A Rude Awakening by Brian Aldiss

Author:Brian Aldiss [Aldiss, Brian]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

112

'Did you really, Raddle?'

'Maurice kindly accompanied me since I was scared to flew. I

sail for the Netherlands via RAPWI on the ship Van Heutsz

tomorrow. Good-bye to Sumatra after four ghastly years.

Tonight we celebrate, Stewbs! Medan's a step nearer

civilisation! Cheers! To the Van Heutsz!' She raised her glass

high before drinking.

The Van Heutsz was a four-and-a-half-thousand-too symbol

of hope to any non-military personnel wishing to escape from

Sumatra. Just to be allowed aboard that ancient vessel, to

become one of its crowded deck passengers, was to savour the

redemptive quality of a new life. Raddle's eyes shone at the

prospect.

'Golly, she's lovely, Stubbs, isn't she?' said Boyer, looking

from one to the other of us as if trying to decide which was

which. 'Be honest, you can be honest. Isn't she lovely?

Poignant, too. A fine woman, Dutch as they come. Maastrich

born.' He shook his head. 'I want to marry her but she's married

already. She was raped by the Japs, of course.' He laughed and

belted into the Black Tartan Wombat. 'That's life.'

'Talking of marriage, sir, I wanted to ask you something

personally'

Raddle screamed. 'This whisky's mewk! Oooh, Stewbs, that

fewking aeroplane from Padang, my gosh! What bumping we

had. I was so terribly sick, you know.' She gestured to make the

scene more vivid to me, clutching her throat to illustrate. 'Sick

over my seat, sick over the flewer, sick over my frock, sick over

my handbag, sick over Maurice terrible!'

'You were a bit icky, darling,' Boyer said gallantly. ' "Per

ardua ad nauseam" .' He laughed and sweated a bit more,

splashing more Black Tartan Wombat into our glasses.

'There's a certain Chinese girl, sir'

'I can't wait to get on the Van Heutsz tomorrow, it'll be the

end of four years bad lewk for me.'

'Say you'll miss me, darling, say you'll miss your Maurice!'

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