mac.thepearlharbormurders-第2章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


the　Petty　girl　and　the　Burroughs　boy。
　Hully　had　dared　a　kiss　before　she　boarded…for　once；　her　mother　didn't　frown…and；　a　spring　in　his　step；　the　young　Burroughs　rejoined　bis　father；　who　was　standing　with　the　friend　he　was　seeing　off；　the　reason　Tarzan's　（and　Hully's）　daddy　had　braved　the　Boat　Day　crowd。
　Colonel　Frank　Teske　of　the　Army　Signal　Corps　had　already　seen　his　wife　and　infant　son　aboard　to　their　first…class　stateroom；　and　had　returned　to　invite　the　Burroughses　to　join　them　for　refreshments　till　the　〃all　ashore〃　was　sounded。
　〃No　thanks；〃　the　elder　Burroughs　said　in　his　husky　baritone；　as　Hully　fell　in　beside　him。　〃I'm　off　the　sauce；　and；　anyway；　I　couldn't　take　those　corridors　reeking　with　damn　leis；　it's　like　dimestore　perfume。。。　not　to　mention　the　cigarette　smoke。〃
　Pop　had　quit　drinking　and　smoking　recently；　and　was　of　late　displaying　a　reformer's　intolerance　for　the　second　habit；　if　not　for　the　first　As　for　the　leis；　personally　Hully　got　a　charge　of　the　full；　fragrant　ropes　of　yellow　ilima；　the　sweet…scented　loops　of　mountain　maile；　not　bad　for　a　quarter　apiece。
　Colonel　Teske　was　only　one　of　many　friends　Hully's　pop　had　in　military　circles。　O。　B。　relished　the　army　bustle　of　Fort　DeRussy；　Fort　Ruger；　Fort　Shatter；　and　Schofield　Barracks；　a　flier　himself；　he　took　any　excuse　for　a　trip　over　to　Hickam　Field。　As　for　the　Navy　at　Pearl　Harbor；　the　elder　Burroughs　had　on　the　very　day　Hully　arrived　taken　his　youngest　boy　to　Battleship　Row　for　a　personal　tour　of　the　California；　courtesy　of　its　captain。
　Hully　had　soon　learned　that　his　father　was　thick　with　most　of　the　brass　on　Oahu…Hawaii　was　easy　duty　for　officers；　who　had　lots　of　time　on　their　hands；　and　were　more　than　willing　to　mix　with　civilians；　particularly　one　as　famous　as　Hully's　pop。
　Thirtyish；　a　knife　blade　of　a　man　with　a　pencil　mustache；　just　another　white　linen　suit　in　the　crowd；　Colonel　Teske　said；　〃I　appreciate　you　ing　down　like　this；　Ed。　I'm　sure　going　to　miss　our　poker　games。〃
　'I'm　going　to　miss　winning　your　money；〃　O。　B。　said。
　In　the　shadow　of　his　own　Panama；　the　colonel's　eyes　were　tight；　and　he　spoke　so　softly　his　words　barely　registered　above　the　din。　〃I　only　wish　you'd　take　my　advice　and　get　the　hell　back　to　the　mainland。〃
　〃e　on；　Frank；〃　O。　B。　replied；　in　his　typical　staccato　fashion。　〃You　know　a　Jap　attack　here　is　a　long　shot　This　entire　island　is　a　fortress！　Every　point；　every　headland　fortified。。。　Navy　and　Army　and　Navy　Air　Corps；　twenty…five　thousand　troops！　I　refuse　to　worry。〃　〃Get　yourself　on　the　next　boat；　Ed。〃　A　smirk　dimpled　Burroughs'　cheek。　〃Well；　if　a　skinflint　like　you　springs　for　traveling　first　class；　you　must　mean　what　you　say。〃
　Shaking　his　head；　Teske　said；　〃First　Class　was　the　only　acmodation　available。　There's　a　record　number　of　passengers　on　this　trip…seventy　of　'em　assigned　to　cots　in　the　main　lounge！〃
　O。　B。　pawed　the　air　goodnaturedly　with　a　big　blunt　hand。　〃I　don't　deny　war's　ing。　But　Honolulu　is　one　of　the　safest　places　under　the　Flag。　Teske；　you're　a　damn　pessimist！〃
　Hully　wasn't　so　sure　he　agreed　with　his　father。　After　all；　me　Matsonia…the　Lurline's　sister　ship…had　been　recently　converted　to　a　troopship；　today　was　the　first　time　in　two　weeks　transportation　to　California　had　been　available；　excluding　a　few　seats　on　the　Pan　Am　clippers。
　〃No　offense；　Colonel；〃　Hully　said；　〃but　you　told　us　there'd　be　an　attack　by　Thanksgiving；　and　nothing　happened。　What　makes　you　think…〃
　〃You'll　probably　be　all　right　till　Christmas。　Oh　hell；　who　knows？'　Teske　put　a　hand　on　O。　B。's　shoulder。　〃You　may　be　right；　Ed…or　why　else　would　the　brass　order　me　to　San　Francisco？〃
　〃What　are　you　doing；　heading　out　there；　Colonel？〃　Hully　asked。　〃If　you　can　say　。。。〃
　〃Same　thing　I　was　supposed　to　be　doing　hoe…install　radar　installations；　and　run　simulated　attacks　by　carrier…based　planes。〃
　〃Now　that　makes　sense；〃　Burroughs　said。　〃The　San　Francisco　Navy　Yard；　there's　a　target〃
　Teske　shrugged。　〃Anyway；　I'm　glad　to　get　out　of　this　madhouse。。。。　Ed；　thanks　for　the　send…off。　I'll　see　you　in　the　States。〃
　〃One　of　these　days；〃　Burroughs　said。
　Father　and　son　did　not　wait　around　for　the　Lurline's　actual　departure；　avoiding　the　hoopla　of　whistle　blasts　and　a　brassy　〃Aloha　Oe；〃　hoping　to　beat　the　crowd。　They　had　parked　three　blocks　away；　noting　more　police　in　evidence　than　usual…further　sabotage　fear？…and　Fort　and　Bishop　streets　were　jammed　with　traffic；　it　was　getting　as　bad　as　back　home　in　California；　Hully　thought。
　Pop　drove；　as　usual…he　loved　to　drive…and　they　both　tossed　their　Panamas　on　the　floor　in　the　backseat；　as　otherwise　the　wind　would　have　whisked　the　hats　away；　the　top　was　down　on　the　sporty　white　'37　Pierce　Arrow；　a　twelve…cylinder　with　chrome　wheel　covers。　They　were　heading　Waikiki　way　along　the　Ala　Moana　（Sea　Road）；　and　traffic　had　let　up　some。
　As　they　glided　by　the　United　States　Army　Transport　docks；　across　from　which　was　the　Hawaiian　General　Depot　and　the　Air　Depot；　Hully　asked；　〃What　exactly　does　Colonel　Teske　do？〃
　His　blacksmith's　hands　gripping　the　steering　wheel；　O。　B。　glanced　over　at　his　son；　blue　eyes　hard。　〃Besides　talk　a　lot　of　pessimistic　baloney？　He's　with　the　Army　Signal　Corps。　mander　of　the　Army's　aircraft　warning　system　in　Hawaii。〃
　Hully　had　not　been　privy　to　the　conversations　between　Teske　and　his　father；　but　he　knew　the　colonel　had　arrived　only　about　a　month　ago；　and　was　a　recent　addition　to　the　roster　of　his　pop's　military　pals。
　〃So　what's　this　about　radar？〃　Hully　asked。　They　were　passing　the　Myrtle　and　Healani　Boat　Clubs。
　〃Well；　you　know　what　it　is；　don't　you？〃
　〃Sure。〃
　〃Frank　brought　radar　to　the　islands；　and　it's　a　damn　good　idea；　too。　Look　at　the　role　it　played　in　the　Battle　of　Britain。〃　O。　B。　shrugged；　wind　whipping　the　white　linen　of　bis　jacket。　〃And　I　guess　I　can't　blame　Frank　for　his　attitude…both　the　military　and　the　civilians　have　given　him　one　load　of　horseshit　after　another。〃
　〃How　so？〃
　〃Well；　General　Short　thinks　mobile　radar　stations　aren't　worth　operating　on　a　twenty…four…hour　basis。　To　him；　they're　just　a　good　training　tool　for　the　lower　ranks。〃
　Rather　enjoying　the　wind　rustling　his　hair；　Hully　asked；　〃What　good　does　radar　do　if　you're　not　using　it　all　the　time？〃
　〃None…that's　Frank's　point。〃
　Just　ahead　was　the　entrance　to　Fort　Armstrong；　one　of　five　Coast　Artillery　Defense　Batteries　on　Oahu。
　〃You　said　civilians　were　giving　him　crap；　too；〃　Hully　said。　〃What　do　civilians　have　to　do　with　it？〃
　〃Plenty；　when　it's　the　governor。　Him；　and　the　National　Park　Service。　They　won't　let　Frank　put　his　radar　setups　on　mountain　peaks；　where　they'd　be　most　effective…it　might　ruin　the　view。〃
　〃Hell；〃　Hully　said；　snorting　a　laugh。　〃I　can　see　why　Colonel　Teske　is　frustrated。〃
　〃So　can　I；　son；　but　he's　still　wrong　about　a　Japanese　air　raid　on　Oahu。　And　most　military　personnel；　and　informed　civilians；　agree　with　me；　in　considering　that　a　remote　possibility。〃
　They　were　nearing　Kewalo　Basin；　home　of　sampans　in　the　water　and　out…several　Japanese　boatbuilding　firms　sat　along　the　artificial　harbor　with　its　fleet　of　marine…blue　sampans；　blending　with　the　water　they　bobbed　in。
　〃The　threat　here；〃　his　father　said；　casting　an　eye　toward　the　man…made　Japanese　harbor；　〃isn't　from　above…it's　from　within。〃
　〃Sabotage。〃
　He　nodded；　his　expression　grave；　his　thick　hands　tight　on　the　wheel。　〃I　know　you　don't　agree　with　me　on　this；　Hully；　but　you　can't　deny　the　reality…better　than　one　out　of　three　Hawaiians　are　of　Jap　heritage。〃
　〃e　on；　O。　B。…the　majority　of　them　are　hardworking；　conservative　souls…〃
　〃With　relatives　living　back　in　Japan；〃　his　father　finished。　〃A　good　number　of　these　issei　and　nisei　are　Japanese　citizens。。。。〃
　Issei　were　first…generation　immigrants；　ineligible　for　U。S。　citizenship；　and　nisei　were　born　in　Hawaii；　and　as　such　were　U。S。　citizens。
　Trying　to　rein　in　his　irritation；　Hully　said；　〃The　nisei　hold　dual　citizenships；　Pop。　You　know　that。〃
　O。　B。　frowned　over　at　his　son。　〃Yes；　and　if　war　breaks　out；　what　flag　will　they　serve　under？〃
　Hully　gave　his　dad　a　sarcastic　smile。　〃And　I　suppose　you　think　sweet　Mrs。　Fujimoto　is　just　waiting　for　a　signal　from　the　homeland　to　slit　our　throats　in　the　night。〃
　The　junior　Burroughs　was　referri