"We artistically arrange local evergreens atop the netting," Hughson said.
"And devoutly pray that it works."
"Let's get at it, then," Canidy said.
Capt. Hughson raised his hand above his head and snapped his fingers.
Eight Englishmen, in various combinations of uniform, trotted up. One of them, with sergeant's chevrons sewn to his rough woolen jacket, stamped his foot and gave the captain a quivering-hand salute.
"Sir! "he barked.
Darmstadter saw Canidy's eyebrows go up at the noncom's parade-ground behavior.
"Would you have the chaps roll the aircraft into the revetment?" the British officer asked conversationally.
"Sir!" the sergeant barked, and stamped his boot again.
The English soldiers, without further orders, went to the B-25G and started to push it. When they had trouble getting it moving, Canidy went to the left wheel, put his back against it, and tried to help. Darmstadter went to the other wheel and did the same thing. As he heaved, he saw that neither the British officer nor the civilian was helping. They even seemed surprised that Canidy] and Darmstadter were lending a hand. i' Once the initial inertia was overcome, their help was no longer needed, ( and they walked back to where the captain and the civilian stood, i Darmstadter saw Dolan finally drop through the access hatch, and then, S taking a quick look around to see what was going on, begin to give directions] to the pushers.
"Commander Dolan, you say?" the British captain asked.
"Right," Canidy said, "and this is Lieutenant Darmstadter."
The two shook Darmstadter's hand.
"I didn't catch your name," Canidy said to the civilian.
"Ferniany," the civilian said.
"Yachtsman," Canidy said, confirming his suspicion that the civilian was the OSS agent.
"We try not to use that identification unless we have to," Ferniany said.
"We're among friends, I think," Canidy said.
They all watched as the B-25G was turned and then rolled backward into | the natural revetment. And they continued watching as the British soldiers, | with a skill that could only have come from practice, unrolled the camouflage!
net and propped it up over the airplane with trunks of young pine trees, then covered the camouflage netting with branches.
Then Dolan walked over to them, and there was an exchange of salutes between Dolan and the British officer. Darmstadter saw that Dolan was as surprised by the display of parade-ground military courtesy as Canidy had been.
"This is Yachtsman," Canidy said.
Dolan smiled and shook Ferniany's hand.
"Where's Fulmar?" Dolan asked. He chuckled.
"Or what is it we're calling;
him, "Ex-Lax'?"
"I was about to ask," Canidy said. } "There is a minor problem with Fulmar," Ferniany said.
"Actually, it's almost' funny." | "What's almost funny?" Canidy snapped. I "He's doing ninety days in the coal mine at Pecs," Ferniany said.
"For black, marketing. He and the professor. The girl is here."
"Go over that again," Canidy snapped.