I should have known it couldn’t last, he thought, looking balefully at Dick Canidy. “Cue the rolling drums and the trumpets,” he said.
“Our hero is about to volunteer.”
“Then let me be the first to welcome you, Captain,” Canidy said, “to Donovan’s Dilettantes.”
“I thought so,” Fine said.
“What would happen if I changed my mind again?”
“Then there would be questions about your mental stability, ” Canidy said.
“Psychiatric evaluation would be ordered. It would take a long time.
For the duration, at least.”
“Can they do that?” Fine the lawyer asked, surprised. “They can, and they do, Captain Fine,” Canidy said.
TIM BEE I Anacostia Naval Air Station Washington, D.C. June 29,1942
When Canidy and Fine landed at Anacostia, Chief Ellis was there with the Buick to meet them, “Give Captain Fine a hand with his gear, please, Chief,” Canidy said. -I’ve got to see about getting this thing fueled, and I want to check the weather.” When they had Fine’s Val-Pa ks and his footlocker in the Buick, Chief Ellis led Captain Fine into base ops, where they found Canidy in the weather room getting a three-day forecast from a Navy meteorologist. As the weatherman was concluding, Captain Chester Wezevitz-the Navy officer whom Canidy had told that the C01’s job was suppressing VD-came into the room. “VD must he a hell of a problem in the fleet,” he said.
“I had a look at your airplane, Major. Carpets, upholstered leather seats, and everything.”
“You noticed, I’m sure,” Canidy said, “that the seats fold down into couches. We think of it, Captain, as our airborne prophylactics-testing laboratory.”
“Shit,” Wezevitz said, grinning. “It is considered so important to the overall war effort,” Canidy said, 44 that I have been given a copilot to share the strain of my burden. May I present Captain Fine?” As Fine, baffled, was shaking hands with Wezevitz, Lieutenant Commander Edwin H.
Bitter, with the golden rope of an admiral’s aide hanging down his arm, walked into the weather room. He and Canidy looked at each other for a moment without speaking. “Well,” Canidy broke the silence, “look at the dog robber.”
Bitter offered his hand. “It’s good to see you again, Dick,” he said a little stiffly. “In the Air Corps, are you?”
“That’s right,” Canidy said.
“Captain Fine, Commander Bitter. Do you remember him? He was at that dinner in Washington.”
“Of course,” Fine said.
“He went off to the Flying Tigers with you.” The eyebrows of the Navy captain rose in surprise.
“You’re now in the Air Corps, eh?” Bitter asked. “The Air Corps,” Canidy said.
The awkwardness and tension between Bitter and Canidy was evident to Ellis, Fine, and Wezevitz.
14 The admiral’s flight is all laid on, Commander,” Wezevitz said.
“I presume that’s why you’re here?”
“Yes, Sir,” Bitter said.
“The admiral asked me to check on it.”
“All laid on,” Wezevitz repeated awkwardly.
134 N W.N.S. onsirfln “Are you stationed here?” Bitter asked. “No.
But I come in here from time to time,” Canidy said.
“I’m assigned to the Office of the Coordinator of Information.” Canidy saw no comprehension on Bitter’s face. “How’s the knee?” Canidy asked, to change the subject. “I have a cane,” Bitter said.
“I left it in the staff car. It keeps me from flying. I’m assigned to BUAIR ” “You’re a lieutenant commander, so congratulations are in order,” Canidy said, adding mischievously, “How do you like being a dog robber?” Bitter was not amused. “Obviously, I can’t fly,” he said.
“I can’t even get limited duty at sea.”
“And that bothers you?” Canidy said.
“Be grateful, Edwin,” Bitter didn’t like that either, but he didn’t respond to it. Instead, he asked, “Have you got a minute?” Canidy nodded. Bitter took his arm and led him out of the weather room into the corridor. “Do you remember Sarah Child?” he asked. “Sure,” Canidy said.
“Your pen pal. The little girl with the sexy eyes and the marvelous boobs. “We’re married,” Bitter said levelly. “Ooops!” Canidy said.
“And we have a child,” Bitter went on.
“A little boy. His name is Joseph after Sarah’s father, and he was born last March, We were secretly married before we went over there.”