When the aircraft had been parked and the engines shut down, he went through the door in the fuselage and stretched his legs.
This smells like China, too
, he thought.
If I never have to get on another B-17 as long as I live, it will be too soon.
The pilot came through the door. «The tower says they will
try
to find us a truck, sir,» he said. «It looks like a hell of a walk from here to base operations.
«That was an interesting flight,» he went on. «It reset my longest flight record by an hour and ten minutes.»
«How much fuel did we have left?»
«I don't believe the General really wants to know that, sir. We ran into some really stiff head winds.»
«You're right, I don't want to know,» Pickering said. «Well, why don't you and I hike to base operations? Maybe I can pull a little rank in person and get us a truck.»
They were halfway to base operations when two Studebaker President sedans came down the taxiway. The first, driven by a sergeant, carried the starred plate of a brigadier general, and Pickering saw Brigadier General H. A. Albright and a younger officer riding in the backseat.
Probably his brand-new aide-de-camp to go with his brand-new star. It didn't take him long to take advantage of a general's perks, did it?
What the hell is that matter to me? Albright is a damned good man, who would have been a general long ago if it hadn't been for that idiot, that Secretary of the Joint Chiefs.
The second car was driven by an Army captain. There were two officers in thebackseat. one of them was colonel John J. Waterson. The other was an Army lieutenant colonel.
That, no doubt, is the Chungking station chief, whose name I still don't know.
Where's Banning? I wonder. And McCoy?
Albright's car stopped beside them, and Albright was out of the backseat before the driver could get out of the front seat to open the door for him. He saluted. «Welcome to Chungking, General,» he said.
«It's good to see you,» Pickering said, desperately searching his memory for Albright's first name. «Especially with that star on your collar.» The name didn't come.
«Being a general is not what I thought it would be,» Albright said.
«My experience exactly,» Pickering said. «But that was a well-deserved promotion.»
The second Studebaker had by then stopped, and Waterson and the two officers got out.
They all saluted.
«How are you, Jack?» Pickering said to Colonel Waterson, offering his hand, pleased that he could remember his first name.
«Did you have a good flight, sir?»
«It was a very long flight,» Pickering said. «There is no such thing as a good very long flight.»
Everyone chuckled.
Dutifully, of course. That wasn't very funny. But I am a general.
«Sir, may I introduce Colonel Richard C. Platt?» Waterson said. «The Chungking station chief?»
«Welcome to Chungking, General,» Platt said. He was a rather handsome lieutenant colonel, wearing the crossed cannons of Artillery.
«Thank you,» Pickering said.
«And this is my adjutant,» Platt said. «Captain Jerry Sampson.»
Nice-looking kid
, Pickering thought.
About as old as Pick
.
«I believe I have the privilege of the General's acquaintance, sir,» Captain Sampson said.
I
don't remember ever having seen this fellow before
.
«Oh, have we met?»
«I was trying to remember where, sir. Possibly in Shanghai. My father— Harrison Sampson?—was general manager of First National City Bank. And then I was at Harvard with Malcolm.»
«Malcolm» ? God, he means Pick. But no one's called Pick «Malcolm» since the day he was christened. So they weren't buddies. What is this kid trying to do, charm me?
What was it Drew Pearson said OSS stood for? «Oh So Social» ?
«I remember your father, of course,» Pickering said, and shook his hand. He turned to Albright. «With that new star on your collar, Hugh,» he said—
Thank God! His name came to me
—«I presume you've got some influence around here? We need a truck.»
«I think I can get you a truck, General, but to answer your question, do I have any influence around here? Very little. Almost none.»
Pickering introduced the OSS officers to the pilot and then to Lieutenant Hart, who had taken their baggage off the plane. «The Captain and his crew need a place to stay. With good beds and decent food,» Pickering said.
«I suggest, sir,» Albright said, «that you and I need a moment alone, before General Stillwell learns you're here and sends for you.»
Pickering saw that neither Waterson nor Platt liked that announcement.
«I want to see him, too, as soon as possible,» Pickering said. «But not until I've had a shower and a shave. And a chance to talk to you, Waterson, and Banning. Where is Banning, by the way?»
«General, General Stillwell has left word with the air base commander that he wants to see you immediately after you get off the plane,» Colonel Platt said.
«Did you give the tower General Pickering's name, Captain?» Albright said.
«I'm afraid I did, sir.»
«Then he will expect to see you immediately, sir,» Albright said.
«What's the rush about seeing General Stillwell?» Pickering asked.
«Right now, he hates everybody connected with his having been ordered to relieve Dempsey and Newley,» Albright said. «And he thinks you're the man responsible.»
«Is there someplace where I can get a quick shower and change my uniform?»
«You'll be staying at the VIP guest house, General,» Colonel Platt said.
«Doesn't the OSS have a house here?» Pickering asked.
«Yes, sir, of course, we do,» Colonel Platt said. «But I felt you would be more comfortable in the VIP house.»
«If General Stillwell has left word here that he wants to see me, I'll bet he left word at the VIP place,» Pickering said. «So long as I don't have his invitation to come to see him, I can't be accused of ignoring it, can I? And I have no intention of going to see General Stillwell looking like a bum and smelling like a horse.»
«There's a staff car coming this way,» George Hart said. «That might be the air base commander.»
«Waterson, you have not heard about General Stillwell's kind invitation, and I did not tell you where I was going.»
«Yes, sir.»
«And you can take care of the Captain and his crew? Get them a truck, whatever they need?»
«Yes, sir.»
«I'll want a word with you, too, and you, too, Colonel Platt, before I see General Stillwell. Will you meet me at the OSS house?»
«Yes, sir.»
«Let's go, Albright,» Pickering said, and quickly got into Albright's Stude-baker.
Hart hastily stuffed their luggage in the trunk, then crowded into the front seat beside General Albright's aide-de-camp.
At the last moment, Captain Jerry Sampson jumped into the backseat.