On The Beach

He hesitated. "Yes," he said at last. "I ordered him to take Swordfish out beyond the twelve-mile limit and sink her on the high seas, in deep water." He stared at the prongs of the fork. "I dunno if I did the right thing or not," he said. "I thought that was what the Navy Department would want me to do-not to leave a ship like that, full of classified gear, kicking around in another country. Even if there wasn't anybody there." He glanced at her. "So now the U.S. Navy's been reduced again," he said. "From two ships down to one."

They sat in silence for a minute. "Is that what you're going to do with Scorpion?" she asked at last.

"I think so. I'd have liked to take her back to the United States, but it wouldn't be practical. Too many shore associations, like he said."

Their lunch came. "Dwight," she said when the waiter had departed. "I had an idea."

"What's that, honey?"

"They're opening the trout fishing early this year, on Saturday week. I was wondering if you'd like to take me up into the mountains for the week-end." She smiled faintly. "For the fishing, Dwight-fishing to fish. Not for anything else. It's lovely up by Jamieson."

He hesitated for a moment. "That's the day that John Osborne thinks they'll be running the Grand Prix."

She nodded. "So I thought. Would you rather see that?"

He shook his head. "Would you?"

"No. I don't want to see any more people get killed. We're going to see enough of that in a week or two."

"I feel that way about it, too. I don't want to see that race, and maybe see John get killed. I'd rather go fishing." He glanced at her and met her eyes. "There's just one thing, honey. I wouldn't want to go if it was going to mean that you'd get hurt."

"I shan't get hurt," she said. "Not in the way you mean."

He stared across the crowded restaurant. "I'm going home quite soon," he said. "I've been away a long time, but it's nearly over now. You know the way it is. I've got a wife at home I love, and I've played straight with her the two years that I've been away. I wouldn't want to spoil that now, these last few days."

"I know," she said. "I've known that all the time." She was silent for a minute, and then she said, "You've been very good for me, Dwight. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't come along. I suppose half a loaf is better than no bread, when you're starving."

He wrinkled his brows. "I didn't get that, honey."

"It doesn't matter. I wouldn't want to start a smutty love affair when I'm dying in a week or ten days' time. I've got some standards, too-now, anyway."

He smiled at her. "We could try out Junior's rod…"

"That's what I thought you'd want to do. I've got a little fly rod I could bring, but I'm no good."

"Got any flies and leaders?"

"We call them casts. I'm not quite sure. I'll have to look around and see what I can find at home."

"We'd go by car, would we? How far is it?"

"I think we'd want petrol for about five hundred miles. But you don't have to worry about that. I asked Daddy if I might borrow the Customline. He's got it out and running, and he's got nearly a hundred gallons of petrol tucked away in the hay shed behind the hay."

He smiled again. "You think of everything. Say, where would we stay?"

"I think at the hotel," she said. "It's only a small country place, but I think it's the best bet. I could borrow a cottage, but it wouldn't have been slept in for two years, and we'd spend all our time in housekeeping. I'll ring up and make a booking at the hotel. For two rooms," she said.

"Okay. Til have to chase that Leading Seaman Edgar and see if I can use my car without taking him along. I'm not just sure if I'm allowed to drive myself."

"That's not terribly important now, is it? I mean, you could just take it and drive it."

He shook his head. "I wouldn't want to do that."

"But, Dwight, why not? I mean, it doesn't matter -we can go in the Customline. But if that car's been put at your disposal, you can use it, surely. We're all going to be dead in a fortnight's time. Then nobody will be using it."

"I know…" he said. "It's just that I'd like to do things right, up till the end. If there's an order I'll obey it. That's the way I was trained, honey, and I'm not changing now. If it's against the rules for an officer to take a service car and drive it up into the mountains for a week-end with a girl, then I'll not do it. There'll be no alcoholic liquor on board Scorpion, not even in the last five minutes." He smiled. "That's the way it is, so let me buy you another drink."

"I can see that it will have to be the Customline. You're a very difficult man-I'm glad I'm not a sailor serving under you. No, I won't have a drink, thanks, Dwight. I've got my first test this afternoon."

"Your first test?"

She nodded. "I've got to try and take dictation at fifty words a minute. You've got to be able to do that and type it out without more than three mistakes in shorthand and three in typing. It's very difficult."

"I'd say it might be. You're getting to be quite a shorthand typist."