Comfort to the Enemy (2010) by Elmore - Carl Webster 03 Leonard Page A
Authors: Elmore - Carl Webster 03 Leonard
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panel's load space were "Salute to the Marines," and "Dixie," and "Commandos Strike at Dawn," shown last week. Jurgen smiled remembering the howls of laughter from the audience during th e c ommando combat scenes. Now with "Louisiana Purchase running, he would hear scattered laughter from the audience on Bob Hope's lines. When they cheered and whistled it meant Vera Zorina was on the screen in a dance number. "Dixie," was another Bob Hope Dorothy Lamour movie.
"It's over," Otto said. "They're leaving."
"I'll wait a few minutes," Jurgen said, "give the projectionist time to put the film back in the can and do whatever else he does.
He closed the rear door on Otto, inside now curling himself among the film cans in his gray-green suit. They both wore white shirts and neckties once tan, now dyed in strange shades of color, Otto's a dusty blue, Jurgen's deep red. He got in behind the wheel, came out from between barracks, waited for moviegoers to pass and turned onto the road that crossed the yard to the main gate.
*
The guard on duty wore a helmet liner and sidearm. He came through the walking gate next to the main one: came staring hard at Jurgen.
"Where's Lloyd?"
"A reel broke on Vera Zorina and almost caused a riot.
You didn't hear the Krauts booing? It was right at the part it looks like the top of her costume is coming open. You know who I mean, Vera Zorina? Lloyd got the pictur e r unning again, but he's sending me to the movie theatre in town to get some splicing stuff. He want to put all of Vera back in before we leave."
"How come I didn't see you coming in with Lloyd?"
"I was in back. 'Commandos Strike at Dawn' kept sliding against the rear door every time Lloyd hit the gas. He swore and I laughed, and he made me go back and sit on the can.
Listen, Jurgen said, bringing a business envelope ou t o f his inside coat pocket, "I gotta hurry and get back, but before I forget, would you see this is delivered sometime tomorrow? It doesn't have to be first thing, so don't break your neck to get it to him. Long as you don't forget."
The guard, a PFC, looked like a serious young guy. He held the envelope in both hands to read Colonel Wesley Sellers and below the name, Commander Camp Deep Fork "It's about movies?"
What's coming up," Jurgen said. "Have to get the Colonel's okay." He waited for the guard to open the double main gates and said, "Much obliged," on the way out.
They followed the back road that bridged the Deep Fork, barely a stream after hot summer months. Jurgen said to Otto in the rearview mirror, "The man who owns this property is Carl Webster's father. He said I should see the river in the spring, at flood stage. He said it keeps the weevils from eating his pecan trees."
The outside mirror showed the camp's tower lights against a black sky.
Once they were in farmland following a gravel road he told Otto to climb up front with him. Otto said, "You keep making turns, following roads--do you know where you're going?" Otto the tank killer sounding a little nervous.
Jurgen said, "The road of life, Otto, takes many turns," Jurgen in a playful mood. "As we wander the countryside looking for Okmulgee. I think what we'll have to do is take the first train out of here, We'll see if Shemane will pay for our fares, and give us a bit of spending money.
They hadn't discussed this earlier, the idea of taking a train. Otto said, "But we have this truck."
"The projectionist comes out, looks around. 'Where's my truck?' They go to the main gate and hear the guard's story, they know a POW took the truck. But we can't take it to Shemane's, so I thought we'd leave it somewhere in town."
They came into Okmulgee from the west and moved along Sixth Street, Otto seeing most of the storefronts dark at ten o'clock. He said, "There are no beer halls open? This doesn't look like our villages at home, does it?"
"It's what towns in the middle of America look like, Jurgen said. All of them.
*
The moment Shemane opened the door
"It's over," Otto said. "They're leaving."
"I'll wait a few minutes," Jurgen said, "give the projectionist time to put the film back in the can and do whatever else he does.
He closed the rear door on Otto, inside now curling himself among the film cans in his gray-green suit. They both wore white shirts and neckties once tan, now dyed in strange shades of color, Otto's a dusty blue, Jurgen's deep red. He got in behind the wheel, came out from between barracks, waited for moviegoers to pass and turned onto the road that crossed the yard to the main gate.
*
The guard on duty wore a helmet liner and sidearm. He came through the walking gate next to the main one: came staring hard at Jurgen.
"Where's Lloyd?"
"A reel broke on Vera Zorina and almost caused a riot.
You didn't hear the Krauts booing? It was right at the part it looks like the top of her costume is coming open. You know who I mean, Vera Zorina? Lloyd got the pictur e r unning again, but he's sending me to the movie theatre in town to get some splicing stuff. He want to put all of Vera back in before we leave."
"How come I didn't see you coming in with Lloyd?"
"I was in back. 'Commandos Strike at Dawn' kept sliding against the rear door every time Lloyd hit the gas. He swore and I laughed, and he made me go back and sit on the can.
Listen, Jurgen said, bringing a business envelope ou t o f his inside coat pocket, "I gotta hurry and get back, but before I forget, would you see this is delivered sometime tomorrow? It doesn't have to be first thing, so don't break your neck to get it to him. Long as you don't forget."
The guard, a PFC, looked like a serious young guy. He held the envelope in both hands to read Colonel Wesley Sellers and below the name, Commander Camp Deep Fork "It's about movies?"
What's coming up," Jurgen said. "Have to get the Colonel's okay." He waited for the guard to open the double main gates and said, "Much obliged," on the way out.
They followed the back road that bridged the Deep Fork, barely a stream after hot summer months. Jurgen said to Otto in the rearview mirror, "The man who owns this property is Carl Webster's father. He said I should see the river in the spring, at flood stage. He said it keeps the weevils from eating his pecan trees."
The outside mirror showed the camp's tower lights against a black sky.
Once they were in farmland following a gravel road he told Otto to climb up front with him. Otto said, "You keep making turns, following roads--do you know where you're going?" Otto the tank killer sounding a little nervous.
Jurgen said, "The road of life, Otto, takes many turns," Jurgen in a playful mood. "As we wander the countryside looking for Okmulgee. I think what we'll have to do is take the first train out of here, We'll see if Shemane will pay for our fares, and give us a bit of spending money.
They hadn't discussed this earlier, the idea of taking a train. Otto said, "But we have this truck."
"The projectionist comes out, looks around. 'Where's my truck?' They go to the main gate and hear the guard's story, they know a POW took the truck. But we can't take it to Shemane's, so I thought we'd leave it somewhere in town."
They came into Okmulgee from the west and moved along Sixth Street, Otto seeing most of the storefronts dark at ten o'clock. He said, "There are no beer halls open? This doesn't look like our villages at home, does it?"
"It's what towns in the middle of America look like, Jurgen said. All of them.
*
The moment Shemane opened the door
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