McCoy's eyebrows rose again, but he said nothing, waiting for Stecker to go on.
"They kicked her out of the Royal Navy..."
"Royal Australian Navy," McCoy corrected him, thinking out loud.
"... when they learned she was pregnant. And her family has... Ken, her father wouldn't even come to the wedding. They've just about kicked her out of the family. That's pretty vicious. She's a nice girl, and the General likes her."
"Let the General have dinner with her."
"He already has."
"I wasn't the only one on the Buka Operation. Hart was there. God, Pick Pickering was flying the airplane that picked us up. He and Charley Gallo-way."
"Young Pickering is somewhere in the States. Galloway is in Hawaii. Hart and you are here, and the General thinks a good home-cooked Aussie meal would do all of you some good."
"What? Roast kangaroo?"
"I knew you would be delighted," Stecker said.
"What were you saying about Koffler and... what did you say?"
"Plastic."
"What is it?"
"Have you seen the airtight, waterproof stuff they're packaging equip-ment in lately?"
McCoy shook his head helplessly.
"That aluminum-backed tar paper?"
"No. Not that. Plastic. Hart will tell you all about it over dinner. It'll give you something to talk about."
[FOUR]
Apartment 3C
The Amhurst Apartments
Brisbane, Australia
1915 Hours 14 November 1942
Despite a map General Pickering had drawn for him, it took McCoy a long time to find the Amhurst Apartments, a four-story brick building overlooking the harbor. They were driving the Studebaker President.
"Not bad for a nineteen-year-old staff sergeant," McCoy said to Second Lieutenant George F. Hart, USMCR, as they climbed the stairs to the third floor.
"Jealous?"
"Yeah, I guess I am," McCoy said.
"Just for the record," Hart said as McCoy reached out to punch the door-bell, "I was devoutly hoping you'd be able to talk us out of this."
"Just smile and be nice," McCoy replied.
The doorbell, when pushed, caused a clang. A moment later, the door was opened by Staff Sergeant Stephen M. Koffler, USMCR. Sergeant Koffler was five feet seven inches tall, weighed approximately 130 pounds, and looked two years younger than his nineteen years.
"Good evening, gentlemen," he said, clearly having rehearsed his open-ing remarks, "please come in."
"Good evening, Sergeant Koffler," McCoy said, and thrust a brown paper bag at him. It contained a bottle of Famous Grouse scotch.
"How are you, Steve?" Hart said, and thrust a somewhat larger brown paper bag at him. It contained two bottles of "a damned nice Aussie Cabernet Sauvignon," as General Pickering said when he intercepted the two of them leaving Water Lily Cottage and handed them both bags.
"Welcome," Mrs. Daphne Koffler said from behind her husband. "Thank you for coming."
"Thank you for having us," McCoy said.
Even in her flat shoes, Mrs. Koffler was an inch taller than her husband. She had hazel eyes and peaches-and-cream skin. She wore her light-brown hair done up in a bun at her neck, and she wore only a light lipstick as makeup.
"We wanted-I especially wanted-to thank you for what you did for Steve. For the both of us."
"For the three of us," Koffler chimed in. His wife blushed.
McCoy found himself looking at Mrs. Koffler's belly. To his embarrass-ment, she was just starting to show.
"That's not necessary," McCoy said.
"If you hadn't gone into Buka, he'd probably be dead," Daphne Koffler said. "And God only knows what would have happened to me and the baby."
Christ, she sounds like Ernie. Says exactly what's on her mind. And looks you right in the eye when she says it.
"We're Marines, Mrs. Koffler," McCoy said. "We go where we're sent. Steve was sent to Buka, and Hart and I were sent in to get him out. No thanks are necessary."
"Indulge me," she said. "Let me say Thank you.' "
"OK. You're welcome. Now can we change the subject? Hart told me we're going to have roast kangaroo. Is that true?"
"No, of course it's not. We're having steak. Pluto brought some from the officers' mess."
McCoy was momentarily taken aback by the casual reference to Major Hon Song Do, and then he remembered Koffler's pregnant wife was in contact with Pluto, as an assistant to Commander Feldt, long before he was.
"Why don't we have a drink?" Staff Sergeant Koffler said.
McCoy saw that Mrs. Koffler looked a little uneasy.
She knows what's going to happen, McCoy thought. The Boy Sergeant is going to get plastered.
I wonder how they got together? Christ, she's older than he is. More so-phisticated. What the hell did she see in him? What the hell does Ernie see in me ?
I know two things for sure. Whatever the reason she let him... went to bed with him the night before he went to Buka, it's not because she's a slut. This is a nice girl. And her look just now when he offered the drink was of concern for him. She loves him.
Why am I surprised? Because he looks likes a high-school cheerleader?
The drinks Staff Sergeant Koffler provided for his guests were about twice as strong as they should have been.
"Koffler, would you break this one into two? Or three?" McCoy asked. "I would like to be sober when I eat."
Mrs. Koffler looked at McCoy with appreciation. Staff Sergeant Koffler looked at him in embarrassment, as if he had committed a terrible social blun-der.
"Koffler, I just got here," McCoy said. "It was a long trip. And Colonel Stecker had me running all day. I can't handle much liquor when I'm tired."
"I was out stealing plastic from the Army all day," Koffler said.
"What's plastic?" McCoy asked.
"I don't know what the hell it's made of, but the Army is wrapping stuff in it. It's waterproof and airtight. Just what you need for the stuff you're going to take into the Philippines."
He went into the kitchen, carrying McCoy's glass.
Jesus Christ, I don't know how this Fertig operation is classified, but it's at least SECRET, and probably TOP SECRET. It should not be casually intro-duced into conversation.
Well, I doubt if Mrs.- Koffler will spread it among the girls over coffee. I'll have a word with him later about talking too much. If he's sober enough later to listen.
Koffler returned with the drink.
"I hope this is better," he said, and turned to Hart. "Can I... make yours weaker, Lieutenant?"
"I'll just go slow," Hart said.
"Tell me about plastic," McCoy said.
"Well, it looks like a cross between oilcloth and cellophane," Koffler said. "The first time I saw it was when Pluto got the cryptomachine you're going to take with you from the Army-"
"How many other people know about the Philippine Operation?" McCoy interrupted, a tone of annoyance, or exasperation, in his voice.
"I'm not going to discuss this with the ladies during morning tea, if that's what's concerning you, Lieutenant McCoy," Daphne Koffler said.