“Well, this is no
fun,” she said. “Tell you what, let’s pop by your digs. I’ll pick up that Plutarch, I need it more than you. I’ll smother
that clock with a pillow and maybe I’ll read myself to sleep.”
“By all means,” said Barak, his nerves quickening.
What now
?
When he closed the door of the suite she threw her arms around his neck, and kissed his mouth with gentle affection. “No happy
hour, kiddo, if you’re wondering. I do want to talk, then I’m tooling off with Plutarch. Don’t make a pass at me now, there’s
a good lad, just sit down quietly.”
“Why, it never crossed my mind,” said Barak, dropping in an armchair.
“Ho!”
“Ho is right, Queenie. It’s been a while.”
Her eyes flashed at him. She threw open her coat and sat on the bed. “Well, curb the old beast, hon, it mustn’t be on, you
know that. Not that you don’t look powerfully sweet to these longing eyes —”
“All right, all right. Curbed. Talk away.”
“Fine. Good Conduct Medal for the Gray Wolf. Now
listen
. You just said I’m in love with Bud. Not so. He’s a fine guy and we’ll be all right, but falling in love has happened to
me just once, and it won’t again.” Their eyes met, and after a silence she said in a roughened voice, “No, it won’t, and it’s
hopeless.”
“Emily —”
“Zev, it always was, but once I realized that Nakhama knew, it became intolerable. The more so, when she as much as said she
didn’t mind.”
He shook his head. “I wasn’t present when you two had it out, but it must have been something.”
“It sure was, old scout. She was smart, decent, and mighty adroit. Lethal, one might say. In some ways that wife of yours
can run rings around you.”
“That’s no news. Nakhama’s never mentioned any of this to me, not once ever brought it up, so I have to take your word for
it. Anyway, you’re committed now, that part’s over, and the rest is letters, right? As long as we live, if you like. Agreed.”
“Not so fast. I want you to understand me, dearest. I was halfway around the world,” she said, her voice faltering, “wrestling
with this thing all the way, when I decided once for all in New Delhi that I’d done the right thing. That there was no solution
but Bud. Out of the frying pan, into the freeze compartment.”
“Oh, come off it, Quccnic —”
“It’s God’s truth. That’s when I wrote you from New Delhi. And that’s when I wrote to Bud that I’d marry him if he really
wanted me, once we met again.”
“And he did.”
“And how. And I truly like him. He’s a gent, and patient, and bright as they come. Moreover, if you’re into military types
— which present company excepted, I sure ain’t — he’s a catch. A careerist who’s going places.”
The words obscurely jarred Barak. This tantalizing, disturbing presence of Queenie in his suite, on his bed, was not something
to prolong. He picked a book off a side table. “Well, here’s Plutarch.”
“Throwing me out, are you? Not that I blame you.” She accepted the book with a tart smile, still sitting there.
“Hey, stay till morning, by all means.”
“No thanks, but there’s just one more thing I must tell you.”
“Shoot.”
“It’ll sound vain, maybe, but I swear I’ve become more seductive, or something. Result of having discovered what love is?
On my travels, so help me, I was beating them off — guys on ships, guys on trains, guys on planes. How come?”
“What was the competition, Queenie?”
She burst out laughing, and jumped up. “Oh, go to hell.”
He seized her, and their kiss was long and passionate. Then she murmured, “This sweater smells familiar. In fact you do.”
“Shut up, Queenie.”
“Okay. Just hold me.”
And so this familiar slight body was pressed to his once more, no doubt as it never would be again. The Good Conduct Medal
fell off, unregarded.
“Enough, enough. Too much, much too much,” she
fun,” she said. “Tell you what, let’s pop by your digs. I’ll pick up that Plutarch, I need it more than you. I’ll smother
that clock with a pillow and maybe I’ll read myself to sleep.”
“By all means,” said Barak, his nerves quickening.
What now
?
When he closed the door of the suite she threw her arms around his neck, and kissed his mouth with gentle affection. “No happy
hour, kiddo, if you’re wondering. I do want to talk, then I’m tooling off with Plutarch. Don’t make a pass at me now, there’s
a good lad, just sit down quietly.”
“Why, it never crossed my mind,” said Barak, dropping in an armchair.
“Ho!”
“Ho is right, Queenie. It’s been a while.”
Her eyes flashed at him. She threw open her coat and sat on the bed. “Well, curb the old beast, hon, it mustn’t be on, you
know that. Not that you don’t look powerfully sweet to these longing eyes —”
“All right, all right. Curbed. Talk away.”
“Fine. Good Conduct Medal for the Gray Wolf. Now
listen
. You just said I’m in love with Bud. Not so. He’s a fine guy and we’ll be all right, but falling in love has happened to
me just once, and it won’t again.” Their eyes met, and after a silence she said in a roughened voice, “No, it won’t, and it’s
hopeless.”
“Emily —”
“Zev, it always was, but once I realized that Nakhama knew, it became intolerable. The more so, when she as much as said she
didn’t mind.”
He shook his head. “I wasn’t present when you two had it out, but it must have been something.”
“It sure was, old scout. She was smart, decent, and mighty adroit. Lethal, one might say. In some ways that wife of yours
can run rings around you.”
“That’s no news. Nakhama’s never mentioned any of this to me, not once ever brought it up, so I have to take your word for
it. Anyway, you’re committed now, that part’s over, and the rest is letters, right? As long as we live, if you like. Agreed.”
“Not so fast. I want you to understand me, dearest. I was halfway around the world,” she said, her voice faltering, “wrestling
with this thing all the way, when I decided once for all in New Delhi that I’d done the right thing. That there was no solution
but Bud. Out of the frying pan, into the freeze compartment.”
“Oh, come off it, Quccnic —”
“It’s God’s truth. That’s when I wrote you from New Delhi. And that’s when I wrote to Bud that I’d marry him if he really
wanted me, once we met again.”
“And he did.”
“And how. And I truly like him. He’s a gent, and patient, and bright as they come. Moreover, if you’re into military types
— which present company excepted, I sure ain’t — he’s a catch. A careerist who’s going places.”
The words obscurely jarred Barak. This tantalizing, disturbing presence of Queenie in his suite, on his bed, was not something
to prolong. He picked a book off a side table. “Well, here’s Plutarch.”
“Throwing me out, are you? Not that I blame you.” She accepted the book with a tart smile, still sitting there.
“Hey, stay till morning, by all means.”
“No thanks, but there’s just one more thing I must tell you.”
“Shoot.”
“It’ll sound vain, maybe, but I swear I’ve become more seductive, or something. Result of having discovered what love is?
On my travels, so help me, I was beating them off — guys on ships, guys on trains, guys on planes. How come?”
“What was the competition, Queenie?”
She burst out laughing, and jumped up. “Oh, go to hell.”
He seized her, and their kiss was long and passionate. Then she murmured, “This sweater smells familiar. In fact you do.”
“Shut up, Queenie.”
“Okay. Just hold me.”
And so this familiar slight body was pressed to his once more, no doubt as it never would be again. The Good Conduct Medal
fell off, unregarded.
“Enough, enough. Too much, much too much,” she
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