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"What you're asking is whether he would be a traitor. The answer is not any more than you would. Is that what this is all about? You think I can get to von Heurten-Mitnitz? You're dreaming. No way."

"One more question," Canidy said.

"If we asked you to, would you stick your neck out?"

"You're asking would I go back to Morocco?"

"I didn't ask that. But would you?"

"Yeah," Fulmar said.

"I'm not too bright, Dick. I trust people I shouldn't. But if you tell me that it's important that I go back to Morocco, Okay, I'll go. just one condition."

208 8 W.Z.B. URIFFIN "You're in no position to ask for conditions," Canidy said. "I want a commission," Fulmar said.

"A real one, like Jimmy's and Doug lass's and Bitter's, not a phony one like yours."

"Doug lass is a major, Bitter's the Navy equivalent, and Jimmy is a captain. They're not going to give you that."

"They made Martin a second lieutenant just because he had a college degree, he told me. I went to college, Second lieutenant would be okay."

"Why is that important?"

"Be

cause if I get killed going back to Morocco, I want to be brought home in a casket with a flag on it and buried as a soldier, not left over there in a ditch because I was just a dumb sonofabitch who was used by people he thought were his friends. "I'm your friend, you dumb sonofabitch. I always have been." 44 Right, sure. Two choruses of "For Auld Langsyne But for the time being, try to think of some way to turn good ol' Helm ut von Heurtenmitnitz into a traitor, right?"

"Yeah, and don't tell anybody I told you to. I've already told you a hell of a lot more than I should."

"Because you're a nice guy, right?"

"No Canidy said, "because we need you, and because I decided that was the way to get you to help."

"That sounds honest enough," Fulmar said. J "I'll raise the question of a commission as soon as I can," Canidy said. "No promises."

"Good enough," Fulmar said. "My father knows you're safe in this country," Canidy said. "How does he know?"

"I told him. He was worried about you."

"That's all you told him?"

"That's enough to get me locked up for the duration if anybody hears about it, so keep it under your hat."

"I had diarrhea of the mouth a while back," Fulmar said.

"Keep that under your hat." Canidy got out of bed.

"I'm going to call the sentry," he said.

"And he will escort you back to the house."

"if you do that, the sailor sitting outside my door to keep me in the house will have his ass in a crack."

THE SECRET WARRIORS 0 goo What did you do, make a rope from your blankets and climb out the window?"

"I didn't need a rope," Fulmar said. "You could get back without one?"

"Watch me," Fulmar said. "No," Canidy said.