“I don’t like this, Major,” Graham protested. “Thomas is all right. He wouldn’t be up to any hanky-panky.”
“Sure, man, I know he’s all right, too. But he may be drugged and under control. This set-up could be a Trojan Horse gag. Now get down and do as you are told. ”
While Graham was gingerly carrying out his unwelcome assignment and making himself, in fact, eligible for a
Congressional Medal which he would never receive, for his artist’s imagination perceived too clearly the potential danger and forced him to call up courage for the task — Ardmore phoned Brooks.
“Doctor, can you drop what you are doing?”
“Why, perhaps I can. Yes, I may say so. What is it you wish?”
“Then come to my office. Thomas is back. I want to know whether or not he is under the influence of drugs.”
“But I am not a medical man — ”
“I know that, but you are the nearest thing we’ve got to one.”
“Very well, sir.”
Dr. Brooks examined Thomas’ pupils, tried his knee jerks, and checked his pulse and respiration. “I should say that he was perfectly normal, though exhausted and laboring under excitement. Naturally, this is not a positive diagnosis. If I had more time — ”
“It will do for now. Thomas, I trust you won’t hold it against me if we leave you locked up until we have examined your Asiatic pal.”
“Certainly not, Major,” Thomas told him with a wry grin, “since you’re going to, anyhow.”
Frank Mitsui’s flesh quivered and sweat dripped from his face when Brooks stuck the hypodermic into him, but he did not draw away.
Presently he relaxed under the influence of the drug that releases inhibitions, and strips from the speech centers the protection of cortical censorship. His face became peaceful.
But it was not peaceful a few minutes later when they began to question him, nor was there peace in any of their faces. This was truth, too raw and too brutal for any man to stand. Deep lines carved themselves from nose to jaw in Ardmore’s face as he listened to the little man’s pitiful story. No matter what line they started him on, he always came back to the scene of his dead children, his broken household. Finally Ardmore put a stop to it.
“Give him the antidote, doe. I can’t stand any more of this. I’ve found out all I need to know.”
Ardmore shook hands with him solemnly after he had returned to full awareness. “We are glad to have you with us, Mr. Mitsui. And we’ll put you to some work that will give you a chance to get some of your own back. Right now I want Dr. Brooks to give you a soporific that will let you get about sixteen hours’ sleep; then we can think about swearing you in and what kind of work you can be most useful doing.”
“I don’t need any sleep, Mister…Major.”
“Just the same, you are going to get some. And so is Thomas, as soon as he has reported. In fact — ” He broke off and studied the apparently impassive face. “In fact, I want you to take a sleeping pill every night. Those are orders. You’ll draw them from me and take them in my presence every night before you go to bed.” There are certain bonus advantages to military absolutism. Ardmore could not tolerate the idea of the little yellow man lying awake and staring at the ceiling.
Brooks and Graham would quite plainly have liked to stay and hear Thomas’ report, but Ardmore refused to notice the evident fact and dismissed them. He wished first to evaluate the data himself.
“Well, Lieutenant, I’m damn glad you’re back.”
“I’m glad to be back. Did you say ‘lieutenant’? I assume that my rank reverts.”
“Why should it? As a matter of fact, I am trying to figure out a plausible reason for commissioning Graham and Scheer. It would simplify things around here to eliminate social differences. But that is a side issue. Let’s hear what you’ve done. I suppose you’ve come back with all our problems solved and tied up with string?”