Leon Uris (40 page)

“Amanda came to see me three days ago and told me.”

“What can I say?”

“You’ve said it, Zachary. You’ve stuck to your guns here and ‘Random Sixteen’ will be completed. Now don’t get excited, but Daisy Kerr called me earlier today. Amanda confronted her father and has left Tobermory. She will let you know where she is waiting for you through Willow Fancy. As for Horace Kerr, Daisy believes he will make no move against her.”

Zach shook out loud and gasped and sank down on his cot trembling.

“Now get your ass in gear, son, and do this little job. We’ve only got a few hours.”

•
37
•

Admiral-in-Chief Porter Langenfeld’s conference room held a half-moon-shaped table with nine seats, himself in the center.

Facing the conference table, a straight table where advisers came and went. The wall behind them held a huge world map.

The staff table was a step higher, giving the effect of a star chamber during the Inquisition. Fanning out were the mighty: two vice-admirals, Rear Admiral Richard X. Maple, Commodore Chester Harkleroad in command of the building program, and four captains of the highest standing.

It was a shipshape room of a shipshape boss who was adept in negotiating the political jungle. Captain Fitz Donovan, his personal aide of eight years, sat alongside and somewhat chaired the meeting, shuffling papers and whispering into the admiral’s ear.

Before them sat Lieutenant Colonel Commandant Tom Ballard and Major Benjamin Boone of the Marine Corps.

“Ben,” Porter Langenfeld said in a notably cavalier manner, “who the hell let you in the room?”

“It was raining outside. I wanted to come in out of the rain.”

“We can all do your routines by heart,” the admiral continued. “I am up to snuff on your random study. I’ve read the first of the paper’s conclusions. It is a fairly commendable work. I will put together a committee to take up a number of your ideas for further study.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of, Admiral.”

The table snapped out of its daze.

Fitz Donovan leaned over to Langenfeld. “There’s nothing on our agenda concerning ‘Random Sixteen.’”

“What have you got there, Ben?” the admiral said pointedly.

“Nothing of an official nature.”

“Then what?”

“Thoughts that have been deliberately kept silent. They need to be heard and said aloud because the words carry great clarity.”

Porter Langenfeld scratched on his muttonchop and considered that he was being baited by a master.

“What the hell is it?” the admiral demanded.

“A discourse between myself and the lieutenant who worked on ‘Random Sixteen.’ I decided to leave it off as an addendum to ‘Random Sixteen,’ as not timely. However, I asked him to take notes of our conversations for possible future briefings. Though ahead of its time, it presents a powerful and, I believe, irrefutable case for the Marine Corps to garrison the Amnesty Islands.”

“An opinion by a junior officer playing soothsayer?”

Ben held his breath for several beats. “Yes, sir,” he said firmly.

“Christ sake, Ben,” Fitz Donovan said, “this isn’t the Roman forum or a Shakespeare festival.”

“But it is the Naval War College and that’s what we do there,” Ben retorted.

“I take it this paper is loaded?” Porter asked.

“Very.”

Langenfeld leaned back in his leather chair, curious but wary.
He leaned forward in a manner that showed why he commanded the navy, and pointed to the commandant.

“You in on this, Tom?”

“Yes, sir.”

“You’ve read it?”

“Today.”

The fucking Marines were putting on a squeeze play. If the report accurately foretold a future dilemma and he refused to listen, the onus would be on him. On the other hand, he was going to hear something he didn’t want to hear.

“You know about this, Dick?” he asked Maple.

“No.”

“Very well. Tom, Ben, come around to my office and we’ll discuss it.”

“No, sir,” Ben said.

“No, sir,” the commandant said.

“Tom, you are about to be retired with the rank of full colonel. Are you sure you want this read to us?”

“I’d prefer to retire as a sergeant knowing this paper will be heard than be retired as a colonel and have it silenced.”

Porter Langenfeld’s eyes went right and he received dry nods. His eyes went left. Nods there as well, save Chester Harkleroad, who had a sour set to his mouth.

“As far as I’m concerned this meeting was adjourned ten minutes ago. We are off-the-record. Ben, you may proceed.”

Ben could all but feel heat come off Zach’s papers as he unfolded them and studied the arrangement of gold-banded sleeves before him. Funny, he wasn’t even nervous. He cleared his throat.

“Is there any staff officer in this meeting who does not believe that Japan is programmed for and launched on the creation of an empire?”

The room went silent. A taboo word had been spoken in the highest council in plain English. Porter Langenfeld’s decision time
was at hand, to pass and slap the lid on a Pandora’s box quickly, or let these Marines say their piece. They wouldn’t pull this rabbit out of the hat without a strong basis in fact.

“I’m going to hear this,” the admiral said. “Go on, Ben.”

Lieutenant Zachary O’Hara had burst open a vault where they had hidden their darkest thoughts and built an organized, penetrating, and chillingly accurate line of reasoning.

Japan has a unique history among all major nations. She has never been conquered or ruled by an outside power. Over the centuries she has built a secretive, feudal warlord-oriented society devoted to a god figure . . .

As the only Asian nation to remain free of European control, she moved into the modern world with a mind-set, a patient and subservient culture, hidden anger, and deviousness, to plan and execute what the Japanese feel is their destiny, if it takes decades or even generations . . .

When the isolation ended in the mid-1800s, Japan elbowed her way into the old-boys’ club of European powers, making herself a partner and setting down troops in the Chinese treaty ports. With that foothold, Japan has demanded that China cede them Formosa and the Pescadores Islands . . .

Russian-owned Siberia has ambitions to move into and take over Manchuria and this is apt to incite the first conflict. The Japanese homeland is limited in natural resources and must have Manchurian coal, oil, iron, and whatever is needed to create a modern fleet. It is predictable that before the end of this century, Japan will move to conquer Manchuria and have a war with Russia . . .

The population of Korea will be Japan’s forced-labor pool to work the Manchurian mines, build railroads, and otherwise set up a structure to conquer China . . .

Two gigantic new world powers are emerging in the twentieth century, Japan and the United States . . .

America has already made its major expansion by extending her own borders west to the Pacific. America’s future is based on commerce without invasion and outside rule. She will need, as would any naval power, advance bases to protect her shipping lanes . . .

The United States has made it known she will annex the Hawai
ian Islands. Does this not say that the United States has already drawn a line in the water at the international date line where Japan is to be stopped? . . .

The Japanese are already engaged in “peaceful” emigration to and setting up of colonies all over the Pacific, including Hawaii . . .

When one studies Japanese military potential, one must come to the conclusion that when Japan breaks out, she will encounter very feeble opposition in conquering everything from the international date line to 10° South latitude. Within that bag are Manchuria, Korea, the Chinese mainland, the Philippine Islands, the Dutch East Indies, French Indochina, Singapore, Burma, Thailand, and Cambodia . . .

No European power can match the Japanese in a land war in Asia. Japan will conquer without major losses. No combination of European sea powers will be able to go halfway around the world and defeat the growing Japanese naval power; not Germany, Holland, France, Portugal, Spain, or Russia . . .

Only Britain can stop a Japanese challenge to conquer Australia, India, and New Zealand.

That brings us to the evolution of a historical partnership unique in human history—that between England and the United States . . .

These two nations, without contentious borders, speak the same language, are driven by democratic ideologies, have a similar religious base, and share an integrated history and heritage. The United States and England have fought their last war against each other . . .

The recent naval protocol between America and England is a precursor to a power alignment that will dominate the world in the next century by recognition of each other’s spheres of vital national interest (particularly the isthmus) . . .

The Anglo-American alliance will be the only force that can defeat Japan in Asia and the Pacific . . .

Japan is aware of this condition. Therefore, watch Japan seize, without opposition, an array of Pacific Islands. The Solomons, the Gilberts, the Marshalls, the Marianas, by stealthy immigration and colonization, will be garrisoned and fortified, creating a Pacific ring of steel . . .

The United States and Japan will inevitably go to war over domination of the Pacific Ocean. It will be the greatest naval war ever engaged . . .

In order for the United States to defeat the Japanese empire, she
must conquer this belt of fortified islands spread over thousands and thousands of square miles . . .

The basic Japanese doctrine will be a theory that the United States will not spend the blood and years needed to conquer these islands. Thus, the war will end in a stalemate with a Japanese empire intact . . .

During the intervening years of peace, the American military must be aware of these island fortresses and develop tactics to invade them from the sea in the future . . .

These tactics can be developed only by a Marine Corps working quietly on suitable islands away from prying eyes in the Caribbean, namely the Amnesty Islands . . .

What can be developed is an intimate coordination between the naval force and the landing force; meaningful joint maneuvers . . .

Unless the United States is willing to cede mainland Asia and the Pacific up to the international date line, we must enhance our understanding of amphibious warfare through a Marine Corps . . .

A lone fly broke the silence as it buzzed around near Fitz Donovan’s papers and suddenly the wall clock went
boom, boom, boom.
A worry they had all kept hidden was suddenly exposed. Whatever time in the future something like this could happen would be well beyond their watch and probably beyond their lifetime.

Yet the warning had been issued in the highest place, and peace in heaven would be ruined if the Americans were caught unawares.

Yet . . . how could this seem so predictable?

“Now, then,” Porter Langenfeld said after two moments of silence, “we have been deftly maneuvered into hearing the word
Japan
used in a perfidious manner. This was a schoolboy’s rambling without merit. The United States and Japan are at peace and could conceivably become allies at large. America has always had a special regard for the Japanese since Admiral Dewey brought them out of isolation. Sort of big brothers. So whatever was stated in this message is preferably not to be mentioned in polite society. Do you have any more copies of this . . . thing?”

“No, sir,” Ben answered.

“Fitz, destroy it.”

Captain Donovan came around and took the papers from the major.

“Gentlemen, if there is too much gossip about this, it could cause the navy some embarrassing moments. We heard it, we dismissed it, now keep the lid on it.”

An unintelligible grumbling of neither yes nor no. Ben watched closely. The J word had stuck.

“Admiral Marple?”

“Yes, Porter?”

“I want the War College curriculum inspected. I won’t have that place turned into a den of jingoism.”

Nothing left to do but stretch Ben Boone and Tom Ballard’s necks.