The Last Heroes (Men at War 1)

‘‘All I want to do is let him know I’m in the States,’’ he said. ‘‘Can I do that?’’

‘‘Sure,’’ she said. ‘‘Give me a minute to place the call; then pick up the extension in here. You have the number?’’

‘‘Sure.’’

‘‘OK, wait sixty seconds, then pick up,’’ she said, and walked out of the library.

When he picked up the telephone, his father was on the line.

He told him he was back in the United States and safe. But he had no idea when he could get a leave to come home.

‘‘The FBI has been to see me,’’ his father said. ‘‘They were asking all sorts of questions about you and Eric Fulmar. Do you have any idea what that was all about?’’

‘‘No, Dad,’’ Canidy said. ‘‘Maybe they think he’s a spy in Morocco.’’

‘‘I assured them that there was no question of his patriotism or character,’’ the Reverend Dr. Canidy said.

After Dick said good-bye to his father, Cynthia reappeared at the library door.

‘‘Come on,’’ she said. ‘‘I’ll show you to your room.’’

He followed her upstairs.

At the door to a room across from the master bedroom, she touched his arm.

‘‘Dick, I’m really glad you came through China in one piece,’’ she said. And then she surprised him by quickly kissing him on the cheek. ‘‘Good night,’’ she said. ‘‘Happy New Year.’’

The kiss meant two things: She liked him. And she was not going to screw him. He had been kissed that way before.

Washington, D.C. January 1, 1942

A hand stabbing his shoulder woke Canidy and a ruddy-faced chief boatswain’s mate stood over him, a cup of coffee in his hand.

‘‘Good morning, Mr. Canidy,’’ he said. ‘‘I’m Chief Ellis. I figured you could use this. As soon as you can make it, they’re waiting for you.’’

‘‘Thank you,’’ Canidy said. He looked at his watch. It was nine o’clock. ‘‘Who’s ‘they’?’’

‘‘The captain, Mr. Baker, Miss Chenowith,’’ Ellis said.

‘‘You’re a long way from the briny deep, Chief,’’ Canidy said.

‘‘Yeah.’’ Ellis smiled. ‘‘Ain’t we?’’

Five minutes later, Canidy followed Ellis into the dining room. Cynthia Chenowith was in a sweater and skirt that reminded him painfully of her platonic kiss. Doug Douglass’s father was in uniform, and Baker wore a business suit.

‘‘Welcome home,’’ Douglass said, shaking Canidy’s hand with a strong grip. ‘‘I’m Captain Peter Douglass.’’

‘‘How do you do?’’ Canidy said.

Douglass pushed a box across the table to him.

‘‘That’s yours,’’ he said. ‘‘You left it behind. Doug sent it to me.’’

Canidy opened the box. It was his Order of the Cloud Banner.

‘‘I’m sorry that had to go the way it did,’’ Douglass said. ‘‘But Baker was right. It kept a lot of questions from being asked. Anyhow’’—he looked at Canidy—‘‘I thought you might want to send that to your father.’’

A thin black woman appeared and laid ham and eggs in front of Canidy.