«The Joint Chiefs,» Donovan said finally, «which of course means Admiral Leahy, gave the OSS the mission of establishing contact with these people. Nothing was said about you.»
«Then you didn't know about Admiral Nimitz's recommendation?» Pickering asked, surprised.
«No, but I did know that Nimitz is one of your admirers, and that he knew all about your Philippine operation—and, of course, your appointment to the OSS— so I was a little surprised that your name didn't come up in Phase One.»
«Phase One?» Pickering asked, not understanding.
«Phase One was a little preliminary work in the OSS, pending my return to Washington. My Deputy Director, Administration, had a memo waiting for me recommending that you be given the operation, giving as his reasons your successful Philippine operation and your position as Deputy Director, Pacific.»
«One doesn't ordinarily consider the Gobi Desert to be in the Pacific,» Pickering said.
Donovan didn't respond to the comment.
«My Deputy Director, Operations, sent me a memo stating that should your name come up in connection with the Gobi operation, he wanted to go on record early on as being opposed to it. He offered three reasons: First, the point you just made—one doesn't think of the Gobi as being in the Pacific. Second, it would be unfair to you, inasmuch as you have little knowledge of the OSS. And finally, in his view, applying your knowledge of the Pacific Ocean and of shipping generally could be put to more important use in the OSS than running what will be a commando/parachutist covert operation.»
«You understand, Bill…«
Donovan held up his hand to cut him off.
«Phase Two occurred last night, across the street,» Donovan said, gesturing through the window toward the White House. «Where I was honored to break bread with the Commander in Chief and his Chief of Staff. Shortly before the apple cobbler. Roosevelt looked at me, and said—in words to this effect, 'In addition to other things he might be doing for you, Admiral Leahy thinks that Fleming Pickering should command the operation to get a radio station operating in the Gobi Desert. Do you have any problem with that?» Or, as 1 said, words to that effect.»
«And what did you reply to the Commander in Chief?» Senator Fowler asked, chuckling.
«I said the idea had already been proposed to me by one of my deputy directors, and I was delighted General Pickering's appointment would please Admiral Leahy.»
«Franklin does that so well.» Fowler chuckled. «Makes a suggestion that is impossible to refuse.»
«You didn't say what you had decided to do before the President made his 'suggestion,' « Pickering said.
«No. I guess I didn't,» Donovan said. «Water under the dam anyway, wouldn't you say?»
«Yes, I suppose so,» Pickering said.
«Tell me about your briefing from Admiral Nimitz,» Donovan said.
«His intelligence officer, or at least one of them—«
«Groscher? Captain Groscher?» Donovan interrupted.
«Yeah.»
«Groscher knows as much about the Americans in the Gobi as anybody,» Donovan said. «What did he have to say?»
«Nothing I would suppose that you don't know. Much of it was new to me. There doesn't seem to be any question about whether the weather station is needed, just who will get it up and running.»
«And now we know, don't we?»
«It's none of my business, but I think Nimitz and Leahy are right. Flem has a way of getting things done,» Senator Fowler said.
Pickering had the feeling Donovan could have happily done without Fowler's comment.
«We'll talk about this tomorrow at the office,» he said.
«Okay,» Pickering said.
«The President gave you authority to bring anybody you want along with you, in addition to your people already in Australia. Have you given that any thought?»
«Yes.»
«I'd like to have the Office of Management Analysis,» Donovan said. «Lock, stock, and barrel. Have you considered that?»
«Frank Knox would not stand still for that,» Senator Fowler said, thinking out loud.
«The President gives the orders,» Donovan said. «Except, of course, to senators.»
It didn't take long before we came to serious disagreement, did it
? Pickering thought.
Well, to hell with being polite. Get it on the table
.
«I think that Management Analysis should stay right where it is,» Pickering said.
«Is that so?» Donovan said coldly. «Why?»
«It's up and running,» Pickering said. «I don't want to see it swallowed by the OSS bureaucracy.»
«You're now part of that OSS bureaucracy, General,» Donovan said, his face whitening.
«I am going to ask Colonel Rickabee if he will give me a couple of people over there,» Pickering said. «And there are several other people I'd like to have. But I oppose taking the Office of Management Analysis away from Frank Knox.»
It was obvious that Donovan didn't like the response, but he didn't press it.
If I had any tact, and the brains to use it, I would have used words like «think.»
«suggest,» et cetera. Fuck it. Let Donovan know what I think.
«Why don't we reschedule your arrival at the office until, say, half past twelve tomorrow?» Donovan said. «That would give you time to ask Rickabee who he's willing to give you.»
«Fine,» Pickering said.
«We'll have to do some schedule shuffling to move them through the Country Club,» Donovan said. «We'll need your list as soon as possible. This Gobi operation is on the front burner.»
«Excuse me?» Pickering asked, confused.
«The OSS training base. Before the war, it was the Congressional Country Club. Everybody who comes into the OSS has to go through it. With very rare exceptions, like you.»
My God, McCoy comes home from his third rubber-boat trip onto hostile shores and Donovan wants to send him to basic training?
Senator Fowler saw the look on Pickering's face. «Are you two about ready to eat?» he asked quickly.
This is not the time
, Pickering decided,
to debate the wisdom of sending McCoy and Jake to
—
what did he call it
?—
the «Country Club
.»
«Anytime, Dick,» Pickering said.
«Actually, I was hoping the subject of eating would come up soon,» Donovan said. «I've got a couple of more stops to make tonight.»
«And I have a telephone call to make,» Fowler said. «Our mutual friend across the street is staying close to the telephone, waiting for my report on how this went.»
«I was right, then?» Donovan chuckled. «You're to be the referee?»
«What he did, Bill, was wave his cigarette holder at me, and smile that smile of his, and ask me—since he and I have a civilized gentleman's armistice—if he was being unreasonable in expecting you two to do the same.»
«I knew it,» Donovan said.
«I will now be able to happily tell him that you two have kissed and made up.»
«Good God!» Pickering said.
Chapter Eight