The Fighting Agents (Men at War 4)

The Navy band on the wharf, following tradition, began to play "Anchors Aweigh."

"

Remove the gangplanks, loosen up all lines fore and aft," It. Rutherford ordered.

Commander Lennox sensed movement behind him. He turned and saw Capt. Whittaker's head and shoulders coming through the hatch.

"Morning," Whittaker said cheerfully.

A moment later, It. Hammer came through the hatch.

With a massive effort, Commander Lennox smiled.

"If you gentlemen will be good enough to stand back there," he said, pointing.

"Sure," Whittaker said.

"We don't want to be in the way."

Both of them waved at the girl on the wharf. Both of them, Lennox saw, wore evidence of her lipstick. She waved back.

"Cast off all lines," Lennox said.

"Secure all deck hatches. Half left rudder.

Ahead dead slow."

The Drum shuddered just perceptibly as the engines engaged. Very slowly, she moved away from the dock.

When they were in the channel, moving past Battleship Row, Lennox turned to Rutherford.

"You have the conn, Mr. Rutherford," he said.

"Take us to sea."

"Aye, aye, Sir."

"And if you gentlemen don't mind, I would like a word with you in my cabin."

Commander Lennox delivered a brief, precise, and pungent lecture on the customs of the Naval Service as they applied to submarine service, starting with the information that one was supposed to ask permission before boarding a Naval vessel and touching on such items as the prohibition from entering the bridge without the specific permission of the captain.

And then he warmed to his subject.

So far as he was concerned, he told them, this movie documentary was the dumbest goddamned thing he had heard of in his eight years in the Navy.

In addition to that, he didn't like the attitude of either of them. He was the captain of a vessel at sea, and when they spoke with him, they would call him either "Captain" or "Sir." But for the time being, he said, he would be pleased if they didn't speak to him unless spoken to, and he would consider it a personal favor if they would take their meals in the wardroom when he was not there.

Movie actors in officers' uniforms ruined his appetite, As far as he was concerned, his business was sinking Japanese ships, not making some kind of bullshit movie. They should conduct themselves accordingly.

Capt. Whittaker and It. Hammer took the speech without comment, which Lennox found disturbing. He had hoped they would argue with him, which would have given him the chance to really eat ass, and possibly even an excuse to throw their goddamned rubber boats and movie cameras over the side.

"Sir," Whittaker said respectfully, "we will do our best to keep out of your way."

"See that you do," Lennox said.

"You are dismissed."

Once he had finished blowing his top, Lennox was a little ashamed of himself.