Jesus, what's the boss been up to? I can't believe he's been screwing this dame.
"Gentlemen," Pickering said, "I'd like you to meet Mrs. Ellen Feller. She got in last night from Pearl Harbor."
I would never have thought she was an American, Hon thought, and then revised his opinion of her sexual desirability. Even the padded bathrobe could not conceal an attractive breastworks, which was apparently unrestrained by a brassiere.
I still don't think he's been screwing her. But on the other hand, I was twenty before I was willing to admit that my parents hadn't had me via immaculate conception.
Ellen Feller's smile, which accompanied the hand she gave Hon, was somewhat the wrong side of being friendly and inviting.
"Ellen and I go back pretty far," Pickering said. "She was my secretary in Washington."
"We're old friends," Ellen Feller added, quietly demure. Then she turned to Moore. "I believe I know your father," she said. "The Reverend John Wesley Moore, isn't it? Of Missions?"
"Yes, Ma'am," Moore said, visibly surprised.
"Of what?" Pickering asked.
"Missions, Sir," Moore furnished. "The William Barton Harris Methodist Episcopal Special Missions to the Unchurched Foundation."
"My husband and I were in China before the war," Mrs. Feller said, "with the Christian and Missionary Alliance. I met your father, and your mother, too, I believe, in Hong Kong."
"Ellen will be working with you," Pickering said, obviously impatient with missionary auld lang syne. "She's a damned good linguist, and a damned good analyst, and more to the point, she's MAGIC cleared."
I'll be damned.
But then another thought struck him, It makes a lot of sense though.
The high-ups in the intermingled and confusing multiservice command structure of communications intelligence had to send someone else with a MAGIC clearance to MacArthur's headquarters. They didn't know that Pickering had brought Sergeant John Marston Moore in on the most important secret of the war in the Pacific, which meant they believed only two underlings, Hon himself and Major Ed Banning, even knew what MAGIC was.
That made a total of four people in the Emperor's Court who were cleared to read intercepted messages between the Japanese Imperial General Staff and Japanese Naval Headquarters and units at sea: The American Emperor himself, of course; MacArthur's G-2, newly promoted Brigadier General Charles M. Willoughby (who to Hon's private amusement spoke with an unmistakable German accent); and Banning and Hon.
Even taking very seriously the clich‚ that the more people in on a secret, the greater the chance the secret will soon be out, it just didn't make sense not to send at least one other person to Brisbane. For the most basic of reasons: If a Brisbane bus ran over Lieutenant Hon while Banning was up at Townesville, as he was most of the time, and a hot MAGIC came in, it would not reach MacArthur or Willoughby until Banning could fly down from Townesville to decrypt it for them.
As a practical matter, of course, Sergeant Moore would have filled in. Hon had given him a crash course in operation of the cryptographic equipment, and he knew what to do with MAGIC messages. But they didn't know that.
And so they sent someone else in; and not the kind of person Hon might have expected-a Navy Lieutenant Commander or an Army Signal Corps Lieutenant Colonel, the rank a sop to the rank consciousness of MacArthur's headquarters, where daily Hon was made to realize that a lowly lieutenant was of no consequence whatsoever. Instead, they sent a civilian, and even more incredibly, a female civilian.
"There was a chance for Ellen and me to talk last night," Pickering continued. "So it was fortunate that she came in when she did. I'm sure everybody would have been confused had she come in this afternoon." He stopped for a time to gather his thoughts. "Her coming," he went on after a moment, "might cause us a few minor problems. But let's deal with who's in charge first. Pluto, that's you. You're doing a fine job, and there's no one better qualified. Unfortunately, you're a lowly first lieutenant. I've been- punching pillows is what it feels like-trying to get you promoted to at least captain. For reasons that escape me, that has so far proven impossible. I left word with Ed Banning that he is to continue trying."
"That's very good of you, Sir, but..."
"Oh, bullshit... sorry, Ellen. Nonsense, Pluto. You're well deserving of promotion, and we all know it. But anyway, you are outranked not only by Ed Banning, obviously, but by Ellen as well."
"Sir?"
"What is it they said you are, Ellen?"
"An assimilated Oh Four, Captain."
"You know what that means, Pluto?" Pickering asked.
"Yes, Sir. Mrs. Feller is entitled to the privileges of a major, Sir. Or a Navy lieutenant commander."
"OK. That may come in handy for billeting, or whatever. And I don't give a damn who anyone at the Palace thinks is running things. But between you and Ellen, so far as MAGIC is concerned, you're in charge, Pluto. I have also left word with Ed Banning making that clear."
"Yes, Sir."
"You remain, Sergeant Moore," Pickering said, "low man on the totem pole, outranked by everybody."
"Yes, Sir. I understand."
"But since I suspect that moron at Headquarters Company will have you on a guard roster the moment he hears I've left, I want you to clear your things out of that barracks and move in here. I had to take a six month's lease on this place, and there's no sense letting it go to waste."
"Yes, Sir."
"Mrs. Feller will also be living here. I have assured her that you are a well-bred gentleman who will not be bringing any wild Australian lasses home for drinking parties late at night."
"No, Sir."
"There's only two bedrooms, Pluto," Pickering said. "I'm afraid you're stuck with the Commerce Hotel. The important thing, I think, is to keep Moore out of the hands of Headquarters Company-without calling attention to him."
"Absolutely, Sir," Hon said.
"Take Mrs. Feller to the bank later today or tomorrow and see that she is authorized to draw on our account," Pickering said. "And on that subject, Banning has been spending a lot of money. I have asked for more, and it should be coming quickly. If, however, one of the officer couriers does not bring you a check within the next week, radio Haughton. The one thing I do not want to do is run out of money for Banning and Feldt."
"Yes, Sir."
"Can you think of anything, Pluto? Or you, John?"
"No, Sir," Moore replied immediately.
"No, Sir," Hon said, a moment later.
"Ellen?"
"Credentials for me, Captain."
"Oh, yeah. There's a Major Tourtillott who handles that sort of thing. Ellen needs what you and Banning and Moore have. Anywhere in the building, at any time. If Tourtillott gives you any trouble, see Colonel Scott, who works for Sutherland. If he gives you trouble, radio Haughton."
"Yes, Sir," Hon said.
"The liaison officer, Captain," Ellen Feller said.
"Oh, yeah. Thank you. That's important. I suggested to Frank Knox that he send a liaison officer between here and CINCPAC. Ellen tells me that Colonel Rickabee found one. He should be coming in soon. He is not, repeat, not, to be made a member of your happy circle. He's not cleared for MAGIC, or for what Banning is doing. I mention that solely because Rickabee's name may come up. Or because I'm afraid the poor bastard may be another orphan around here and may seek company in his misery."