Glide Path by Clarke Arthur C

Author:Clarke, Arthur C. [Clarke, Arthur C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science Fiction, War, Historical, Classics, Fantasy
ISBN: 9780795325519
Goodreads: 24628189
Publisher: RosettaBooks
Published: 1963-09-01T08:00:00+00:00

16

One can never tell when the most peculiar skills and talents may suddenly prove useful. When he had been under training, Alan had learned how to dress and undress in two minutes flat; little more time was allowed between lectures and PT drill. Now he beat even his best record, and was fully presentable, if disheveled, while Olga was still arguing with her visitors in the hall.

“Is there a back way out?” he asked anxiously.

“Why are you making such a fuss? There’s nothing to worry about. Olga can handle Mac.”

“It’s all too complicated to explain now,” said Alan. He did not doubt Olga’s ability to cope with most situations, but he had seen McGregor when he was drunk and knew that he could be a very awkward customer. The house was getting much too crowded.

They tiptoed out through the kitchen, where they found Howard and Elise taking a fond farewell. Howard was already dressed for the road, and his cheerful, relaxed expression only made Alan’s own frustration more acute. As soon as Howard saw his face, he gave a quite unsympathetic smirk. “It serves you right,” he said. “You shouldn’t have wasted so much time.” Alan did not deign to reply; he was too busy trying to file as many memories as possible for future reference.

He had never felt quite so foolishly conspiratorial in his life as they pedaled softly away into the moonlight. Not until they had passed through the sleeping village did he call over his shoulder to Howard: “Thanks for a very interesting evening. But there are a lot of things I’d still like to know—”

“So would I,” said Howard. “What was all the panic about? I thought you and Mac were good friends.”

“That has nothing to do with it,” Alan answered, a little testily. “It’s—er—a matter of discipline. It would have made me the laughingstock of the unit. You civilians have nothing to worry about, but officers and men aren’t supposed to mix off duty. Especially in a place like that. And besides, Mac might have lost his temper; he can get nasty when he has a few under the belt.”

“And you were afraid he would have beaten you up?”

“He might have behaved,” said Alan with dignity, “in a way that would have made our future relations difficult.” He added, in a pensive afterthought, “I once saw him throw a man through a NAAFI window.”

“Sorry—I didn’t hear that,” said Howard, who seemed to have difficulty in keeping up with him.

“Oh, never mind. I’d like to know what an establishment like Olga’s is doing here in the middle of nowhere.”

“You call this nowhere?” said Howard. “There are ten thousand men within a five-mile radius. Besides St. Erryn, there’s that big experimental airfield over at Davistowe.”

“I hadn’t looked at it from that point of view,” Alan admitted.

“Don’t go so fast—I can’t keep up.”

“Where does she come from, anyway? And is Buckingham really her name?”

“I think so. When she was young, she married an Englishman—not for long, I gather—so that she could get a British passport.

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