wiley asked slim what he thought their chances were.
slim just laughed. “you mean of actually finding the frammis?”
“yeah.”
“zero. obviously. you think we are actually going to see it lying beside the road as we go along, and we are just going to stop and pick it up? driving with no lights on? ”
“no, but … we got to think, use our heads, you know? think about where he could of lost it.”
“he didn’t lose it.” slim took a pack of luckies out of his shirt pocket and lit one. “this is just some kind of test. you know what he’s like.”
“you think so?’
“or else he just wants to get rid of us.” slim turned his head and looked hard at wiley, who was keeping his eyes on the road. “because we know too much.”
wiley laughed. “but if he wanted to get rid of us, all he has to do is send us back to 99.”
“but we know too much,” slim repeated.
“who is going to believe us against him? a couple of 99’s against a general? or he could just shoot us, leave our bodies by the side of the road for the wolves.””
“you want to know why?” slim answered. “hey, watch where you going!”
wiley swerved a little to avoid a shadow - a dog, a wolf? - on the side of he road.
“i’m watching where i’m going, don’t worry about me. you were saying?”
“he’s devious. our friend the general, he’s devious. he does things in a sneaky or roundabout way even if he doesn’t have to because that’s just the way he is. i knew guys like that riding the rails, and in jail. prisoners and guards. he’s just like them. even with those stars on his shoulder.”
“so you think he wants to get rid of us?”
“i think he is rid of us. we just have to figure out where to go next.”
wiley considered this. “what about sarge? is he getting rid of him too?”
“it looks that way.”
“i don’t know, brother, i think you are making too much out of all this. you got too much imagination.”
“and you don’t have any.”
wiley shook his head. “i say we just drive back to the beach, then turn around and go back and see what happens. otherwise, we are deserters again, and if we get picked up this time they will probably shoot us. is that what you want?”
“i’ll take my chances.”
“really?”
slim gestured out the window at the dark countryside. “there’s a big world out there, and a war on. there has to be a beautiful dame in a deserted house somewhere, just waiting for me. look out there.”
“i don’t see anything.”
“over to your right. that big house. see it? with no lights?”
“probably with no anything. the krauts probably stripped it down the scruds before they moved out.”
“i think there is a beautiful woman in it, waiting for me.”
“if you say so. you want me to let you off?”
“if you don’t mind.”
wiley stopped the truck. slim started to get out.
“maybe you should load up with some c-rations out of the back.” wiley said. “just in case that dame doesn’t have a steak and some champagne ready for you.”
slim laughed. “good idea.” he went around to the back of the truck and climbed in. old sarge was dead asleep.
slim grabbed a sack and filled it up with c-rations and cigarettes and a jug of water. then he dropped back out of the truck and waved to wiley.
“so long, pal, “ wiley told him. “see you in hell.”
slim watched as the deuce and a half disappeared into the darkness.
he would not see wiley again for four years.
there was one light on in madame de c————’s chateau. a small - very small - group of yanks or maybe englishmen had stopped and were apparently staying in it, at least for the night.
the countess had been relieved and also slightly insulted that they had not stopped at her establishment.
now as she watched, one of the trucks they had arrived in started up and came back down the road towards her, and towards the coast, moving without its headlights on.
then it stopped. after a few minutes it moved on again.
she could barely make out a figure who seemed to have been left behind. she focused the binoculars on it.
the figure slung a bag over its shoulder and started walking across the field, towards her.
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