couldn't completely dismiss what Reeder had said; it was so logical and practical and simple. On the other hand, Tanaka's explanation was logical and practical and simple too.
"We can't waste any more time," Reeder said. "We've got to do it tonight. So let's figure out what's the best way."
If Tanaka was not the enemy, Amos thought, there was still the big thing: Could he and John and Max do it? Could just three men in the channel accomplish anything? If they found mines that they couldn't disarm, at least they could let the Task Force know. They could turn it back before any ships got hit.
John looked over at him. "You haven't said anything, Amos."
"There's not much to say. If Reeder's right we're in a lot of trouble."
"I know I'm right," Reeder said. "Tanaka's a Japanese. He's what this war is all about."
Amos was thinking beyond that. "We could do it
without Tanaka. Only we can't get to Sundance without him."
"The crew could," Max said.
"What could we tell them? We don't know where Sundance is, or even its real name."
"Get with it!" Reeder said. "We're not going to Sundance! As soon as we get rid of him, we'll get that coding board and tell Pearl what's going on."
"We could do that," John said.
Max said, "The only time I ever used a scuba was in a swimming pool. I've never been down in the ocean with one."
"If we don't go, all they can do is court-martial us," John said. "That's better than dying, Amos."
"Now you're making sense," Reeder said.
"Amos," John said quietly, "even if Reeder's all wrong and the Navy really did set up this whole thing, the Navy didn't intend for us to be here. This is for Master Divers, real experts."
Max said, "I don't know anything about mines, Amos."
"If they knew we were out here instead of the hotshots they think are here, they'd call this thing off," John said. "It's a mistake, Amos."
"If all we do is find mines we can't handle, at least we can tell Pearl to call it off," Amos said. "We'll have done something."
" 'We'?" John asked.
Max said in a faraway voice, "I just don't know what good I could do down there, Amos."
"You could get killed," Reeder said. "That'd be helpful."
"We can't get there without Tanaka," Amos said.
"'We/ Amos?"
Amos looked over at John. "I don't know whether I can stop you guys from killing Tanaka, but I'm going to try."
"Listen to Our Hero," Reeder said. "He wants to get killed."
"No, I don't, and I don't want to kill anybody either."
Max said, "Amos, if we won't go along, would you go down there by yourself?"
Amos hadn't thought that far ahead, but now he did. "What difference does it make how many people are in the water? When you're working on a mine, it's just you and the mine."
"All by yourself," Max said, sounding dazed.
"Why?" John asked. "Do you really think they've got a right to ask us to do a thing like this?"
"I don't know," Amos said. "I saw a dead Marine on the beach back there. Kind of a young guy. I don't guess anybody asked him if that's where he wanted to be."
"Look out, you guys," Reeder said, "you'll get hit by the flagpole."
Amos began to laugh. "You're right, Reeder, the flag's coming around again. You guys want to know something? I've been busting my butt trying to get sea duty; that's how I got those two courts-martial waiting for me Stateside. Well, now I'm here, and it
isn't the way I figured it. I sort of thought I'd be with a whole lot of shipmates fighting and ... I guess it isn't that way."
"It isn't that way," John said. "It never is. I was in a real happy ship at Guadalcanal; good bunch of guys. But when the torpedo came into the engine room I got sudden lonesome."
"You really going to do it all by yourself, Amos?" Max asked.
"I might get lucky and find something I know all about," Amos said. "At least I can look."
"We," Max said. "I don't know what I can do down there, but I'll go along for the ride."
John leaned back on his elbows and looked up at the sky. "I don't think you want me along,
"We can't waste any more time," Reeder said. "We've got to do it tonight. So let's figure out what's the best way."
If Tanaka was not the enemy, Amos thought, there was still the big thing: Could he and John and Max do it? Could just three men in the channel accomplish anything? If they found mines that they couldn't disarm, at least they could let the Task Force know. They could turn it back before any ships got hit.
John looked over at him. "You haven't said anything, Amos."
"There's not much to say. If Reeder's right we're in a lot of trouble."
"I know I'm right," Reeder said. "Tanaka's a Japanese. He's what this war is all about."
Amos was thinking beyond that. "We could do it
without Tanaka. Only we can't get to Sundance without him."
"The crew could," Max said.
"What could we tell them? We don't know where Sundance is, or even its real name."
"Get with it!" Reeder said. "We're not going to Sundance! As soon as we get rid of him, we'll get that coding board and tell Pearl what's going on."
"We could do that," John said.
Max said, "The only time I ever used a scuba was in a swimming pool. I've never been down in the ocean with one."
"If we don't go, all they can do is court-martial us," John said. "That's better than dying, Amos."
"Now you're making sense," Reeder said.
"Amos," John said quietly, "even if Reeder's all wrong and the Navy really did set up this whole thing, the Navy didn't intend for us to be here. This is for Master Divers, real experts."
Max said, "I don't know anything about mines, Amos."
"If they knew we were out here instead of the hotshots they think are here, they'd call this thing off," John said. "It's a mistake, Amos."
"If all we do is find mines we can't handle, at least we can tell Pearl to call it off," Amos said. "We'll have done something."
" 'We'?" John asked.
Max said in a faraway voice, "I just don't know what good I could do down there, Amos."
"You could get killed," Reeder said. "That'd be helpful."
"We can't get there without Tanaka," Amos said.
"'We/ Amos?"
Amos looked over at John. "I don't know whether I can stop you guys from killing Tanaka, but I'm going to try."
"Listen to Our Hero," Reeder said. "He wants to get killed."
"No, I don't, and I don't want to kill anybody either."
Max said, "Amos, if we won't go along, would you go down there by yourself?"
Amos hadn't thought that far ahead, but now he did. "What difference does it make how many people are in the water? When you're working on a mine, it's just you and the mine."
"All by yourself," Max said, sounding dazed.
"Why?" John asked. "Do you really think they've got a right to ask us to do a thing like this?"
"I don't know," Amos said. "I saw a dead Marine on the beach back there. Kind of a young guy. I don't guess anybody asked him if that's where he wanted to be."
"Look out, you guys," Reeder said, "you'll get hit by the flagpole."
Amos began to laugh. "You're right, Reeder, the flag's coming around again. You guys want to know something? I've been busting my butt trying to get sea duty; that's how I got those two courts-martial waiting for me Stateside. Well, now I'm here, and it
isn't the way I figured it. I sort of thought I'd be with a whole lot of shipmates fighting and ... I guess it isn't that way."
"It isn't that way," John said. "It never is. I was in a real happy ship at Guadalcanal; good bunch of guys. But when the torpedo came into the engine room I got sudden lonesome."
"You really going to do it all by yourself, Amos?" Max asked.
"I might get lucky and find something I know all about," Amos said. "At least I can look."
"We," Max said. "I don't know what I can do down there, but I'll go along for the ride."
John leaned back on his elbows and looked up at the sky. "I don't think you want me along,
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