"The General told me I was not to discuss that subject with the Navy until he brought it up with the Admiral. I think that includes you."
"OK," Sessions said.
"Do I look like a Japanese spy, or what?" Lewis asked.
"In that white uniform, you look more like a Good Humor man, I'd say," McCoy said. "Next question?"
It was said jokingly, but Lewis knew that he was not going to learn any-thing more about the man from the OSS from either Sessions or McCoy.
"Tell me about 'Pluto' and 'Gimpy' and the 'dungeon,' " he said.
"The dungeon is the Special Channel place, inside the SWPOA Comm Center," McCoy said. "Unless you've got a MAGIC clearance, you can't get in there. We're not even supposed to know about it. Pluto, otherwise known as Major Hon Son Do, Signal Corps, USA, runs it. Gimpy is Lieutenant John Marston Moore, USMCR, who forgot to duck on the 'Canal and as a result limps. He works for Pluto. They live here; you'll meet them. Next question?" "Everybody lives here but the OSS man?" Lewis asked.
"Next question?" Sessions said.
"If I really wanted ice for the drink, where would I find it?" Lewis asked.
[ONE]
Gentlemen's Bar
The Maritime Club
Brisbane, Australia
1825 Hours 29 November 1942
"Nice place," Admiral Wagam said to General Pickering, looking around the comfortably elegant room, furnished with dark-maroon leather couches and chairs, its paneled walls holding discreetly lighted oil portraits of men in mer-chant marine uniforms and sailing ships under full sail.
An elderly, white-jacketed waiter appeared immediately as Pickering, Stecker, and Wagam sat down.
"Good evening, gentlemen," he said.
"Are you a scotch drinker, Admiral?" Pickering asked. Wagam nodded.
The waiter delivered glasses, a soda siphon bottle, a bowl of ice cubes, and a bottle.
"We'll pour, thank you," Pickering said, and when the waiter left them, did so.
He picked up his glass.
"How about to 'Interservice Cooperation'?" he asked.
"How about 'The Corps'?" Admiral Wagam said. "Jack NMI and Flem-ing, I give you The Corps."
They sipped their drinks.
"The Navy," Stecker said, and raised his glass again.
"How about to the kids we're sending off on Operation Windmill?" Pickering said. "God protect them."
"Hear, hear," Wagam said.
"Before we get really carried away," Stecker said. "Are there any unan-swered questions? Have we done everything we can?"
"I've got a question," Wagam said, "about the OSS involvement."
"Apparently," Pickering said, "Colonel 'Wild Bill' Donovan got the President to order Frank Knox to order me to include two OSS agents in the Fertig operation. Which Donovan, apparently, has decided to name Opera-tion Windmill. When my deputy in Washington, Colonel Rickabee-"
"I know Fritz," Wagam said.
"When Fritz learned the identity of one of the agents, and was reliably informed what a-for lack of more forceful words-miserable sonofabitch he is, and protested to Knox, he got a nasty note saying in effect that the OSS, including the sonofabitch, goes on the mission, and no further discussion is desired."
"Ouch," Wagam said. "I suppose it's too much to hope that the agent who was lost-"
"The good one is the one who went down with the B-17," Pickering said. "Jack had a word with this chap-he's a Marine captain named Macklin-and made it clear to him that McCoy is in charge of the mission, even if he is only a first lieutenant."
"I'll have a word with Chambers Lewis before I go back to Pearl," Wagam said, "and make sure he understands that."
"I think that would be a very good idea," Pickering said. "Thank you."
"I was very impressed with McCoy," Wagam said.
"He's a very impressive young man. And he has the experience. He made the Makin raid, and he ran the operation when we replaced the Marines with the Coastwatchers on Buka. There's no question he should be in charge."
"And we're working on getting a Marine Raider to go along, a master gunnery sergeant who was with McCoy on the Makin raid," Stecker said. "I think he'll show up in time."
"If you don't mind my saying so, Fleming," Admiral Wagam said care-fully, "there is one thing wrong with McCoy. At least for your purposes."
"And what would that be?" Pickering said coldly.
"He's only a first lieutenant. I somehow don't feel that General MacArthur will change his opinion about Fertig based on the judgment of a lowly first lieutenant."
"The original plan was that Jack was going on the mission," Pickering said. "He has guerrilla experience in the Banana Republics."
"What happened?"
"The incoming Commandant of the Corps decided he needed him in Washington," Pickering said.
Stecker looked uncomfortable.
" 'Incoming Commandant'?" Wagam asked, surprised. "I hadn't heard that. Who? Vandegrift?"
"You didn't hear that from me," Pickering said. "And changing the sub-ject, you're right. McCoy's rank is going to pose some problems. I'm wide open to suggestion."
"Send somebody out right away who's been with Fertig all along, the higher ranking the better. I mean, on the Sunfish."
"That makes a lot of sense," Stecker said.
"OK, we'll do it," Pickering said. "Presuming McCoy can find some-body to send."
"I really wish I could go," Stecker said.
"You're too old and decrepit, Jack," Pickering said, and reached for the bottle.
[TWO]
Naval Air Transport Passenger Terminal
Brisbane, Australia
0715 Hours 30 November 1942
Lieutenant Chambers D. Lewis, USN, was not surprised when Brigadier Gen-eral Fleming Pickering and Colonel Jack (NMI) Stecker showed up to see Ad-miral Wagam off. But he was a little surprised when Captain Ed Sessions, at the wheel of a jeep, drove up as the Pearl Harbor-bound Coronado, two of its four engines running, began to taxi away from the tie-down buoy.
Pickering-about to get into the Studebaker staff car with Stecker- changed his mind and walked up to Lewis as Sessions drove up.
"Everything go all right, Ed?"
"McCoy's all set up, and I've got Lewis the room right next to Macklin, but the telephone's going to take some time," Sessions replied.
Macklin? Lewis wondered. Why does that name ring a bell? There was a guy at the Academy by that name. That would be too much of a coincidence.
"Maybe Pluto knows somebody in the Signal Corps," Pickering said. "I'll work on it."
"Yes, Sir."
"Lewis, Sessions is going to set you up in the BOQ."
"Yes, Sir."
"Did Admiral Wagam have a chance to discuss the... who's in charge of arrangements... for this mission?"
"Yes, Sir. I'm to take my orders from Lieutenant McCoy."
"If you've got any problems with anything, bring them to either Colonel Stecker or me."
"Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir."