If the commander in the crisp white uniform in the admiral's cool and spacious office didn't like his sweaty, shapeless uniform, fuck her. Goddamn women in the Navy, anyway.
"The Admiral will see you, Commander, "the WAVE Lieutenant Commander said, quite unnecessarily. Commander Collins was not deaf; he had heard the Admiral tell her, over the intercom, to send him in.
Commander Collins walked into the CINCPAC's office.
"Good afternoon, Sir," he said, and extended a clipboard to the Admiral, who scrawled his name on the form, acknowledging receipt of Top Secret Incoming Message 43-2-1009. Commander Collins then handed him the message, hidden beneath a top secret cover sheet.
CINCPAC read it:
PROM CHIEF OF KAVAL OPERATIONS WASHINGTON DC
TO [EYES ONLY) COMMANDER IN CHIEF PACIFIC, PEARL HARBOR
TERR HAWAII
DP YOU WILL MAKE AVAILABLE GATO CLASS SUBMARINE FOR SUCH
TIKE AND FOR SUCH MISSION AS SPECIFIED BY C.J. CHENOWITH
OP THE OFFICE OF STRATEGIC SERVICES. CHENOWITH AMD PARTY
OF THREE [3 EH ROUTE BARBERS POINT NAS ABOARD NATS FLIGHT
232 ETA 1530 HOURS 14 FEBRUARY. CARGO ACCOMPANYING
CHENOWITH PARTY OF APPROXIMATELY TWO [2] TONS GROSS WEIGHT
IN THIRTY TWO 132] WOODEN CRATES WILL REQUIRE TREATMENT AS
TO? SECRET MATERIEL. OCNO DOES NOT DESIRE TO DISCUSS THIS
ORDER. OCNO WILL BE ADVISED IN DETAIL BY MOST EXPEDITIOUS
MEANS OF REASONS FOR INABILITY TO COMPLY WITH THIS ORDER.
BY DIRECTION: SOLOMON VICE ADMIRAL.
CINCPAC looked up at It. Commander Collins.
"No reply, Commander," he said.
"Yes, Sir," Collins said, and started to do an about-face.
"Collins?" CINCPAC said.
Collins faced CINCPAC again.
"Hot in the basement?"
"You talk to the engineer about it?"
"And what did he say?"
"He said that the ambient temperature is within the operating range of the equipment, Admiral, and there's no way he can authorize more air-conditioning."
"Collins," CINCPAC said.
"There's a Chief Kellerman over in Civil Engineering.