“Jesus Christ!” Donovan said. “I told him to sit down,” Canidy said.
“He looked at me. He was excited, flushed in the face. He just grinned at me. And then he looked at the President, came to attention, and saluted. Very crisply.”
“You couldn’t have stopped him?” Donovan asked.” This all happened very quickly,” Canidy said.
“I didn’t know what he was up to.”
“Did he say anything to the President?” Donovan asked. “He said he was sure the Commander in Chief and the Chief of Staff would like to know what a three-eighths ration was, and that he hoped they would enjoy it, but that he begged to be excused, because he seemed to have lost his appetite.”
“What did Marshall do?”
“Nothing,” Canidy said.
“Mrs. Roosevelt looked like she was about to cry. The President looked at me and said that he thought it would be a good idea if I took Captain Whittaker home, he was obviously exhausted.”
“By the time they got back,” Captain Doug lass said, “General Marshall had called. He told me that Whittaker was on the way back to the house, and that since he obviously required medical attention, an ambulance had been dispatched. Marshall went on to say he had been ordered by the President to make sure that Whittaker was given this attention as soon as possible. It wasn’t until I saw Canidy that I learned what Whittaker had done.”
“The ambulance was there no more than two minutes after we got to the house,” Canidy said.
“An Army ambulance, from Fort Myer.”
“There was a Medical Corps colonel with it,” Doug lass said.
“I didn’t know what to do but turn him over to them.”
“I tried to go along with them,” Canidy said.
“But they wouldn’t let me, and Whittaker said there was no reason to go.
So he got in the ambulance, and they took him away.”
“And then, Sir, I called here,” Doug lass said. “Well,” Donovan said, after a moment’s thought, “first things first. You certainly can’t be blamed for his behavior, Canidy. And we accomplished what we set out to do. The President has MacArthur’s letter. If he chose to share it with General Marshall, that’s his business. And, from what you’ve told me, Jim Whittaker does need medical help. I’ll see if I can find out what they’ve done with him. If I can, Canidy, I’ll let you know.”
“I don’t think he’s crazy, Colonel,” Canidy said.
“I don’t think he deserves to be locked up in St. Elizabeth’s. “‘ “I said I’ll try to find out what they’ve done with him. If I find out he’s in St. Elizabeth’s, I’ll do what I can about that then.”
“Yes, Sir,” Canidy said. “Would you mind waiting outside for a few minutes, Canidy?” Donovan said.
“I’ve got a few things for Captain Doug lass.”
“I’d hoped to have a minute of your time, Colonel,” Canidy said.
“About this?”
“About me, Sir.”
“What about you?”
“I’d like to know what you have in mind for me,” Canidy asked.
“Captain Doug lass has been unable or unwilling to talk about that.”
“I was told,” Donovan said, “that you were no longer so determined to leave the comforts of Washington for the glory of aerial combat in the wild blue yonder.”
“Captain Doug lass has managed to make it perfectly clear that my enlistment in your Navy was for the duration. I think I understand why I can’t go back to the other Navy, but I would like to know what I’m going to be doing in yours.”
“The federal government’s psychiatric hospital in the Mstrict of Columbia.
“For the time being, Canidy, you’re going to baby-sit Admiral de Ver bey,” Donovan said.
“He’s at Summer Place.”
“Cynthia said something about trouble with him,” Canidy said, making it a question. “We have to keep the admiral at Summer Place and away from the press” Donovan said.
“Preferably amicably, but by force if necessary. Captain Doug lass is arranging to have some Free French officers assigned to him as a staff, and there will be consultations between the admiral and various staff officers from the Navy. So far as the admiral is concerned, you will be his liaison officer. He knows you, of course, and we hope he will swallow that line. You’ll wear the uniform of an Air Corps major. The Navy is providing a security force, and they will be told they will take their orders from you.”