“Of course,” Sarah said.
“I don’t know what to do about gasoline,” Ed said.
“Buy some on the black market,” Douglass said.
“I don’t deal in the black market,” Bitter said.
“I thought everybody did,” Douglass said.
“I don’t think officers should,” Bitter said.
“s “My, aren’t we on our white horse this morning?” Douglass said.
“There are some things officers just don’t do,” Bitter said.
KASIDE from black market gas, what did you have in mind?” Charity asked.
Bitter glowered, then got up.
“Will you please excuse me?” he said stiffly, and marched out of the room.
Charity looked at Douglass.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I promised to watch my clever mouth. I meant to.
It just got away from me.” “Fuck him,” Douglass said.
“Self-righteous sonofabitch. Come on, let’s get out of here.”
“Please don’t,” Sarah said.
“I’m sorry I put you on the spot, Sarah,” Douglass said. “You’re a lovely woman. What I can’t understand is why you married that self-righteous sonofabitch.”
“I think maybe you’d better leave,” Sarah said.
“Tallk about uncontrollable mouths,” Charity said to Douglass.
Douglass wallked around the table to her, grabbed her arm, and propelled her out of the apartment.
The door slammed and woke the baby. Sarah went to him and picked him up and carried him into their bedroom. Ed was standing at the window, looking down at the street.
“Have they gone?” he asked after a minute.
“I asked them to,” Sarah said. “I told him that I would not tolerate his calling you a self-righteous sonofabitch in your home.” He looked at her and smiled uneasily.
“You self-righteous sonofabitch!” Sarah said. “How dare you behave that way? That man is your best friend, and he saved your life, and he’s liable to be dead by this time tomorrow, and you dare to lecture him!” It was the first time since he had met his wife that he had ever heard her use language stronger than a’damn.” When they got to the airfield in Baltimore, Douglass went into Base Operations and checked the weather and filed his flight plan.
When he came out of the briefing room, his father was there with Chief Ellis.
“I’m sorry about last night,” his father said. “I re’xy would have liked to have dinner with you. Charity take care of you all right?”
“Just fine,” Douglass said.
“And on that clever little line,” Charity said, “Charity will fold her tent and steal away.”
“You have to go?” Doug asked.
“It was nice to see you again, Major Douglass,” she said, offe ring her hand like a man. “Take care of yourself.” KAND it was nice to see you, too, Miss Hoche,” Douglass said, and then laughed out loud. “Who do you think you’re fooling?” he asked.
Lieutenant Commander Edwin W. Bitter, USN, came running down the marble corridor. He was out of uniform. He had no tie and no hat, and he was wearing a battered leather aviator’s jacket with a Kuomintang flag painted on the back.
He saw Captain Douglass.
“I don’t mean to intrude,” he said.
KRACK his ass, Dad,” Douglass said. “For the first time in his life he’s out of uniform.”
“I came to wish you Godspeed,” Bitter said.
KTHANK you,” Douglass said, a little uncomfortably.
“And to remind you that I have been a self-righteous sonofabitch as long as you’ve known me, and therefore you should not have been surprised.”
“You’re an asshole,” Douglass said, “but I love you.”
“And I wish to apologize to you, too, Charity,” Bitter said.
“That’s all right, Edwin,” Charity said. “I’ve known what a self-righteous asshole you are for a long time, too.”
“I don’t think I wish to know what this is all about,” Captain Douglass said.
“No,” Doug said, Kyou don’t.” And then he said, KI gotta go.” He put out his hand to his father, who shook it.
“Hug him, for God’s sake!” Charity ordered.
They both looked at her, and then embraced.
Doug punched Bitter on the arm, then turned to Charity.
“Do I get a hug too?” she asked.
“A kiss, but only to shut your runaway mouth,” Doug said.
“How dare you, sir?” Charity said, grabbing his ears and kissing him with mock passion on the lips.