hr.thecarpetbaggers-第122部分

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　people　never　had　any　luck。　I　always　thought　that　war　came　to　every　generation　but　I　was　neither　one　nor　the　other。　I　had　the　bad　fortune　to　be　born　in　between。
　A　medium…size　Army　bus　pulled　up　in　front　of　the　missary。　Men　started　to　pile　out　and　I　watched　them　because　there　was　nothing　else　to　look　at。　They　weren't　soldiers；　they　were　civilians；　and　not　young　ones；　either。　Most　of　them　carried　their　jacket　over　their　arm　and　a　brief　case　in　their　free　hand　and　there　were　some　with　gray　in　their　hair　and　many　with　no　hair　at　all。　One　thing　about　them　caught　my　eye。　None　of　them　were　smiling；　not　even　when　they　spoke　to　one　another　in　the　small　groups　they　immediately　formed　on　the　sidewalk　in　front　of　the　bus。
　Why　should　they　smile；　I　asked　myself　bitterly。　They　had　nothing　to　smile　about。　They　were　all　dodoes　like　me。　I　took　out　a　cigarette　and　struck　a　match。　The　breeze　from　the　circulating　fan　blew　it　out。　I　struck　another；　turning　away　from　the　fan　and　shielding　the　cigarette　in　my　cupped　hands。
　〃Herr　Cord！　This　is　indeed　a　surprise！　What　are　you　doing　here？〃
　I　looked　up　at　Herr　Strassmer。　〃I　just　delivered　a　new　plane；〃　I　said；　holding　out　my　hand。　〃But　what　are　you　doing　out　here？　I　thought　you　were　in　New　York。〃
　He　shook　my　hand　in　that　peculiarly　European　way　of　his。　The　smile　left　his　eyes。　〃We；　too；　made　a　delivery。　And　now　we　go　back。〃
　〃You　were　with　that　group　outside？〃
　He　nodded。　He　looked　out　through　the　window　at　them　and　a　troubled　look　came　into　his　eyes。　〃Yes；〃　he　said　slowly。　〃We　all　came　together　in　one　plane　but　we　are　going　back　on　separate　flights。　Three　years　we　worked　together　but　now　the　job　is　finished。　Soon　I　go　back　to　California。〃
　〃I　hope　so；〃　I　laughed。　〃We　sure　could　use　you　in　the　plant　but　I'm　afraid　it'll　be　some　time　yet。　The　war　in　Europe　may　be　over　but　if　Tarawa　and　Okinawa　are　any　indication；　we're　good　for　at　least　six　months　to　a　year　before　Japan　quits。〃
　He　didn't　answer。
　I　looked　up　and　suddenly　I　remembered。　These　Europeans　were　very　touchy　about　manners。　〃Excuse　me；　Herr　Strassmer；〃　I　said　quickly。　〃Won't　you　join　me　in　some　coffee？〃
　〃I　have　not　the　time。〃　There　was　a　curiously　hesitant　look　to　his　eyes。　〃Do　you　have　an　office　here　as　you　do　everywhere　else？〃
　〃Sure；〃　I　said；　looking　up　at　him。　I'd　passed　the　door　marked　MEN　on　my　way　over。　〃It's　in　the　back　of　this　building。〃
　〃I　will　meet　you　there　in　five　minutes；〃　he　said　and　hurried　out。
　Through　the　window；　I　watched　him　join　one　of　the　groups　and　begin　to　talk　with　them。　I　wondered　if　the　old　boy　was　going　crackers。　You　couldn't　tell；　but　maybe　he　had　been　working　too　hard　and　thought　he　was　back　in　Nazi　Germany。　There　certainly　wasn't　any　reason　for　him　to　be　so　secretive　about　being　seen　talking　to　me。　After　all；　we　were　on　the　same　side。
　I　ground　my　cigarette　into　an　ash　tray　and　sauntered　out。　He　never　even　glanced　up　as　I　walked　past　his　group　on　my　way　to　the　john。　He　came　into　the　room　a　moment　after　I　had　got　there。　His　eyes　darted　nervously　toward　the　booths。　〃Are　we　alone？〃
　〃I　think　so；〃　I　said；　looking　at　him。　I　wondered　what　you　did　to　get　a　doctor　around　here　if　there　were　any　signs　of　his　cracking　up。
　He　walked　over　to　the　booths；　opened　the　doors　and　looked。　Satisfied；　he　turned　back　to　me。　His　face　was　tense　and　pale　and　there　were　small　beads　of　perspiration　across　his　forehead。　I　thought　I'd　begun　to　recognize　the　symptoms。　Too　much　of　this　Nevada　sun　is　murder　if　you're　not　used　to　it。　His　first　words　convinced　me　I　was　right。
　〃Herr　Cord；〃　he　whispered　hoarsely。　〃The　war　will　not　be　over　in　six　months。〃
　〃Of　course　not；〃　I　said　soothingly。　From　what　I　had　heard；　the　first　thing　to　do　was　agree　with　them；　try　to　calm　them　down。　I　wished　I　could　remember　the　second　thing。　I　turned　to　the　sink。　〃Here；　let　me　get　you　a　glass　of…　〃
　〃It　will　be　over　next　month！〃
　What　I　thought　must　have　been　written　on　my　face；　for　my　mouth　hung　open　in　surprise。　〃No；　I'm　not　crazy；　Herr　Cord；〃　Strassmer　said　quickly。　〃To　no　one　else　but　you　would　I　say　this。　It　is　the　only　way　I　can　repay　you　for　saving　my　life。　I　know　how　important　this　could　be　to　your　business。〃
　〃But…　but　how…　〃
　〃I　cannot　tell　you　more；〃　he　interrupted。　〃Just　believe　me。　By　next　month；　Japan　will　be　verfallen！〃　He　turned　and　almost　ran　out　the　door。
　I　stared　after　him　for　a　moment；　then　went　over　to　the　sink　and　washed　my　face　in　cold　water。　I　felt　I　must　be　even　crazier　than　he　was；　because　I　was　beginning　to　believe　him。　But　why？　It　just　didn't　make　any　sense。　Sure；　we　were　pushing　the　Nips　back；　but　they　still　held　Malaya；　Hong　Kong　and　the　Dutch　East　Indies。　And　with　their　kamikaze　philosophy；　it　would　take　a　miracle　to　end　the　war　in　a　month。
　I　was　still　thinking　about　it　when　Morrissey　and　I　got　on　the　train。　〃You　know　who　I　ran　into　back　there？〃　I　asked。　I　didn't　give　him　a　chance　to　answer。　〃Otto　Strassmer。〃
　There　seemed　to　be　a　kind　of　relief　in　his　smile。　I　guess　he'd　been　expecting　to　catch　hell　for　not　telling　me　about　that　Air　Corps　test　pilot。　〃He's　a　nice　little　guy；〃　Morrissey　said。　〃How　is　he？〃
　〃Seemed　all　right　to　me；〃　I　said。　〃He　was　on　his　way　back　to　New　York。〃　I　looked　out　the　window　at　the　flat　Nevada　desert。　〃By　the　way；　did　you　ever　hear　exactly　what　it　was　he　was　working　on？〃
　〃Not　exactly。〃
　I　looked　at　him。　〃What　was　it　you　did　hear？〃
　〃I　didn't　hear　it　from　him；〃　Morrissey　said。　〃I　got　it　from　a　friend　of　mine　down　at　the　Engineers'　Club；　who　worked　on　it　for　a　little　while。　But　he　didn't　know　very　much　about　it；　either。　All　he　knew　was　that　it　was　called　the　Manhattan　Project　and　that　it　had　something　to　do　with　Professor　Einstein。〃
　I　could　feel　my　brows　knit　in　puzzlement。　〃What　could　Strassmer　do　for　a　man　like　Einstein？〃
　He　smiled　again。　〃After　all；　Strassmer　did　invent　a　plastic　beer　can　that　was　stronger　than　metal。〃
　〃So？〃　I　asked。
　〃So　maybe　the　Professor　got　Otto　to　invent　a　plastic　container　to　store　his　atoms　in；〃　Morrissey　said；　laughing。
　I　felt　a　wild　excitement　racing　inside　me。　A　container　for　atoms；　energy　in　a　bottle；　ready　to　explode　when　you　popped　the　cork。　The　little　man　hadn't　been　crazy。　He　knew　what　he　was　talking　about。　I'd　been　the　crazy　one。
　It　would　take　a　miracle；　I'd　thought。　Well；　Strassmer　and　his　friends　had　e　into　the　desert　and　made　one　and　now　they　were　going　home；　their　job　done。　What　it　was　or　how　they　did　it　I　couldn't　guess　and　didn't　care。
　But　deep　inside　me；　I　was　sure　that　it　had　happened。
　The　miracle　that　would　end　the　war。
　
　2
　
　I　GOT　OFF　THE　TRAIN　AT　RENO；　WHILE　MORRISSEY　WENT　ON　TO　LOS　ANGELES。　There　was　no　time　to　call　Robair　at　the　ranch；　so　I　took　a　taxi　to　the　factory。　We　barreled　through　the　steel…wire　gate；　under　the　big　sign　that　read　CORD　EXPLOSIVES；　now　more　than　a　mile　from　the　main　plant。
　The　factory　had　expanded　tremendously　since　the　war。　For　that　matter；　so　had　all　our　panies。　It　seemed　that　no　matter　what　we　did；　there　never　was　enough　space。
　I　got　out　and　paid　the　cabby　and　as　he　pulled　away；　I　looked　up　at　the　familiar　old　building。　It　was　worn　now；　and　looked　dingy　and　obsolete　pared　with　the　new　additions；　but　its　roof　was　gleaming　white　and　shining　in　the　sun。　Somehow；　I　could　never　bring　myself　to　move　out　of　it　when　the　other　executives　had　moved　their　offices　into　the　new　administration　building。　I　dropped　my　cigarette　on　the　walk　and　ground　it　into　dust　beneath　my　heel；　then　went　into　the　building。
　The　smell　was　the　same　as　it　always　was　and　the　whispers　that　rose　from　the　lips　of　the　men　and　women　working　there　were　the　same　as　I　always　heard　when　I　passed　by　〃El　hijo。〃　The　son。　It　had　been　twenty　years　and　most　of　them　hadn't　even　been　there　when　my　father　died　and　still　they　called　me　that。　Even　the　young　ones；　some　of　them　less　than　half　my　age。
　The　office　was　the　same；　too。　The　heavy；　oversized　desk　and　leather…covered　furniture　now　showed　the　cracks　and　wear　of　time。　There　was　no　secretary　in　the　outer　office　and　I　was　not　surprised。　There　was　no　reason　for　one　to　be　there。　They　hadn't　expected　me。
　I　walked　around　behind　the　desk　and　pressed　the　switch　down　on　the　squawk　box　that　put　me　right　through　to　McAllister's　office　in　the　new　building；　a　quarter　of　a　mile　away。　The　surprise　echoed　in　his　voice　as　it　came　through　the　box。　〃Jonas！　Where　did　you　e　from？〃
　〃The　Air　Corps；〃　I　said。　〃We　just　delivered　the　CA…JET　X。P。〃
　〃Good。　Did　they　like　it？〃
　〃I　guess　they　did；〃　I　answered。　〃They　wouldn't　trust　me　to　take　it　up。〃　I　leaned　over　and　opened　the　door　of　the　cabinet　below　the　telephone　table；　taking　out　the　bottle　of　bourbon　that　was　there。　I　put　the　bottle　on　the　desk　in　front　of　me。　〃How　do　we　stand　on　war…contract　cancellations　in　case　the　war　ends　tomorrow？〃
　〃For　the　explosive　pany？〃　Mac　asked。
　〃For　all　the　panies；〃　I　said。　I　knew　he　kept　copies　of　every　contract　we　ever　made　down　here　because　he　considered　this　his　home　office。
　〃It'll　take　a　little　time。　I'll　put　someone　on　it　right　away。〃
　〃Like　about　an　hour？〃
　He　hesitated。　When　he　spoke；　a　curious　note　came　into　his　voice。　〃All　right；　if　it's　that　important。〃
　〃It's　that　important。〃
　〃Do　you　know　something？〃
　〃No；〃　I　said　truthfully。　I　really　didn't　know。　I　was　only　guessing。　〃I　just　want　it。〃
　There　was　silence　for　a　moment；　then　he　spoke　again。　〃I　just　got　the　blueprints　from　Engineering　on　converting　the　radar　and　small…parts　division　of　Aircraft　to　the　proposed　electronics　pany。　Shall　I　bring　them　over？〃
　〃Do　that；〃　I　said；　flipping　up　the　switch。　Taking　a　glass　from　the　tray　next　to　the　Thermos　jug；　I　filled　it　half　full　with　bourbon。　I　looked　across　the　room　to　the　wall　where　the　portrait　of　my　father　looked　down　on　me。　I　held　the　glass　up　to　him。
　〃It's　been　a　long　time；　Pop；〃　I　said　and　poured　the　whisky　down　my　throat
　
　I　took　my　hands　from　the　blueprints　on　the　desk　and　snapped　and　rolled　them　up　tight；　like　a　coil　spring。　I　looked　at　McAllister。　〃They　look　all　right　to　me；　Mac。〃
　He　nodded。　〃I'll　mark　them　approved　and　shoot　them　on　to　Purchasing　to　have　them　requisition　the　materials　on　standby　orders；　to　be　delivered　when　the　war　ends。〃　He　looked　at　the　bottle　of　bourbon　on　the　desk。　〃You're　not　very　hospitable。　How　about　a　drink？〃