Robert Stone - A Flag for Sunrise

“Don’t be a bloody fool, Holliwell,” Heath shouted at him. “Get that fag out!”

Holliwell was glad to oblige as though that were the only problem.

“He thinks he’s a hero,” Heath said. “He thinks he’s at the fucking matinee.” He shook his head in disappointment. “Leave us together, Miguel, there’s a good fella.”

“He’s going to tell me about that hole he puts it into,” Soyer said.

“In the interests of time,” Heath said to Soyer. “As a favor.”

Soyer wiped his forehead, swallowed hard and went out of the peculiar room. The lieutenant followed him.

When he was alone with Holliwell, Heath took out his flask, shook it and put it on the desk with the phone.

“Give it up, chum,” he said. “Everybody talks.”

“Do you really think I’m party to all the other side’s secrets?” Holliwell asked. “Do you think she gave me their order of battle?”

“You don’t understand the situation,” Heath said, “so I’ll explain. I’ll do it clearly if I can but I’ll only do it once. Soyer is going to kill you if you don’t help him. The only reason he hasn’t already is that he’s afraid he’ll get in trouble with his higher-ups and his higher-ups are basically your government. Plus he doesn’t trust me not to tell what I see — but he’s wrong about that. I’d cover for him absolutely. Clear so far?”

“Yes,” Holliwell said.

“Good. You, Holliwell — so far as we’re concerned — are a source. Soyer is for practical purposes your case agent. He has a request from the authorities of the host country — namely Lieutenant Campos — concerning the activities of Sister Whatsit and he wants to comply with it. Understand, please, that no one is in any doubt about what she’s up to or the people she’s tied in with. Nor are we wondering where to find her — I’m sure she’ll be at the mission wrapping bandages for the boyos and looking marvelous. However, since she and the priest are U.S. citizens and the mission is an American entity, Soyer is involved directly and so are you. With all you Yankees involved we have to approach the situation in a rather cumbersome bureaucratic fashion. You are paying attention, aren’t you, Holliwell?”

“I’m paying attention.”

“War is hell as I’m sure you know. Things have their own momentum. In the face of all this promiscuity we need a coherent version of events that may someday find its way into someone’s files. Some bloody politician or other asks what happened in Tecan at such and such a time. We say what happened is this — blah blah blah. We say what happened is: Soyer debriefed Holliwell. Holliwell fingered Justin and her mission. Soyer passed the information as requested to the friendly service of the host country. Follow? Soyer needs this chain of circumstance. He wants, as you say, to be seen to do it this way. Appearances if you like. It’s part of his job.”

“It’s supposed to be me that tells him what he already knows, is that it?”

“That’s it. To his mind that’s what you’re here for, and as we know, he hates your guts. He wants to see you shop her.”

“It’s foolish of him to push people that far,” Holliwell said.

“That may be, cock, but don’t tell me. And for Christ’s sake don’t tell him.” Heath shook the flask again and, this time, drank.

“What happens to her then?”

“She’ll be expelled. At least she will if we can get to her before Campos does. She’s better off with us, you know.”

“Are you telling me you’ll protect her from Campos?”

“Why not? Soyer works for your government. I should think they’d rather not have a dead nun on their hands after the fact. And from our point of view we’d be well pleased to talk to her. We’re trying to get the big picture pieced together and it’s not easy from here. We don’t have to tell the Tecs everything we find out.”

“What if she doesn’t want to talk to you? I don’t think it’s likely she will.”

“Think I’m going to put a sister of mercy to the third degree at the risk of my immortal soul? Why, Holliwell, I wouldn’t know how to start.”

“I think you would. So would your friend.”

“We won’t harm her, Holliwell. Come on, man, it’s her best bet. And it’s your only bet because you won’t leave here alive if you don’t do it. You’re ours now.”

“How do I know you won’t feed her to the lieutenant?”

“It would be more convenient not to. Anyhow it won’t matter much to you if you’re pushing up daisies. Look, Holliwell,” Heath said, “we’re just asking you to do a little more of what you’ve been doing all along. Preserve the forms, eh?”

“Will you give me your word that she won’t be harmed?”

“My word?” Mr. Heath asked. He laughed a little but he looked rather sad. “No one’s ever asked me for my word before. But if you want to put it like that — sure, Holliwell. We’ll look after her.”

“All right,” Holliwell said.

“Ah,” Heath said. “Good lad.”

He offered Holliwell a drink from his flask and Holliwell was happy to have it.

Then Heath summoned Soyer and Campos back into the room and Holliwell explained to Soyer that he had discussed local political issues with Sister Justin Feeney of the Devotionist mission at Las Ruinas and that she had admitted to him her involvement in a conspiracy against the stability and integrity of the Republic.

Soyer listened cheerfully; his eyes were moist and his questions were soft and polite. He translated the answers for Lieutenant Campos, who listened impatiently.

“What else can you tell me, Professor?” Soyer asked after Holliwell had made his deposition. “Surely she’s told you her hopes and dreams? What does she understand will happen in the country as a whole?”

“She doesn’t know any of that,” Holliwell said. “She’s only a nurse. She wants to be where she’s needed.”

Having said that much, he glanced uneasily at Campos. The lieutenant’s lips were rolled back over his white teeth.

“Pure,” Soyer said. “Eh, Holliwell?”

“Yes,” Holliwell said.

Soyer smiled broadly.

“That’s good, Professor. And it’s very good of you to share with us. I think your only problem in life is that you can’t recognize your friends. We are your friends here — and you betray us.”

Holliwell took a cigarette from the pack and put it in his mouth, correctly this time. Soyer lit it for him.

“We do your dirty work here, gringo. When you go through attacks of cowardice and remorse, it’s we who pay, not you. One day if you keep up this way your enemies will put your entire fatuous country to sleep and there won’t be many tears, believe me.”

Holliwell looked at the cigarette between his fingers.

“Rest assured,” Soyer said, “that it’s not for you I’m fighting. I’m not such a fool as that. It’s for my country — and the bad of it is that we have to depend on you. A nation of betrayers,” he said to Heath. “Without pride. Whiners. I hate them all.”

Heath finished off the contents of his flask. He winced afterwards as though the liquor hurt him inside.

“I don’t know about that,” he said. “All kinds in every country. All the same, I do remember that a chap I knew in the army used to say — When you’ve heard what a Yank has to say in the first five minutes, you’ve heard everything he’ll say the rest of his life.”

Soyer was only half listening; he snorted happily.

“Garrulous. Like this professor.” He stood in front of Holliwell; he was about an inch shorter, a tall man. “So, Professor, want to give me an abrazo now? The Americans,” he told Heath, “love most of all to give abrazos . They—” Holliwell threw his cigarette in Soyer’s face and struck him above the mouth with a straight-armed right. In a second, Heath and the lieutenant had pinned him. The lieutenant had the strength of a weight lifter; Holliwell’s arm went numb in his grasp but the shoulder to which it was joined hurt quite a lot.