mac.thepearlharbormurders-第31章

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I　hope　you　won't　mind　if　I　rely　on　the　advice　of　our　leading　military　minds　and　not。。。　forgive　me　。。。　the　creator　of　Tarzan？〃
　The　admiral　thanked　both　men　for　their　diligence；　and　returned　to　the　terrace　and　the　single　cocktail　he　was　conservatively　making　last　all　evening。
　Soon　the　writer　and　the　FBI　man　were　back　at　the　Niumalu；　in　their　respective　bungalows；　when　he　took　his　leave；　Sterling　seemed　weary　and　defeated。　Burroughs　felt　about　the　same；　but　was　relieved　and　even　energized　to　find　Hully　at　home。　They　had　pany：　Hully　had　hauled　his　inebriated　and　somewhat　battered　friend；　Bill　Fielder；　to　sleep　it　off；　which　he　was　doing；　on　a　pallet　on　the　floor。
　Father　and　son　sat　on　the　couch　and　exchanged　their　tales　of　the　evening's　investigations；　each　surprising；　occasionally　delighting；　the　other　with　revelations　and　adventures。
　But　finally　it　was　left　to　Hully　to　ask；　〃What　does　it　all　add　up　to；　O。　B。？〃　。
　His　father　shrugged。　〃Harry　Kamana　is　innocent…　and　so；　most　likely；　are　Bill　and　Stanton　and　the　other　'jealous　lovers。'　Pearl　Harada　was　killed　for　a　classic　motive：　she　knew　too　much。〃
　〃But　what　did　she　know；　Dad？〃
　〃I　can't　tell　you；　Son…and　neither　can　Pearl。〃
　Hully　sighed。　〃I　guess　our　investigation　is　over。〃
　〃Ours　is…but　when　Sterling　and　Jardine　get　together　with　Colonel　Fielder　of　Army　intelligence；　Morimura　and　Kuhn　won't　stand　a　chance。〃
　〃And　when　does　this　happen？〃
　〃Monday。〃
　〃Monday。〃　Hully　stretched；　yawned。　〃I　guess　it　can　wait　that　long。〃
　And…with　Bill　snoring　on　his　pallet　on　the　floor…　Hully　folded　out　the　couch　into　a　bed；　while　his　father　trundled　off　in　hopes　of　a　good　night's　sleep；　minus　any　nightmares　or　other　rude　awakenings。
　THREE：
　December　7；　1941
　
　THIRTEEN
　War　Games
　
　After　the　midnight　closing　of　the　Navy's　new　Bloch　Recreation　Center…where　the　Arizona's　dance　band　had　e　in　second　to　the　Pennsylvania；　a　much…contested　decision…and　with　the　dimming　of　the　clubs　and　bars　of　the　city；　garish　Hotel　Street　included；　the　blush　in　the　sky　over　Honolulu　began　to　fade；　until　the　heavens　again　belonged　to　the　stars。　Oahu　itself　seemed　to　slumber；　with　only　the　slowly　turning　hands　of　the　Aloha　Tower's　quartet　of　clock　faces　to　mark　the　passing　of　another　tropical　night。
　By　three　a。m。；　the　darkness　was　broken　chiefly　by　stoplights　pulsing　red；　and　mute；　deserted　streets　twinkling　with　Christmas　lights。　A　few　pleasure　palaces　in　Chinatown　ignored　the　curfew；　their　entryways　scarlet　with　the　neon　promise　of　sin；　beckoning　foolish　tourists　and　fearless　servicemen。　And　offshore；　to　the　west；　at　the　entrance　to　Pearl　Harbor；　red　and　green　buoy　lights　winked　in　the　dark；　as　if　they　and　the　night　shared　a　secret。
　In　these　deceptively　peaceful　hours　before　dawn；　out　in　the　blackness　beyond　the　reef；　destiny　was　bearing　down　upon　Oahu。　Three　hundred　miles　north　of　Honolulu；　an　armada　charged　through　heavy　seas　at　a　clip　of　twenty　knots…destroyers　and　cruisers；　battleships　and　aircraft　carriers；　bombers　and　torpedo　planes…　while；　much　closer　to　Oahu；　a　small　fleet　of　submarines　already　had　the　island　surrounded；　and　five　midget　submarines　were　even　now　gliding　toward　their　targets。
　A　little　before　four　a。m。；　a　minesweeper　signaled　the　destroyer　Ward　of　the　sighting　of　a　possible　periscope　three…quarters　southwest　of　the　harbor's　blinking　entrance　buoys。　General　quarters　were　sounded　by　Lieutenant　William　Outerbridge；　captain　of　the　Ward…　summoned　to　the　bridge　in　his　pajamas；　over　which　he　wore　a　kimono…and　for　half　an　hour；　the　destroyer　searched　the　restricted　waters　outside　the　harbor；　and　saw　nothing；　their　sonarmen　hearing　nothing。
　Then　at　6：30　a。m。；　a　Ward　crewman　spotted　the　half…submerged　midget　sub　trailing　the　supply　ship　Antares　toward　the　harbor　entry；　whose　torpedo　nets…usually　blocking　the　channel…were　wide　open。　Lieutenant　Outerbridge　sounded　general　quarters　again；　and　took　chase；　quickly　closing　to　within　a　hundred　yards；　firing　and　missing；　then…with　a　point…blank　hit…nailing　the　sub　at　the　juncture　of　its　conning　tower；　sinking　the　seaweed…shrouded　sub；　then　pounding　it　with　depth　charges　until　the　wounded　ship　bled　oil。
　The　Ward；　little　realizing　it；　had　just　fired　the　first　shots　of　the　Pacific　War。
　Though　this　encounter　had　taken　place　within　five　miles　of　Battleship　Row；　Oahu　continued　to　slumber…　Lieutenant　Outerbridge；　who　of　course　promptly　radioed　a　coded　message　of　the　sinking　to　the　mander　of　the　Fourteenth　Naval　District　at　Pearl　Harbor…did　not　receive　a　request　for　〃additional　details〃　until　7：37　A。M。
　Just　before　dawn；　atop　a　ridge　on　the　northern　shore　of　Oahu；　one　of　Colonel　Teske's　mobile　radar　stations　was　scheduled　to　be　shut　down　at　seven　a。m。　General　Short　had　these　half…dozen　trailer…mounted　units　in　operation　only　a　few　hours　a　day；　primarily　for　training　purposes。　Private　George　Elliot　and　Private　Joe　Lock…ard　were　working　a　four…hour　graveyard　shift；　three　in　the　morning　till　seven；　but　the　track　that　was　supposed　to　pick　them　up　for　breakfast　was　late；　and　Private　Elliot　left　the　equipment　on　after　seven；　merely　for　the　practice。
　And　just　as　dawn　was　threatening　to　break；　a　notably　strong　wave　pattern　blipped　on　Elliot's　five…inch…diameter　oscilloscope；　indicating　dozens　of　aircraft；　about　130　miles　north；　heading　toward　Oahu…at　a　speed；　they　soon　estimated；　of　around　180　mph。
　Elliot　called　this　in　to　the　Air　Warning　Service　at　Fort　Shafter；　where　Lieutenant　Kermit　Tyler…assuming　these　blips　represented　some　B…17s　expected　in　from　the　mainland…told　the　radarman；　〃Well；　don't　worry　about　it。〃
　Lockard　suggested　they　shut　down　the　radar　set；　but　Elliot　wanted　some　more　practice：　he　watched　until　the　swarm　of　planes　was　only　twenty…two　miles　north　of　Oahu；　at　which　point　the　patterns　disappeared。　Unaware　that　this　meant　the　planes　were　lost　in　the　dead　zone　of　the　hills；　as　they　crossed　the　shoreline；　Elliot　switched　off　the　set　and　logged　his　final　report；　at　0740。。。
　。。。　content　that　he'd　had　enough　practice　for　one　day。
　The　blips　on　his　screen　had　been　forty…three　Zeros；　forty　torpedo　bombers；　and　one　hundred　bombers；　the　first　wave　of　planes　launched　at　six　a。m。　by　the　Japanese　battle　fleet　275　miles　due　north　of　the　radar　station。　Their　shadows　racing　across　the　checkerboards　of　sugarcane　and　pineapple　fields；　the　183　silver　planes　streaked　over　the　lushly　tropical；　dreamily　peaceful　island；　where　a　harbor　as　still　as　a　millpond　awaited；　part　of　a　golden　landscape　basking　in　the　tranquillity　of　a　Sunday　dawn。
　At　around　7：30　a。m。；　Hully　Burroughs　and　his　father　sat　at　a　round　wicker　table　on　the　Niumalu　patio；　having　breakfast。　Hully　was　in　bis　tennis　whites；　O。　B。　in　a　short…sleeved　woven　tan　shirt　and　khaki　slacks；　an　ensemble　that　looked　vaguely　military；　both　men　were　in　sneakers。　The　plan　was　to　play　tennis　after　breakfast；　so　they　again　ate　light…orange　juice　and　coffee　and　muffins　and　fresh　fruit。
　Their　houseguest；　Bill　Fielder；　was　still　on　the　pallet　in　the　bungalow；　sleeping　it　off；　dead　to　the　world。　The　chief　topic　of　discussion　between　father　and　son　was　their　frustration　that　the　Sunday　paper　was　late：　Hully's　brother　Jack's　ic　strip；　based　on　ERB's　John　Carter　of　Mars　stories；　was　making　its　debut　today。
　〃Well；　it's　not　like　we　haven't　seen　the　proofs；〃　Hully　said；　buttering　a　muffin。
　〃Sure；　but　I'm　anxious　to　see　it　in　color；〃　O。　B。　said；　obviously　disappointed　that　he　couldn't　read　this　latest　Burroughs　spin…off…helmed　by　his　eldest　son；　a　fact　of　which　he　was　inordinately　proud…over　his　morning　coffee。
　Neither　father　nor　son　had　mentioned　anything　about　the　murder　investigation　that　had　so　consumed　them　the　day　before；　this　was　a　new　day…witness　the　endless　blue　sky　puffed　with　clouds；　the　surf　rolling　gentry　to　shore；　hear　and　feel　the　wind　whispering　through　the　fronds；　a　strangely　still　morning；　quiet；　serene　。。。　Sunday。
　When　the　first　sounds　of　artillery　fire　interrupted　that　serenity；　shattering　it　even；　Burroughs；　coffee　cup　in　hand；　looked　at　Hully　with　one　arched　eyebrow。
　〃No；〃　Hully　said；　to　the　unasked　question。
　And　O。　B。　nodded。
　After　all；　yesterday's　papers　had　said　that　heavy　guns　would　be　fired　from　various　parts　of　the　island；　ov