Still, puff-guts had plenty of wind. He managed another little puff. “That’s a direct order, Major!”
If the general’s snarl was intended to abash the major, it fell very wide of its mark. To the best of Fitzhugh’s knowledge, he was the only high-stock Shareholder-officer to have actively led his men, from the front, into combat against Magh’ scorps. By comparison this large, plush office in Southern Front Headquarters was a cakewalk.
“Yes, sir. The order is also in direct contravention of the Military Code. Chapter 15, section 3.1, paragraph 4. ‘Military personnel shall at all times remain under command of military officers.’ So if I disobey your direct order, I face court-martial. If I obey your direct order, I face court-martial. Shall I proceed to hand myself over to the MPs?” He hefted the bangstick. “Or should I make it worth my while?”
The general scuttled back a few steps. He obviously didn’t think the intelligence officer was joking. Which, since Major Conrad Fitzhugh had a certain reputation, was perhaps understandable.
The general’s scuttling took him behind his desk. Given that the desk was approximately the size of a battlefield, he apparently felt a bit safer on the other side.
He plopped down into his chair. His face was as pale as it had been livid a few moments before. “Threatening a superior officer . . .” he mumbled. He started piling the reports spread across the huge desk into tall stacks, as if creating fieldworks to protect himself from assault.
“Nonsense, sir!” boomed Fitzhugh. “If you’ll forgive me saying so, the very idea is an affront to your valorous reputation. Which, as I’m sure you know, is a byword among the troops in the front lines.”
Fitzhugh lowered the bangstick. “Now, if I can explain.” His next words were spoken in a very dry tone of voice. “The intelligence section is comprised of four members. Myself. Captain Dulache, who, alas, has been called away again on urgent personal business. Something to do with settling another inheritance dispute, I believe. That leaves me Corporal Simms and Private Ariel, both of whom, as you know, have been declared medically unfit for further front line service due to injuries sustained in combat.”
Fitzhugh decided there was no need to remind the general that Private Ariel was a rat. There was certainly no need to inform him that the private was in his magazine pocket right now. There was no rule, after all, that stated explicitly that headquarters staff could not wear combat fatigues, with capacious pockets.
“Between us, we are responsible for intelligence gathering on the Magh’ effort. I have put in, at last count, twenty-three motivations for more staff.”
“We’d all like more staff,” snapped the general, beginning to recover his wind.
Fitzhugh gave the general his patented double-bore gaze. Then, slowly, he swiveled the gaze to examine the office and its polished woodwork, brassware, and thick pile carpet. More manpower went into cleaning this office than Fitzhugh actually had in the two tiny rooms that were MI.
“Yes sir. We would.”
He brought the stare back to the general. Blutin seemed to shrink a bit under that scrutiny. But it was difficult to be certain, given the disparity between the general’s size and the luxuriant enormity of his chair . . .
“If I may continue—sir. I have no spare staff to devote to searching for a missing civilian—sir. I have no people to give to the Chief of Police for foot patrols as you have ordered—sir.”
He cleared his throat forcefully. “Mind you, General, if one of the chief’s staff holds a reserve commission I shall be glad to second Captain Dulache to him for that purpose as soon as the captain returns. Whenever that might be. I should be delighted to do so, in point of fact. The word ‘ecstatic,’ actually, would not be inappropriate to the occasion. ‘Delirious from joy’ also comes to mind.”
“Humph,” humphed Blutin. Whatever his other failings as a commanding officer, the general had no superior at the ancient skill of spotting an escape clause. “Hmph! Why didn’t you say so at once, then? Yes, that’ll do splendidly. Captain Dulache it is, as soon as he returns. I shall so inform the civilian authorities.”