‘Sure,’ Phillips agreed. ‘With your permission, Commander McGann, I won’t move my gear right now. Seems to me the best way to get to Majura is on board Sea Lion.’

  ‘Welcome aboard, sir,’ Walt grinned.

  ‘I just want to make sure you don’t aim to lose the ship first time around. Now, you guys, I think a drink is indicated, even if it is only eleven o’clock. Then, gentlemen … we all have to see about adding an extra stripe.’

  *

  They went to the club. There was no way Walt could have refused to drink with them, even had he wanted to. In fact he felt he was on cloud nine. Father was going to be so very proud. But the fact was that he had only twenty-four hours, of which a good twenty were going to have to be spent supervising the replenishment, quite apart from that extra stripe. He was a skipper now, not a shavetail ensign who could scurry off about his own personal business. Yet Linda would be waiting — and he had no means of knowing what action she might have taken in his absence.

  They had a drink, and then another, and then he managed to get to the telephones. He waited, listening to the rings, heart pounding, then slowing as the receiver was lifted. She gave the house number.

  ‘Walt,’ he said.

  There was a moment’s silence. He remembered her silences so well. Then she asked, ‘When did you get in?’

  ‘This morning. I don’t have too much time. I just wanted to tell you I was here.’ He paused, but she didn’t speak. ‘And to ask you if you’d come to a decision yet.’

  ‘Can you come round?’ she asked.

  ‘To your house?’ He couldn’t believe she meant that.

  ‘Yes,’ she said.

  ‘Is O’Malley there?’

  ‘He will be.’

  ‘For Jesus’ sake, Linda … ’

  ‘You said you wanted to speak with him,’ she said. ‘Or have you changed your mind?’

  ‘Of course I haven’t. You mean … the answer is yes? Holy Hallelujah. And have I got a lot to tell you. Oh, Linda, my darling girl … ’

  ‘He wants to speak with you too,’ she said.

  There was no happiness in her voice.

  ‘Well, that figures,’ Walt agreed. And then frowned at the wall. ‘You mean he knows what I want to talk about?’

  ‘I told him.’

  ‘God damn … was it tough?’

  ‘Yes,’ she said.

  ‘Oh, Linda … okay, I’ll handle it from now.’

  ‘When?’ she asked.

  ‘Ah … I have one hell of a lot of things to do. I can be there at seven this evening.’

  ‘Seven,’ she said.

  ‘Linda … I’m a lieutenant commander.’

  ‘Congratulations.’

  ‘Linda, I love you.’

  There was the briefest of hesitations, then she said, ‘I love you too, Walt.’

  *

  He didn’t know whether he was standing on his head or his heels. Linda had said yes. And he was a lieutenant commander, with his own ship. It was only a matter of sorting out O’Malley, and if the guy wanted to see him, then clearly he was prepared to talk turkey. The only fly in the ointment was that he wasn’t going to have any time to be alone with her — for a long time to come, if Nimitz was right. But that wouldn’t matter if they could know they would be together, for always, when he finally got back.

  The day passed in a daze, as he saw the navy tailors, got hold of the dockyard people and arranged the input of fuel and food and munitions and torpedoes, went over the engine room with Chief Ramos, listing what needed dockyard attention, and counted the minutes ticking away on his watch.

  At six thirty he gave his men a break for dinner. ‘I’ll be back at eight,’ he told Galt. ‘We’ll get the rest of that ammo on board by midnight and have a few hours’ sleep.’

  ‘Yes, sir,’ Galt agreed. He too was still in total euphoria.

  Walt took a cab to the O’Malley house, guiltily aware that he was the only member of his crew to leave Pearl. He felt perfectly calm, as he did before going into action. Similarly, however, he was conscious of adrenalin building in his bloodstream — he had no idea what to expect.

  Linda opened the door. She had lost a little weight since their last meeting — or maybe it was just because she was no longer feeding little Walter. ‘Come in,’ she said, somewhat loudly, and then lowered her voice. ‘For God’s sake be careful, Walt. He’s been drinking.’

  He nodded, held her arm. She came against him for a moment, and he kissed her forehead. ‘It’s going to be all right,’ he whispered.

  ‘I hope so, Walt. Oh, I hope so.’

  ‘Is that the Navy boy?’ O’Malley shouted from inside. ‘Bring him in.’

  Linda stepped away, and Walt took a deep breath before entering the lounge. O’Malley was a big man, although not as big as himself. He had a red face, which could have been sunburn, and a shock of thick black hair. His features were not unhandsome, but were spoiled by the aggression in every line of them, as well as in his eyes. He was standing behind the corner bar, mixing martinis. ‘So you’re the guy who’s been fucking my wife every time my back’s been turned, right?’ he asked.

  ‘Linda and I were engaged to be married before she met you,’ Walt said. He had come here determined not to lose his temper, no matter what happened.

  ‘And you were fucking her then too,’ O’Malley agreed, rattling his cocktail shaker. ‘I knew she wasn’t a virgin. And because you were once engaged you reckon you have rights, huh?’

  ‘We quarrelled,’ Walt explained. ‘And she married you. But she has always been in love with me.’

  ‘Is that a fact? Drink?’

  ‘Thank you, no.’

  ‘For Jesus’ sake, are you a man. Or just a shit?’

  ‘Jordan,’ Linda protested quietly from the side of the room. ‘You promised.’

  ‘Sure I promised. But if a guy won’t even take a drink with me … ’

  ‘I’m on duty at eight tonight,’ Walt told him. ‘And we put to sea again at dawn tomorrow.’

  ‘Oh, no,’ Linda muttered.

  ‘I’m sorry, Linda,’ Walt said. ‘Things are hotting up out there.’ He didn’t dare tell her at this moment that he might not be back for several months.

  ‘That’s what you call her, is it?’ O’Malley asked. ‘Linda.’

  ‘It’s her name.’

  ‘I call her lover. Because she’s good on her back. You reckon she’s good on her back, McGann?’

  ‘Yes,’ Walt said.

  O’Malley filled a glass, drank, refilled it, and sat down. ‘Siddown,’ he suggested. ‘You can sit, can’t you, even if you’re on duty?’

  ‘I can sit,’ Walt said, and did so. Linda remained standing on the far side of the room.

  ‘Lieutenant commander, huh? Medal of Honour, huh? You look kinda young for that stuff.’

  ‘I’ve been busy,’ Walt told him.

  O’Malley grinned. ‘Yeah, on all fronts. Linda says you have a proposition to make to me.’

  ‘I have.’

  ‘So make it.’

  ‘Well, Mr O’Malley, as I believe you know, Linda and I love each other. It was all a mistake that we didn’t get married a year and more ago. Now we would like to get married.’

  ‘Just like that, huh?’

  Walt swallowed. He had no real idea how to put this. ‘I realise that Linda is your wife, and I am perfectly prepared to offer you some compensation … ’

  ‘That’s great,’ O’Malley said. ‘That’s just great. You reckon you can buy her, like some slave in the market, huh?’

  ‘Jordan,’ Linda said. ‘You said you’d listen.’

  ‘I’m listening, lover, but this sailor boy ain’t said nothing yet.’

  ‘I was assuming you would name a figure,’ Walt said, his temper nearly escaping.

>   ‘I want you to name the figure, sailor boy. I guess both Linda and I would like to know what you think she’s worth.’

  ‘Well … ’ Walt looked at her. ‘I thought … well … a quarter of a million dollars.’

  ‘How much?’ Linda cried.

  O’Malley guffawed. ‘A quarter of a million, for two tits and a tail? Jesus Christ, boy, you must have it bad.’

  ‘I do have it bad,’ Walt said, wondering if he was going to get out of here without hitting the man. ‘The deal includes the boy.’

  ‘You reckon? You think I’m gonna hand my son over to some stranger?’

  ‘I reckon you are going to let the boy stay with his mother,’ Walt said.

  ‘Now why the hell should I do that?’

  ‘Because you want a quarter of a million bucks more than you want either of them.’

  O’Malley stared at him. Then he got up and refilled his glass. ‘How do I know you have this kind of money.’ He remained behind the bar, leaning on it as he drank.

  ‘I can arrange it.’

  ‘When?’

  ‘I’m afraid it’ll take a little time. I’m putting to sea again tomorrow. But I can write a letter to my trustee arranging for the money to be transferred to you here.’

  ‘Yeah? Well, we’ll talk again when I get the money.’

  ‘But Linda and the boy leave now.’

  ‘Like hell they do. You must take me for a sucker. She stays until I get the money.’ He grinned. ‘You can have her for half an hour. Go ahead. I’ll watch.’

  Walt looked at Linda, uncertain how to proceed.

  ‘We … can have a deal,’ she said. ‘I’ll stay with you, Jordan, until the money comes. But we’ll sleep in separate bedrooms.’

  ‘Yeah?’ O’Malley drained his glass, refilled it.

  ‘That’s the deal,’ Linda said quietly. ‘Or it’s off.’

  Walt opened his mouth and then closed it again. Linda obviously knew her husband better than he did.

  ‘It was never on,’ O’Malley said.

  Both their heads jerked, and he grinned at them. ‘You guys must take me for a dope. A quarter of a million bucks. Listen, sailor boy, you get the hell off my property. And if I ever so much as see you looking at my wife again I’m going to blow you apart.’

  Walt stood up: apparently Linda didn’t know her husband very well, after all. He’d allowed the meeting to happen just to humiliate them both. Well, he wasn’t going to get away with it. ‘She comes with me, now, and you can do what the hell you like.’

  ‘Git,’ O’Malley said. His hand came up from below the bar, and it was holding an automatic pistol. ‘Get out,’ he said again. ‘Jordan!’ Linda gasped. ‘Where’d you get that?’

  ‘Bought it this afternoon,’ he said. ‘When you told me lover boy was coming. Thought it might come in handy seeing as how he’s a big lad. You getting out of here, McGann?’

  Walt stared at him. As always when confronted with a physical situation he had lost all sense of doubt, all uncertainty as to the right or wrong of his position, wanted only to close the enemy. ‘Yes,’ he said. ‘With Linda and the boy.’ He pointed. ‘Put away that gun before you do yourself an injury.’

  ‘So you’re a hero,’ O’Malley said. ‘Heroes can die.’

  Walt stepped towards him, and he raised the gun.

  ‘Oh, my God!’ Linda shouted. ‘Walt, he’ll do it.’

  Walt hesitated, and O’Malley grinned. ‘How’d you get that ribbon, sailor boy? Fighting Japanese kids?’

  Walt’s big hands were curled into fists. He knew he wasn’t going to walk out of here. But what a crazy situation to find himself in, when he had survived two years of war? He drew a long breath, and hurled himself forward. His whole being was consumed with the determination to reach O’Malley; he was unaware of anything else. And he did reach O’Malley, swinging his fist as he did so, and sending the man tumbling backwards — the bar collapsed on top of him from the impact of Walt’s weight smashing into it, and he fell too.

  He thought he had heard Linda scream, but for several seconds there was complete silence. Then he pushed himself up, looked down at his uniform and dusted off pieces of broken glass.

  Linda squeezed his arm, peering at her husband. ‘Are you all right?’ she asked.

  ‘Sure. You?’

  ‘Yes. But … ’

  ‘He didn’t shoot,’ Walt said. ‘God damn!’ He knelt amidst the wrecked bar and took the pistol from O’Malley’s hand, removed the magazine. It was empty. ‘God damn,’ he said again.

  ‘The bastard,’ Linda said. ‘He had me scared.’

  ‘Me too.’ Walt laid down the gun. ‘He’s out cold. You can’t stay here. Listen, pack a bag and get the boy. You can go to the bungalow.’

  ‘He’ll know where we are.’

  ‘Could be. Okay, an hotel, then. Until you can get a passage to the mainland.’

  ‘How do I do that, Walt? You have to have priority to get a passage anywhere, nowadays. And I don’t have any money.’

  ‘I have, in my bank account, in Pearl.’ He took his cheque book from his pocket, wrote a cheque for a thousand dollars, payable to Linda O’Malley. ‘That enough?’

  ‘Oh, Walt!’

  He stood up, and she was in his arms. The kiss was almost savage in its intensity.

  ‘Will you really pay two hundred and fifty thousand bucks for me?’ she asked.

  ‘I’ll pay more, if I have to. That was just for starters. Now pack and get the boy. I’ll see your name gets on a priority list. You’ll be in the States in a week. You have money over there?’

  ‘I can go back to Annapolis,’ she said. ‘To my parents. I can wait there for you, Walt.’

  He kissed her again. ‘That’ll be great. Now we really have to move.’

  ‘Yes.’ She looked at O’Malley. ‘What about him?’

  ‘Forget him.’

  ‘But suppose he goes to the police? He’ll do that. He’ll charge you with assault. And probably abduction, as well.’

  Walt stood above the man, hesitating, trying to figure what would happen then. And frowned. O’Malley had not moved since he’d fallen. ‘Oh, Christ,’ he said. He knelt beside the dead man, tried to find a pulse. ‘Oh, Christ,’ he said again. Of all the bad luck, he thought, just when he had been given his first command.

  Linda knelt beside him. ‘He’s dead,’ she confirmed.

  ‘Oh, Christ,’ Walt said a third time.

  Linda peered at O’Malley’s chin, which was faintly discoloured, then moved his head. ‘There’s no bruise at the back. He’s had a heart attack.’

  ‘Because I hit him. God, Linda, I didn’t mean to do that.’

  ‘He had a heart attack,’ she said again. ‘It could’ve happened at any time.’

  ‘I have to go to sea,’ Walt said. ‘Tomorrow.’

  Linda nodded. ‘I’ll handle it.’

  ‘How? Your husband’s died after a fight with your lover. Oh, shit. We have to tell the police.’

  ‘I’ll handle it,’ she said again. ‘You have a war to fight. You weren’t here. Remember that. You came, and you left again. Then he started to beat me up. Listen, hit me.’

  Walt stared at her in consternation.

  ‘Slap my face,’ she said. ‘Hard enough to leave a bruise.’ She stood up. ‘You have to do it, Walt.’

  Walt stood up too. ‘I can’t leave you to take on all this.’

  ‘Sure you can. You must, Walt. Don’t you see, everything has turned out for the best? You didn’t kill Jordan, Walt. He just died. When he was threatening to kill you. You didn’t know the gun was empty. You’re innocent, Walt. Innocent. But if you hang about you’re going to get into all kinds of trouble. You’ll lose your command. Your first command, Walt.’

  He gazed at her.

  ‘I can handle it,’ she said for a third time. ‘Just come back to me. Soon.’ She was in his arms again. ‘Real soon. Two months?’

  He hesitated, then shook his head. ‘I can’t promis
e that.’

  ‘But you’ll come back.’ She made a moue. ‘You owe me two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, remember? Now, let’s make this good.’

  Walt watched in consternation, as she stepped up to the bar, tensed herself, and hit the wood with her closed right fist. She gasped with pain as her knuckles split and blood flew.

  ‘For God’s sake,’ he protested.

  ‘Now you hit me,’ she commanded. ‘Just don’t lay me out.’

  She had thought of everything; he had to be at least as determined. He stepped back, and then slapped her across the face. He pulled the blow, but even so she gave a little gasp and spun round, falling to her hands and knees.

  ‘Oh, my God! Linda!’ He lifted her up, gazed at the blood dribbling down her chin from her cut lip.

  She attempted a smile. ‘You also owe me a new tooth, I think.’ She spoke out of the side of her mouth. ‘Come back to me, Walt. Come back to me. I’ll be waiting for you.’

  *

  ‘Planes,’ Clive said. They had just lit the fire; now they hastily put the canvas in place, and themselves took refuge in the shadows cast by the morning sunlight, while they looked up at the sky. He had heard the sound of the engines first, but a moment later they saw the aircraft themselves, a whole cluster of them, quite high, and to the east.

  ‘They look very big,’ Stefanie said.

  ‘You’re right.’ He raised his binoculars. ‘Oh, boy,’ he said. ‘Oh, boy. Those are Flying Fortresses.’

  ‘Let me see.’

  He gave her the glasses and she refocussed. As they watched the planes dipped lower, and then were lost to sight. But a few minutes later they heard the distant sound of explosions.

  ‘They’re bombing somewhere close,’ Clive said. ‘They’re coming, Steffi, they’re coming.’

  The bombers were the first tangible sign they had seen of the American advance.

  ‘Oh, Clive,’ she said, throwing her arms round his neck. ‘Oh, Clive.’ She was weeping. But whether with joy or apprehension, he couldn’t tell.

  *

  Lewis McGann gazed through his binoculars at the mountains of New Guinea. The battleships — there were several of them — formed part of Vice Admiral Mitscher’s Task Force 57, which had come down from the recent attack on the great Japanese base at Truk to cover the advance of General Mac Arthur’s forces along the north coast of the large island. The target was the Dutch New Guinea capital of Hollandia. Now the great ships moved steadily towards the land, covered by swarms of fighter aircraft from the carrier force behind them. With reason.